Dear David...

Dear David:

Well, it has been 14 years since our brief encounter in life. Friday was a pretty hard day for me. There have been times when "your" day passed by without a tear but for some reason I was hurting more this year than I have for a while. I thought maybe if I wrote you a letter, I would feel better. I still think about you every single day. I wonder what you would look like and what you would be doing. So much has happened in the last 14 years…Mackay is going to be 18 in 27 days (can you believe it?). I wonder how it would be to watch you two together. I am sure you would be following him around, trying to be just like him. And Mallory, of course, would be right there with you.

This year I have been thinking a lot about how different my life would be if you were here. Although it hurts to know you are gone I need you to know how happy I am. I am finally where I am supposed to be. I have realized that you were not meant to be here with me but you played a part in the direction my life has taken. Some wonderful people have joined our family. I can no longer imagine my life without Jared. He makes me want to be a better person, the best I can be. He brings me a feeling of love and peace I have never felt before. He asked me if I could go back now and change what happened, would I do it? My honest answer was “No.” That day so long ago was the worst day of my life. My heart was broken. But the life I have with Jared has filled my soul with more love and happiness than I could ever imagine. If going back meant losing him, I couldn’t do it.

I hope my role in your spirit receiving a body is enough for now. I hope you can understand that even when my heart aches for you, I am grateful for the life I have now. I know you are not a child but I still think about you, a little boy, standing before our Heavenly Father, his arms reaching out to you to welcome you back home after your short visit to Earth...and I know you are okay. And know this, my beloved boy, I am okay too…..

Your Mom

Girls Day!!!

GIRLS DAY IS ON ITS WAY! YAY! Mel is coming down to Utah, so the "Nielsen" girls have planned our annual Girls Day! I can hardly wait! First of all, I am excited to see Mel and Ben! But most of all, I love to spend time with Mom and the sisters! I know that five of us live in Grantsville and seven of us live in Utah....but it is still fun to spend time with "just us girls!" There is always a little shopping-lots of food-lots of fun-alot of laughing-and usually some crying too! Oh, the memories......I am smiling just thinking about Girls Days of the past!

LUANNE-EMILY-JENNIFER-MARIANNE-MAREN-ANGELA-SANI-MELISSA

too pooped to blog

So, I haven't blogged since I announced my goal of no shopping for a year.... And NO I haven't been sitting at home crying about the whole thing. (Although, it is already hard!) Things at work have been so busy! No time to blog at work and by the time I get home, I just have not had the energy to blog. I have to say it has been a rather busy week filled with lots of homework, Gracie's birthday party, parent/teacher conference, and the opening day of the muzzle loader hunt. Jared took me out hunting on Wednesday morning. He took it pretty easy on me....good thing because I am in worse shape than I realized. But it was fun to be out with him in the mountains....me, the apprentice and him, the jedi master....

Needless to say....I am glad it's FRIDAY!

A year without...

Now that Jared took me shopping, I have decided that I need to do a better job of using what I have and not constantly buying more. Jared is so frugal and I am trying to learn from him how to be a bit wiser with money. So, I have a new goal...Are you ready???

I am not going to buy any clothes for work for ONE YEAR.

Yes, I am serious! I am sure you have all heard we should get rid of things we haven’t worn for a year. So I am going to put that philosophy to the test! I am going to wear the work clothes I have right now for one whole year. At the end of that year, I will get rid of anything I didn’t wear and see what I have left. I have found some fabulous blogs where women share their budget wise fashion sense and work outfit ideas. And these are “real” women who don’t have perfect bodies so I think I will be checking them out for inspiration!

I really am serious about this new adventure. I have never done anything like this before, so I may need encouragement in the coming months. Wish me luck!!!

I'm a GRANDMA????

Well, not really.....Mackay had to bring home a computerized BABY for an assignment in his Child Development class so I was a grandma for one night. And I didn't even get to enjoy it! He had a computerized bracelet linked to the baby and if he got too far away it would cry. So, Grandma didn't even get to play with the baby. I just wonder who its mother is.....because it doesn't look a thing like him!

BTW...he got 100% on his assignment!

Birthday Weekend!

Last weekend, Jared took me on an OVERNIGHTER for my birthday! We have found this awesome little getaway spot up Ogden Canyon, The Alaskan Inn. We spent a quiet Friday night without the ringing of the phone, without the voices of children, without worrying whether or not kids would make it home by curfew, a night of JUST JARED! This was our cute little cabin!

Don’t get me wrong, I love the kids and wouldn’t trade them for the world. But there is nothing like alone time with Jared! We took a drive around the lake and enjoyed yummy shakes before bed. He even treated me with a bubble bath!





Ogden Canyon is just beautiful!

On Saturday morning, Jared took me shopping! He is such a good sport! After we got home, we took the kids to “Casa” for dinner. It was a good birthday!

Go Cowboys!

Well, it is time once again for high school football! Good 'ol GHS has started putting on FAN FEST before every home game! There is tailgating, music, face painting and lots of people! The kids are loving it! The "cousins" (Kara, Shayla, Maddie, Mals, and Kamille) came over to my house to do their hair before going to the game! There are even a few cute boys to check out at Fan Fest! Girls are so funny! Even Mackay joined in the fun!


Isabelle and Gracie participated in a mini cheer clinic and peformed at last week's game! They looked adorable! It was alot of fun! I would call it a successful Friday night for the M-J's! No one was sitting in front of the TV, computer, or x-box! It was a great night full of home town spirit!