The Nelson Narrative

It's Christmas Eve and it's snowing!  It's been a busy day.  Cleaning up, making tomorrow's dessert and the stuffing, laundry, and we went to church.  Right now I'm just sitting in the living room, no TV or anything, just enjoy the quiet and the pretty lights and festive atmosphere.

Oops, I slacked off a bit.  But I'm back.  We had a fun day Saturday before last (the 11th).  We needed to go up to Lynnwood (about 45 minutes away) to pick my ring up at Shane Co (I took it in for the annual inspection/cleaning, etc.), so while we were up there we had lunch and did some shopping, and the girls each got a new piercing.  Olivia got her nose pierced and Kayley did her helix.  Not a fan myself, but not the hill I want to die on.  Family outings like that have become increasingly rare so it was nice. Then, this last Saturday, the 18th, Paul and I met my Dad, stepmom, both brothers and their wives in Everett for dinner to celebrate my stepmom's 80th birthday.  That was so much fun.  We went to a restaurant on the water with a nice view and had a delicious seafood dinner, and it was so fun to see them all at the same time because usually it's the entire family or just a few at any given time. Sunday the four of us took Paul's mom out to...

Oops, I missed yesterday, but I'm actually amazed that is the only day I've missed since starting this. I finally got a few things wrapped!  Now if I can just keep up with wrapping something every day or most days I'll be ok.  Actually, it would be better just to do the bulk of it all on one day, so maybe one day this weekend I will just knock it out.

I told myself today that I would wrap at least one gift every day this week.  And today I didn't wrap anything.  I guess I will have to wrap two things tomorrow.   I also need to take an inventory of what gifts I've purchased so far and for whom and figure out what I still need.  I don't have anything for Paul's sister yet and not much for Olivia. So normal Monday today.  Tons of laundry, Hello Fresh Shepherds Pie for dinner, walked Kona with Paul and now TV before bed.  Took some pics of Pumpkin in her cat tree.  She hangs her feet over the side. It's so weird but cute.

Last night we went to a Christmas party at our friends' house.  We had some delicious chicken and garlic green beans for dinner and played Christmas Jepordy and Christmas Pictonary, guys vs. gals for both.  The girls won Pictonary but I don't remember who won Jepordy.  I think the guys did.  We also had a white elephant gift exchange, of course. It was a fun night.  I meant to take a bunch of pictures but of course I didn't. Luckily another friend got one of the whole group. Today we went to church and then just had a lazy day of watching the Seahawks and taking a little nap.  I ordered some gifts from Amazon, and maybe I'll get around to wrapping some stuff later but probably not.  I am going to watch a Christmas movie, though. Probably The Family Stone.

I mentioned a few days ago that I've been more into watching movies lately, and the last few years I've really been into watching as many Christmas movies as possible.  I came up with a bucket list of Christmas movies I want to see. Last night I watched Four Christmases. I thought I had never seen it, but I did recognize the pregnancy test scene, so apparently I had, or at least some of it. We watch Christmas Vacation every year, usually on Thanksgiving or the day after, and we did this year as well but I fell asleep through part of it so I kind of want the part I missed again. Another one we watch almost every year is Elf.  I love that one, but I don't necessarily need to see it again this year. So, here is my list.  Some of these I've never seen, some I have but don't remember them very well, and some I just want to see again. The Holiday The Family Stone Jingle all the Way Serendipity While you Were Sleeping (I don't know why this isn...

Today is the 16th anniversary of our engagement.  I almost forgot! 22 days.  Today I am going to post my Christmas Bucket List. I don't have the time or proper subscriptions to the proper software to create really cute graphics and what-not, and the printables online are not editable, so here's a simple bullet list (some of them I've already done): Bake cookies Look at Christmas lights Snowflake Lane Drink an eggnog latte Drink a chestnut praline latte Drink a toasted white chocolate mocha Drink a caramel brulee latte Attend a Christmas party Drink a festive cocktail Watch several Christmas movies Eat a candy cane Listen to Christmas music Read the Christmas story in the Bible (Luke 2)

23 days until Christmas.  Day 7 of the Christmas season/this blogging project.  These posts are lame, I know, but I just think it will be fun for me to look back and see a whole Christmas season documented day by day.   I haven't really done anything all week as far as shopping or wrapping and I'm starting to panic.  But I really don't have that much to go, I don't think.  But it still just always has a tendency to sneak up so fast so I'm still panicking. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the weekend.  We're going to a Christmas party on Saturday but other than that no plans, just hopefully will get some wrapping done and with any luck finish my shopping (doubt it).  I also hope to watch some movies.  I mostly just watch TV shows but lately I've really been into movies, and the last few years I've really been into Christmas movies and try to watch as many as possible.  I also want to bake cookies but then again I don't need to eat them and ...

It's December!  Wow.  Today was a normal Wednesday.  Weekly workload meeting at work.  Oh, except no youth group tonight (for us).  instead, Olivia took a babysitting job, and Kayley actually stayed home from school with a sore throat but is feeling better now.  Hopefully it's nothing.  I keep waiting for a notice from school that there's been a Covid case/exposure. That's all for today.  Going to do my daily Bible reading (I started Bible in a Year at the beginning of the year and kept up with it really well until late summer and now I'm about two months behind), watch some TV, then go to bed and read for awhile.

