Babies, Birthdays, & Basketball

Has it been six months yet? I know it's been a long time....So much has happened, it's really impossible to catch up - but highlights will do. I suppose it IS about time I take my poor Valerie's pregnant belly off the front page of this site and replace it with what was actually hiding inside there. Thanks, Val, for being such a good sport.

Paige turned 18 in September (right after 3 of us had our Disney birthdays, remember?)
We surprised Paige with dinner and a concert with Hayley to the Celine Dion followed by a surprise visit from her favorite male person in the world (sorry Erven) whom she thought was out of town, but who had actually come home early and helped us cap off her birthday with a bang.



Paige first had presents from family and then from friends - Lane and Carlee were some of the surprise guests.

Cheesecake Factory!!



Landry showed up after Paige got home with flowers and a birthday hug. He had been out of town but came home earlier than she thought he was going to and saw her turn 18 after all!

Hayley wouldn't let us do any of the cliche Sweet Sixteen stuff so, in honor of her newly legal driving privileges (which we're assuming she will be interested in enough to actually go get her learner's permit), we went as a family to Las Vegas Mini Grand Prix and ate pizza and rode carnival rides and drove go-carts. It was a blast. Then she went on her first real date with her friend Mike. A thoroughly appropriate 16-year-old initiation if I've ever seen one.

Paige and Hayley went to the Spice Girls Concert as part of Hayley's Birthday Celebration

Lindsey and Nixon came for a visit so that Erv and I could take a trip back to China to visit Brooke who was there teaching English again, in a different city this time. I thought this perfectly safe in the timing of things because Joel's baby wasn't due until well after we were to get back. Which means, of course, that she was born right after we left!

Lily Lee Nelson - what an angel from the very start!! Uncle Rex is kinda getting used to this!

Our trip to China was very fun and wonderfully interesting and we loved seeing Brooke in her school with her students and back in her former stomping grounds she took us to visit that had been so hard for her to leave just the year before. I absolutely loved everything! Except for when my purse got stolen and I was stranded for a few extra days trying to replace my visa and passport so I could go home!! Naturally, it made for a very memorable and unique trip and kept us true to form - never a dull moment and returning with GREAT stories to tell.


Rooftops of Wuxi - Brooke's first Chinese home. We happen to see one of her former students in a little grocery store. He was shy at first but had spotted her before she spotted him and made sure she saw him.

Brooke's favorite place in the entire world - Lloyd's Noodle Shop in Crazy Town, Wuxi, China. Lloyd is the English name she gave this sweet man a year ago and he immediately recognized her and fed us free of charge and smiled and nodded and kept us company. It is easily one of my favorite places now too. Favorite people, too.
Visiting a giant Buddha out in the countryside - one of Brooke's BYU friends (Chris Rains, who was also in Nanjing, China studying Mandarin) joined us for the day. It was breathtaking! And HOT!

We rode the trains a lot - on our way to Zhongshan, Brooke's current home.

Landry and Paige - Homecoming 2007

It's no secret that Erv and I were heavily involved in the Mitt Romney campaign and Nevada Caucuses. AND - By now it is known that his bid for the White House is over (Oh! I suppose I should say "suspended") but it was a great experience while it lasted and we got to meet both him and his wife on more than one occasion and Rex and Nina even got to shake his hand! Our children got into it and the older ones helped us with the caucusing and I'm proud of what we were able to accomplish. There's lots more to do as far as politicking goes this year, so we'll remain busy until November I suppose.

The holidays descended upon us immediately thereafter and we enjoyed a gorgeous fall and Halloween and a beautiful Thanksgiving.

Every year our family participates in the Live Nativity Pageant put on by the church. This year Mom directed it and got to use Lily as the Baby Jesus. Lily was so good every night outside in the freezing air. She was always quiet and wide awake and made the audiences ooo and aaah and whisper to each other about how cute "he" is. It was such great fun and always a wonderful experience.

Dad as Innkeeper, Nina, Joel & Val holding Lily, Rex & Mom, Paige and Hayley on the back row.

Just before Christmas we went to Utah to see Lily be blessed by her daddy, Joel and witnessed by all of her Rodabough and lots of Pinegar relatives. That was a great occasion. Everybody had to have a chance to hold the star of the day -


Daddy-Daughter - what a pair!!

4-Generation group shot!!

We had spent the evening before with Grandpa Rex and Grandma Bonnie at their home with many of the Pinegar cousins and it was a very happy event. We hadn't had one of those in a long while. Kevin and Susan had finally returned home after 3 years in Seattle serving a mission and it was a real treat to have so many of us reunited, with the ever-growing collection of spouses constantly being added to the mix. Who knows WHO this coming year will bring?

Rex with dearest cousins Adam and Carter

We had a very wonderful Christmas - complete with the arrival of a Wii Game System after it was made clear that Santa's elves had run out!! Miracle of miracles, they must have found one more - to the great delight of the Nelson household!

The New Year took Derek and Lindsey and Nixon back to Florida, but not before they announced to us that Lindsey is having another baby sometime in August!! We're thrilled and will miss them all so much.

Fortunately, we've had Rex's basketball games to keep us occupied and distracted and we've loved every minute of them. He's getting better and better and he's entering tournament play this coming week so we have at least a few more games before the season's completely over. He has improved so much!! And Dad likes it so much better than baseball when it comes to being a spectator. We'll see if we can find a Spring ball program. Go #11!!!

January 5, 2008 - Erv's 52nd Birthday

Valentine's Day has just passed - it was low key but pleasant. We send all of you out there our love in honor of Love's honored holiday. We'll post more updates as we can. Now it's off to church and entertaining Brooke and friends who are here for Presidents' Day weekend. The fun just never stops.......this one's long enough.