Happy Season to Me!!!!

Well, it was my birthday on the 22nd and three days later it was Christmas and I must say people were good to me this year. We'll start with my birthday.

After church on the 22nd I went to Sugarland to spend the night and the next day with Lauren. We had a fun night not getting to sleep until well after 3 o'clock. We saw a movie called Family Stone. It was pretty good but a definite emotional roller coaster. I laughed and cried in the same movie. Then we did what we do best and drove around for a while. Lauren is a good friend.

The next morning we woke up somewhere around 9:30ish and got ready for the day. Little did I know that my friend Clint was coming to town to spend the day with us. I was totally surprised and so excited that he was able to come and hang out. We left to go to lunch at Fuddruckers and when we got there to my utter surprise, a bunch of first colony youth group kids were there to give me a party. It was so fun! My first surprise party ever! It was great. After the party was over Clint, Lauren, Bryan and I went to the Cheesecake factory and had my second ever piece of chocolate cheesecake. Mmmm....mmmm....good.

Soon after this I left to head back to Alvin for the 800th annual Nelson Family Open House. It was a lot of fun and I got a huge cookie cake and an awesome keyboard stand and bench for my keyboard. I am so pumped about it.

The next couple of days were awesome because I got to hang out with my nephew while everyone was out of the house. While I wouldn't say that I am quite ready for children, which is good because, I'm so far away from that, I did enjoy the time I got to spend with him. He knows my name and even preferred my comfort over Granni's at times-which is a big deal in our family! :o) I love him he is SO cute!

On Christmas Eve we had a little changed of plans. We normally go to Mike and Cathy's open house, then go Christmas light looking, then go home and open presents. This year, we opened presents at 2 o'clock and then we went to open house and we skipped the whole Christmas light looking all together- which was sad because I don't remember a Christmas eve when we didn't go look at lights. No matter, we still had a blast. Favorite gift-Quesadilla Maker! Dinner at my house! We woke up at 5:45 Sunday morning to get our Santa gifts, YES Santa still come to my house. We got up because Jeff and April and Ty had to head to Belton around 6:30 and we wanted to see Ty get his presents.

We had a lot of fun. Just another reason I love my family so much. The holidays were great. I hope you all had a merry Christmas and have a happy new year.

All In The Family

Today was productive. Not productive in the sense that I got a lot accomplished, although I did manage to get a good start on Christmas presents for mom, April and Valerie, productive in the sense that I spent some good quality time with my nephew. As the house emptied out this morning around 7:30 I was awake and watching an old classic, Saved by the Bell, as I anxiously awaited the sound of an 21 month old crying because the sun finally broke through the window. However, the sound was not a cry but came in the form of a cough.

My precious baby Ty woke up coughing so, of course, I ran to his room and the cutest little boy just looked at me and smiled and stood up and the day began. We spent some time playing with the singing reindeer, sending some emails, eating breakfast at the backdoor so we could watch Duke and Elly--the dogs--playing, and laughing. Ty is precious and although I was up way before any person should be allowed to be up during their Christmas break, I welcomed the company and look forward to doing it again tomorrow.

Something about family makes me happy. I just finished reading Luke Reeves blog entry from a couple of days ago and found myself laughing along with the situation. My family is much like his- I guess. We tend to be loud, talking too loud and laughing a lot. We get stares-there are different theories as to why that is-, and we pass out smiles. I love my family.

My family goes together. God has designed the Nelson Clan in such a way that no matter the mood or the things that might have accidentally come out of our mouths before we had a chance to think about them, we can always laugh, and smile and love each other.

Mom is so sure that I am going to meet someone and fall in love and get married in the next year or two; Dad is giving me 6-7 years before that happens, regardless, whoever this lucky lad is that will enter into the Nelson world, is in for a treat because my family is cool and I wouldn't trade them for the whole entire big wide world!

Be Blessed!!!

Cinderella

Made dinner last night, chicken quasidillas, cleaned the carpet with one of those shampoo machine thingys,made a bunch of snowflakes tonight. That's about the extent of it. Oh yeah, I ran a mile on Tuesday. I have nothing to do. I read when I get bored, or I fall asleep. I'm glad to have nothing to do and I'm happy to do stuff around the house but I'm ready to go back. I am actually ready for Christmas. Ready for Jeff and April and Ty to get here, ready for mom's birthday; ready for my birthday and to see Lauren; just ready to be active.

I have been talking to Lauren since I got home, been texting her and Jonathan. Talked to Clint once and talked to Reid tonight. I have some great friends. I am so excited about the last semester of school and getting to live it up with all my friends. It'll be a blast.

I don't really have a lot to report on but I was told by a friend that I needed to write so here it is. When you rush greatness it's not always great! ;o) Anyway, when I do have something worth reading you guys will be the first to know!

Have a great weekend and Happy Holidays!

Birthday Countdown: 6 days!

Be Blessed!!!

When The Sand Runs Out

He picked pecans and chased squirrels. We liked sitting on the back porch cracking pecans and throwing them at the squirrels with Granddad. There is not a person in my family who knew Granddad, who doesn't have a memory of cracking pecans and picking on squirrels with him.

The Chorus:

"I'm gonna stop lookin' back
and start movin' on
And learn how to face my fears
Love with all of my heart,
make my mark
I wanna leave something here
Go out on a ledge,
with out any net
That's what I'm gonna be about
Yeah I wanna be runnin
'When the sand runs out"

I heard this song on the way home from the funeral yesterday. I had heard it before but yesterday it became a lesson, not just a song. The rest of the song talks about not just spinning your wheels, but living life with a purpose. A few good lines:

"And I stood there thinking
as I said goodbye
Today is the first day
of the rest of my life"

AND

"And when they carve my stone
they'll write these words
'Here lies a man who lived
life for all that its worth'"

With Granddad on the mind this song obviously hit me hard. Dad talked about Granddad at the funeral and the one thing I remember Dad saying was Granddad "lived life like he was living!" I've always heard you should live like you were dying and live it up but I like the idea of living like you were living. I don't think it means to take forever to do everything but I do think it means live with a purpose and live as an example of freedom and hope. Granddad instilled this life in my father and my father and mother instilled it in me and my brother and sister.
I am so very grateful for my family and for the history of faith that we have. I praise God for the life my Granddad led and for all the many people he touched. Granddad struggled with his health and his death was not unexpected, but nonetheless, the lump is hard to swallow.
He visited people everyday, someone, anyone. He helped and served others in every area of his life. Granddad was running.

He's in Heaven now. If there are squirrels in heaven they are running for their lives because Granddad is there and he's sitting on the porch of his mansion, which probably is plain and simple with a huge pecan tree out back. He's crackin' pecans, and when one of those divine squirrels scurries by, Granddad is there to peg him with a pecan.

I'll see him again. It's just a matter of time!

Be Blessed!!!

Granddad

I would like to ask you all for your prayers as my family travels and grieves the loss of my Granddad. He passed away yesterday afternoon around 2 o'clock. He was a good man who loved the Lord and served him all his life. He is home now.

Thank you for your prayers.

Be Blessed!!!