Last day of November.  Today was just an almost normal work day.  I say almost because I had to take an extra long lunch break to pick up Olivia and take her to the orthodontist. I'm hoping to finish my Christmas shopping by the end of the weekend but I probably won't.  This year we will be with Paul's side so a lot fewer people to buy for (and even one fewer with the passing of his dad), and I have a good start so *maybe* this will be the year I finally finish early (for me), but we'll see. We have some fun stuff planned for December.  It will all be here so soon!  Crazy how fast time goes. Going to watch New Amsterdam and then read for awhile and go to bed early.  I will leave you with a cute pic of Kona nestled in between some Christmas pillows.

Day 4 of the Christmas season.  I took the day off and drove up to Lynnwood to take my ring to Shane Co for cleaning/inspection etc.  Then I did some Christmas shopping at the mall.  Like I mentioned yesterday there are some stores there that aren't at the mall closer to home that I needed to go to.  I managed to get a few things and now I have a really good start to my holiday shopping.  Now I'm watching the Seahawks on Monday Night Football.  They are having a bad season but there's a chance they could win this one. Fingers crossed! Back to work tomorrow, and I have to take a long lunch to pick up Olivia from school and take her to the orthodontist.  Always so many appointments.

Today we went to church and then got gas and did our grocery shopping for the week on the way home.  Just Paul and I because Olivia rode there and back with a friend and Kayley had a friend spend the night last night and they ended up not going.  Once we were home we had lunch and then we walked Kona but it was a short walk because it was raining.  After that I just did a bunch of chores like cleaning the litter box and laundry.  I watched part of a movie and then had to go pick Kayley up from a friend's house.  Then we ate dinner, cleaned up and now I'm finishing my movie.  They all have to go back to work and school tomorrow but I took the day off.  I was originally planning on just doing things around the house but now I'm going to go to a mall 40 minutes away because they have some stores I need that the closer mall doesn't have and I might as well take advantage of the less crowded weekday.  Also, I need to take my ring in for cleaning/inspec...

28 days until Christmas.  I don't think I've blogged since school started!  I've started several posts but never get around to finishing and posting them.  So between now and Christmas Eve I thought it would be fun to try and write everyday just a few sentences or paragraphs about what I/we did that day.  I've attempted similar in the past and never got very far but I want to try again anyway.  I may not actually post every day, I may just write something and then post something every three or four days or something like that.  We'll see. Ideally, I would have started yesterday, being the day after Thanksgiving and the official start of the Christmas season and all, but I didn't think about it until today. Yesterday we were still at Paul's mom's house.  We went there on Thanksgiving and then spent the night and helped her put up all her Christmas decorations and stuff on Friday (yesterday).  This was the first Thanksgiving since Paul's dad died, s...

 Today is the girls' first day of 8th grade!  Last year of middle school.  This time next year they will be in high school!  What the... Anyway, it went really well this morning.  They did a great job of getting everything ready last night, making their lunches, choosing outfits, gathering supplies, etc.  They also managed to get themselves up plenty early to not be too rushed.  We had time for first day pictures and they were out the door to the bus stop with several minutes to spare.  It was awesome.  I'm sure by the end of the week they will be back to me having to drag them out of bed and barely making the bus, but today was really smooth and stress-free. Kayley (she wore a hoodie over this, just not for the picture) Olivia

After 17+ months of working from home while the girls are home all day, with the minor exception of them going to in-person school two days per week for two months last spring, they are FINALLY going to full-time, in-person school!  I get to work from home in PEACE!!!!  I am SO giddy! Most years I take the day before school and the first day of school off.  In the elementary years, the day before was always "meet the teacher" day, and we would see their classrooms, find their desks, take all of their supplies and put them in their desks and/or with the communal supplies, etc.  Then we would usually go out for frozen yogurt our something, and then on the first day I just love seeing them off in the morning and then having the whole day to myself to do whatever, and then being there when they get home in the afternoon. Middle school doesn't have meet the teacher(s) day, so I just like to use the day before to take them to lunch, get our nails done or whatever.  To...

First of all, sad news.  Paul's dad passed away last Saturday (the 21st) after a month-long battle with Covid.  He fell ill around the 25th of July, ended up on a ventilator a few days later, got off of that a week later and was seemingly on the mend, but took a turn for the worse and passed away.  We were supposed to be on our Florida trip this week but had to cancel because of his decline and eventual passing.  He was a really great man and we will miss him immensely. But now it's finally time for part two of our Missouri vacation.  For part one (days 1-3) click here . Day Four - Paul and I left the girls with Aunt Cheryl and set out on our road trip.  We went to Bentonville, Arkansas, walked around the town square, had a small bite to eat and then headed into Oklahoma, stopping at the AR/OK/MO tri-state marker on the way. From there we drove up to Afton and stopped at a historic spot on Route 66, a chuck of road that is no longer part of the highway but ...