A little bit of Summer

We had a fun and busy summer! This is just a small update but I guess you've gotta start somewhere. We spent some time in Texas with Nana and Papa at their new house and had a lot of fun!  We also had a fun family reunion at Bear Lake.                     I ran three races between June and July and we enjoyed many local festivities going on around here this summer! Kynley became a brave swimmer swimming around the pool with just a little floaty on.                                                                           Jake stayed busy with tennis all summer and got to coach a 16-18 Zonals team, and played in some fun double tournaments with his students! It has gone by quick.  It has been nice to be a full time stay at home mom but defiantly different not teaching everyday!

Downtown El Paso August 2012

Playing in Nana and Papa's pool

Market on Saturday in El Paso

San Diego

 In February we headed to San Diego for the weekend so Jake could be USPTA certified (a tennis certification for his work). We took Maggie and Aaron (our youngest siblings) with us and had a great time!

At Balboa Park... we walked around for a couple hours looking at all the beautiful architecture, statues, gardens, buildings and landscapes.

Anytime there is water Kynley has to stop and play. She is often found like this if there is water on the ground!

Kynley, Mom and Maggie

Looking at all the flowers and gardens!

Later in the afternoon we headed to Coronado for the beach. I believe we ended up at Silver Strand State Beach. Kynley loved the water but it was windy! We also found seven full sand dollars!

Hanging out at the hotel- jumping on the beds!

Kynley has been finding little hideouts lately. This is where she decided to eat breakfast one morning!

By recommendation of friends we ate here and thought it was great! We also stopped by Julian on the way out to try some of their famous Apple Pie! It did not disappoint and was delicious.

Changes

Since I started this blog somewhat as a family journal or memoir I guess I better document all of our changes lately!  At the beginning of this school year Jake transferred to the University of Utah. In August he got a call from the tennis coach at Utah and was asked to come hit with the team. After playing one of their players the coach offered him a full ride scholarship. Long story short the NCAA clearinghouse wouldn’t approve him to play because of several reasons (he was a junior in school and had played in a few professional tournaments as a teenager).  We were bummed and didn’t understand why this hadn’t worked out.

Just a few weeks later, Jake got a call from his old tennis coach who suggested that he come try out for a coaching/teaching position at a local Swim and Tennis Club. Jake did and they offered him the job, which he gladly would have accepted except that it was too many hours a week and he needed to finish school. Our plan had been to go to Physical Therapy school when Jake graduated next summer. 

However, over the past few months he was asked to come sub at the club and really loved it. They again offered him a full time position, but this time we felt really good about it and even decided that this was going to be a career change for Jake! We are so excited that he can be a Tennis Pro! He is an excellent teacher and truly had a great gift in that area. He said growing up it was always his dream job.  So lately he has taken on more hours and will work up to full time in the next few months all while finishing school! He has a few more semesters and we are grateful they are willing to work his schedule around that.  Even though everything didn’t work out before and we couldn’t figure out why these opportunities had even come up, we now know why!

This also means that I can be a stay at home mom!! I am very excited about that in case you couldn’t tell! I will still work part time just next year, which will just end up being a few hours every morning and then I will be done. I still can’t decide if it is a pro or con to stay in Utah a few more years than expected but who can complain!  We are grateful for these sudden but exciting changes in our lives and can’t wait to see what the future brings! And I guess it means Kynley and I better acquire some serious tennis skills and pretend we know what's going on when we watch matches.

Baby Beluga

Anyone know this guy?

On Wednesday I got in the car to drive to work and this CD was playing. I was singing along before I realized Kynley was not in the car with me and I did not have to listen to this CD. Fast forward to the next day. I get in our other car to go to work same CD, same song, still singing along subconsciously. This was one of my favorites when I was little. Nana passing on the tradition started singing it to Kynley when she was little...very little. Now Kyn has the CD and book and every time we get in the car she says Baby Baby and that's our cue to play the song. It's like the movie Life As We Know It, where they are in the car with a similar cd playing and the two friends are sandwiched in the back with the car seat between them. The parents and baby are singing along and the friends looking miserable. I am pretty sure this is an exact scene from our car only our music is Baby Beluga...we might have an obsession at our house.

2011 in Review

11 Highlights and Happenings of 2011!

Katie back to teaching, Jake teaching tennis at a local club
Moving into a new apartment
Summer in Michigan
Trip to Mackinaw Island and our bike ride around the island
Road trip home from Michigan where we stopped by Indiana, Nauvoo and Nebraska
Kynley turned One!
Jake transferred to the University of Utah
Spring Break to St. George and Zion National Park
Visiting grandmas, grandpas, great grandmas and grandpas, cousins, aunts and uncles
Kynley's milestones--crawling, walking, talking, climbing, signing, and many more!
Bought a "family" car-not a minivan though!

Any year has it's ups and down, challenges and blessings and this year was no exception. We have been so blessed to have a healthy, happy family and to be able to see our extended families often this year! We have had many new opportunities-- some worked out and some didn't but we know that they were all answers to our prayers. We have been able to make new friends, meet up with old ones, and enjoy many of the beautiful places in our country.  We have loved being first time parents and watching our little girl grow into a big girl! We are constantly amazed at how fast she grows and how much she picks ups.  We are excited for 2012 and many of our goals revolve around being our best selves and family and going back to the simplicities of life!

Happy New Year from the Nelsons!

Catch Up

Some of the other things we enjoyed the last few months of the year included...

Nelson Family 5K!  Thanksgiving morning we braved the cold and ran our own little family 5K with hot apple cider afterward. We all had fun and want to keep this tradition going.

Kynley new favorite thing recently is squeezing into small spaces!

No Holiday season is complete without a visit to Temple Square to see the lights and hearing Uncle Aaron's choir sing!

Christmas morning the whole Montgomery and Nelson clan with the annual steps picture before presents!

Kynley was intrigued by present opening. She mostly wandered around watching everyone else open presents, took a snack break, chased the dog and finally got around to going through her stocking and presents!

Christmas morning all ready for church!

Look who turned one!

Our baby is one, a great year it's been! We are so thankful for her in our family. She constantly makes us laugh and keeps us on the move! Happy Birthday baby girl!

 We celebrated with a little birthday party- the favorite gift I think was the baby stroller and babies (thanks Grandma and Nana). She pretty much gave up opening any other gifts after those!  She wasn't so sure about the cake but liked the frosting for awhile, but once again was too distracted by the baby stroller!

 Can you see the excitement when she realizes it's a stroller?!

Proud stroller and baby doll owner

 Kynley's cake- one of our favorite recipes white chocolate with raspberry butter cream frosting!

Kynley's birthday hat- a new tradition in our family!

Kynley with Papa