Has it been 5 Months???

I really can't believe that it has been so long since I have posted anything. I took my computer to America with me this past summer so that I could do a really great Father's Day blog for Devin with pictures from the computer, but to no avail, didn't get anything done - ever. The entire summer flew by & I didn't login to Blogger 1 single time. Sorry, to all you "Thai Nielsons" diehards out there. Ha ha. I know there really aren't that many of you, so I didn't feel like I had let that many people down. I have meant to start up again & get some really fun blogs up about our fun summer & also some things that have been going on since we came back, but since I left the cord to my camera at Mom's house, I have been unable to download any pictures; which would have made any potential post really boring. So, I have totally put blogging on the back burner. However, I finally got the bug to at least write something, & give a little shout out to Crys since she has commented on the lack of new posts. This one is for you!

So, we arrived back home safe & sound & have many wonderful memories of our 2+ months in Utah, Idaho, & Wyoming. Lots of awesome future posts when I figure out how to get pictures to my computer without the cord... For now you'll have to settle for a boring, picture-less post, but informative nonetheless.

Rhees is enjoying 6th grade, or should I say, tolerating 6th grade. The only thing that I really know he is enjoying, is his 2 hours of writing/composition tutoring from our Bishop's wife, & the "after school" time with his friends. Does "after school" count as part of school??? He does love science & looks forward to our science projects. He also really enjoys reading. He turned 12 on September 4th & was ordained a deacon on the 7th. He has really loved passing the Sacrament & going to Young Men's. Except for the week that he broke his foot (5th metatarcil bone) while he was AT Young Mens. He said that he just stepped back & turned & then heard a snap & fell to the ground. I didn't think that it could really be broken since he didn't fall on it or anything, so I let him crawl around the house for 2 days before I was convinced that I should take him to have an x-ray. That earned me the "Mother of the Year" award. Who doesn't rush their child immediately to the ER? It is probably a lucky thing that I'm living here in Thailand, since if I would have been in America & waited 2 days before seeking medical help, I most likely would have been arrested on suspicion of child abuse. Anyway, he is in a walking boot & is getting along fine. It turned out that the bone wasn't actually completely broken. It is broken only about 3/4 of the way through the bone. But it has still been very painful & will take the same amount of time to heal as a complete fracture. He has been a really great sport & has honestly hardly complained. He is still waiting for me to buy him a guitar so that he can begin guitar lessons. That really is on my "to do" list this next week.

Ambrian is having a great year so far in 4th grade. She loves math & writing stories. She started gymnastics 2 days a week at a different gym & is having the time of her life. Her favorite part is the tumbling, but she is also learning the beam & the bars. She has nearly got her round off back handspring un-aided, & can do a back tuck & whip on the trampoline or off the mat into the pit. She can do a front tuck on the mat & is working on mastering front & back walk-overs. She is also really loving learning to play the violin. I'm just kicking myself that I didn't end up starting her last year, since her AWESOME teacher is moving back to Utah in December. Mindy Hillman is a fabulous violinist/fiddler & used to play for the Orchestra at Temple Square. From what I understand, she will play with them again once they get settled back in West Jordan. Anyway, Ambi seems to be doing great with her violin. She is also doing really well with piano. It has all of a sudden started to click for her & she is always playing & wanting to learn new songs. Yes, that is "music" to my ears!!

Aybrielle is loving being in 1st grade. It just sounds so much funner to say that you are in 1st grade than Kindergarten. Or at least she thinks so. She is a diligent, little student & is doing really well. She LOVES books & could sit & read books all day. She enjoys math as well, & has even started to memorize some Times Tables. She loves to draw & is actually quite good. Aybrielle started to learn violin with Ambrian, but changed her mind a few weeks into it & decided to wait a little while to continue. She is having fun learning to play the piano though & seems to have a little knack for it. YaY!! She is loving going to ballet & looks so darling in her little pink ballet suit. What little girl doesn't look cute in a pink ballet suit, tights, & shoes?!! It is fun for her that her friend Molly Bunker is in her class too. She does gymnastics once a week with Ambrian & is working on her standing back bend & round off. She also wanted to do Girl Scouts again this year (surprise! surprise!) & is in the Bluebird troop.

