The Nelson Narrative

I'm playing catch up here.  On Saturday the 9th, Olivia had her last soccer game.  Her team finished in first place, with a record of 8-1-1.  After the game they had a party at MOD with the cutest cake. The next day, Sunday the 10th, my girlfriend treated me to a spa day.  She just wanted to do something special for me since my mom recently passed away and she sold a bunch of Starbucks stock for a huge profit (having bought it way back in the early 90s or whenever).  We both did a full package with a bath (soak in a jetted tub with a bunch of stuff, I don't know what all), hot stone massage, lunch, facial and pedicure.  It was awesome. lunch at the spa in the "relaxation room" Last weekend we all went to see Frozen 2 with one of the girls' friends and her mom.  It was good but I liked the first one a lot better. A pretty tree outside the theater Olivia has been sick all week.  She stayed home from school on Tuesday ...

I ended up hosting Thanksgiving this year for 8 of my extended family (so 12 total with us).  This required some creativity because our table only seats 6, technically, but we were able to squeeze 2 people on either end instead of just one.  It wasn't really even a squeeze.  Then we set up a card table for the other 4. Niece-in-law Morgan, step-mom BJ, and Niece Amy Niece Amy, Nephew John and my Dad I got up at 6 to get the turkey ready and in the oven by 6:30.  It was done by 12, a little earlier than I was planning for (I was shooting for 12:30 because we were planning to eat around 1:00) but last year when Paul's family was here the turkey took FOREVER for some reason.  Like way longer than the 20 minute/pound rule.  Not sure why, maybe it wasn't quite thawed all the way or something. Anyway, after dinner we all just sat around visiting and watching the game (Dallas/Buffalo), then had dessert and hung out another hour or so. After we cle...

A friend of mine just had a birthday and turned 55.  She didn't do anything for her 50th so she decided she really wanted to do something fun for this birthday, like a quick little trip to somewhere warm and preferably beachy (having moved to Austin 7+ years ago she misses the beach/ocean).  She ultimately decided on San Diego.  And while she invited several people, I ended up being the only other person that could swing it, for whatever reason (money/time, etc.). It was a really fun, whirlwind of a trip.  We both flew down on Friday (her from Austin, me from Seattle).  She got there around 10:30 AM and I got in around 3, so she took a nap and did some shopping while waiting for me to get there.  We actually stayed up in La Jolla because it was a little cheaper.  So once I got to the hotel and got settled in, we jumped in an Uber and went to the La Jolla town center area for dinner.  We tried to find a place with a good view of the sunset and al...

The girls had their very first school dance last Friday.  I didn’t even know about it until the night before and had already planned dinner out with a friend, so I wasn’t even there to help them get ready and take pictures.  But I begged Paul to take some and he did so yay.  And it wasn’t a dress up type dance, so the getting ready part wasn’t a big deal. They had a good time and were joking about how during the slow dances the girls had their hands on the guys' shoulders but were 5 feet away.  So funny.

Fall is in full swing around here.  It cracks me up when people who live in, like, Texas or some very warm climate talk about how much they love Fall and are so glad it's Fall and now they can curl up on the couch with a warm blanket and a good book.  I'm like, "Dude, it's still 100 degrees". Anyway, we are having an actual Fall right now.  Temps in the 60s.  It rained today but the weekend was sunny and gorgeous.  Still cool and crisp, like Fall should be, but sunny.  I was busy with indoor projects but I made a point to join Paul and Kona on a walk to get outside and enjoy the crisp air and beautiful colors.  Our neighborhood is SO pretty in the fall, all shades of red, orange, yellow, gold and brown.  I took these photos last year, but it looks the same every year! I always decorate the house the last weekend in September, so that's done. Mantel Mantel Sideboard Top of china cabinet Oops, the jar...