Kambren is always busy!! He loves riding his bike & has just figured out that he can ride Aybrielle's bigger bike. He loves swimming & always wants to be in the water - without his floaty suit on. He's a little daredevil. He loves to be with the kids while they are doing their schoolwork. We bought him a little desk like each of the kids have so that he could have a place to do his coloring & cutting. I transformed the extra room that we had a bed in when Mom & Lynn, & Mom & Jim were here to be a school room. We took the bed out & put the 4 desks & chairs in there. I also borrowed an extra cupboard from the neighborhood store room so that I could have an extra place to keep all the books & things. We have hung posters of all kinds; multiplication, colors, ABCs, hundred chart, senses, & numbers. It really does look like a school room. We even have a calendar that the kids put numbers on each day. Okay, it is a little bit juvenile for Rhees & Ambrian, but they still like taking turns putting the day up. So, back to Kambren, sometimes all he does is sit & play Magnetix at his desk, but he is having fun. I did start the "Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons" & he seems to be doing well at it. It's a good thing that the lessons are short, only about 15 minutes, or he would be long gone before we finished. Maybe he will end up being my 1 child who is reading going into Kindergarten. (Not that I really think it makes any difference though. They all catch up.)

Kalen! Oh what a giggly, silly, scrumptious, active, ball of lovable 18 month old. When he isn't charming us all with his absolutely adorable laugh or attempts to mimick everything we say, he is playing cat or dog on the floor - literally. He will purposely spill his food out of his bowl & then put his face down to lick it up. Okay, you will never believe this, but the other day at gymnastics he was sitting on the floor reading books & there happened to be some ants crawling on the floor. So, he looked at them for a second & then he got up on all 4s & put his face down with his tongue out & tried to lick up the ants. I nearly died! If I wasn't laughing so hard, I would have gotten to him quicker before he actually licked the floor. I didn't really think he would do it. And it probably won't be the last time he proves me wrong either..... What a little joy. And I might add, that although most of the time he is simply adorable, he has shown signs of early entrance into the Terrible Twos. He can be seen throwing himself back on his head on the floor when he doesn't get his own way. Oh the Dr. Jekyl & Baby Hyde days are here.

I have been released from my job as Primary Secretary & sustained as Primary Pianist. I am loving every second of it. This really is one of my very favorite callings in the church. I love being in Primary with all the kids. I started teaching piano again this year & am enjoying that as well. I wasn't going to, but had some beggers that I just couldn't turn down. I am teaching Rachel Gygi, Kai Poulson, Annabel Maskovich, & Joe Maskovich, along with Ambrian & Aybrielle, of course. It has been fun to be teaching a little bit again. I also went & did something rash. I know that you are all going to be laughing your heads off at this, but it just looked too fun. I enrolled in a gymnastics class with the girls. The only classes they had for the girls were 3:45 on Tuesdays & 5:30 on Thursdays. The Tuesday class wasn't so bad, but the Thursday class was horrible. The class is 1 1/2 hours long & so they didn't finish until 7:00, which means that we didn't get home until 8:00. I just told them that I wasn't going to continue that. I asked the teachers if they would consider doing another class during the day & they told me if I could find at least 3 people, then they would do another class. So one day I started thinking, "What if the 3rd person was me?". I asked them if they would let me take with the girls, just the 3 of us, & after a few laughs & several "Are you kidding?" stares, they agreed. So, okay after the 1st class I was about dead, & the next day felt like I had been run over by a semi truck. I think that I used some muscles I didn't even know I had, in my attempts to do backbends & front walk overs that 1st day. But it hasn't been bad since & is actually quite fun. I was worried that Ambrian might be embarassed about me doing gymnastics with her & Aybrielle, but when I asked her if she was she said, "No way! Maybe some other girls would, but not me.". What a sweetheart. The 3 of us are having such a great time doing this together. I do have to confess that part of my rationale in doing the class was that I remember Mom taking Clogging when Jill, Suz, & Crys were taking. So, thanks Mom for the motivation!

Devin hasn't been traveling as much lately & that has been nice. He is doing more work at home & going to the factory less. We enjoy seeing him around the house during the day when he isn't in the office & we aren't down in the school room. He is still golfing a few times a week & has alot of movie & rock star friends who he goes with. That is fun for him.

Well, I have written 5 months worth of family info. I guess I have made up for all the time that I haven't posted anything. If any of you are still reading after the novel above, I promise that I will get a CD made from my memory card & then I can download pics to the computer & won't need the cord. Then I can start writing about some of our fun this summer. I also have a couple of fun posts that I'm already planning from pictures that I have taken since we returned. Until then, we miss you all so so so much!! We had a great time seeing you & spending time with you. In a way, it has made it harder to come back. The kids are always talking about when we move back. In fact, the other day Kambren told me that he wanted to move back to live with Grammy. He said that he wanted to pack all his stuff & all his toys & move to Grammy's house. Lots of Love to All!!!