Traveling #2

So once again I'm late on posting this but its better late then never. During Spring Break our family had a chance to go to Cancun! It was nice to get away from Utah weather for a bit. We had a lot of fun snorkeling, sight seeing, fishing, and having fun on the beach. Here's some pictures...

Right behind the ruins at Tulum they have a good beach. Carrie and Kendra had fun in the water.

Carli thought that this "pyramid" was pretty cool.

This is a bone-fish that Dad caught one day.

Mom, Kirsten, and I out snorkeling. We had lots of fun doing this. Most of us it was our first time.

After doing some snorkeling Kendra and Carrie got on a spinnaker swing and let the wind carry them away...

Carli had lots of fun at this little kids pool.

We had lots of fun on the beach. One of the favorites were the hammocks.

We all had fun at the beach. There were fish in the water that we could all feed pieces of bread and they would swim around us. fun fun fun.

Another fun thing we did is we all got our hair french braided and some of us a fun colorful wrap. This is what our heads looked like from the top.

Posted by~Kadia

Traveling

So last month (I haven't updated recently) some of our family went to Disneyworld/Florida. It was good because everything worked out with school and dance. We really do like to keep things fair around here. Kendra and Kirsten got to go with Dad years ago when Carli was a new born baby. So here are the pictures of our eventful trip.

We had to spend a LOT of time in the airports. Had a few flight problems.

Carrie and Kadia checking out what Jaws had to eat for the day.

Pretending to be Nemo's buddies.

Outside Cinderella's castle at night.

Outside the Epcot "Golf Ball"

Carli loved meeting all of the princesses. Especially loved meeting Ariel. Carli showed her her Ariel baby doll. Ariel showed Carli her dingle-hopper.

Carli with another of her favorite princess Sleeping Beauty aka Aurora. Notice they have matching crowns.

Our last day there we lived in ponchos. Here we are standing in front of one of our favorite rides Splash Mountain.

Carli enjoying her large lollipop.

One of our favorite characters Tigger!

Dancing

It's been full-out dance season here at the Nelson home. A couple weeks ago Kirsten and Kendra finished their dance year had their Vistaun year end review. They got to do all their dances from the past year. The bonus was that Carrie and Kadia's dance school was invited to bring a couple of their dance groups to perform the same night. We were also able to see them perform during the night also. (That doesn't happen often.) Here are just a few pictures from the night. Thanks to Aunt Jesse and her fabulous new camera for the great photos.

Kadia doing leaps in her Can-Can Paris dance.

Kadia doing her air-split and kick line below.
She's the tall one middle. Imagine that.


Carrie doing her America dance from West Side Story.

One of the fun traditions during the year-end review is for the Father's of the dancers to escort their Vistaun daughters out as someone reads some of the girl's favorite memories from the past year. I'm not sure but I think that Gordon looks pretty happy to have TWO beauties at his side. (Side note- they picked out a new tie for him to coordinate with them both.) This is how Carli and Cinch looked and spent that night.

The Birthday Girls

For those of you who didn't know these past few weeks our family has been celebrating 2 special birthdays. Kadia turned 12 and yes that means that there are five Nelson girls in young womens now. She also had an awesome beading flower making birthday party. She had 6 girls come. Poor dad had a female overload.

Kendra just barely turned her sweet 16 saturday and today she spoke in church and also recieved her young women medallion. She is now elligable for her lisence. Watch out Cache Valley drivers!

(hold on to your seats for this news BUT......

CARRIE posted this) ha ha ha ;-)

Vistaun Kick Routine

Vistaun Dance Routine

Vistaun military routine

Daddy Daughter Date

Carli and Gordon decided that they wanted to go on a daddy-daughter date. So for their date they went to Hardware Ranch on a sleigh ride to see the elk. She wasn't scared of them but thought that they were cool!

Sledding

Over the last couple of weeks snow has fallen and covered our world. We have enjoyed it with many cousins, aunts and uncles. Our family from Arizona have ecspecially liked to go snowboarding with all the snow around. Here are some of the pictures of our fun times.

Carrie and cousin Hazel riding on the sled together.

Kendra, Kirsten, and Jedidiah all riding together.

Carli and Mia dressing up after all the snow excitment!

Kendra, Carrie, Kadia, and Carli riding on a sled drawn behind a horse on Christmas.

Dear Friends and Relatives- It’s been a few years since sending out a Christmas card so please bear with us as we share just few details of what we’ve been up to.

Gordon- He has been so blessed to have continued success in his business. We miss him when he is gone so much with his church calling as Bishop in a University Ward, but enjoy sharing in the fun that the college kids bring into our home and lives. Our lives have come full circle as his meetings are in the very same building that He and Jami attended during their engagement. Home decorating is now more complete with large antlers and pictures from his many hunting /fishing adventures which he continues to enjoy whenever he gets the chance.

Jami- She’s become quite proficient with drip line systems and knows every garden center in the valley as much of her time has been spent in planting up our new yard. She’s busy with her Ward Choir calling and making the most of music in our meetings. She now shakes her finger as she literally “looks up” to the two oldest girls, now taller than her. Still prodding to keep piano practice going, getting girls everywhere they need to be, and curtains hung around the house fill her days.

Kirsten- Now a Junior in High School, getting her Young Woman Recognition was her greatest success this past year. We are still so proud of all of the hard work and personal excellence she put into this. It has been a blessing to have her as another driver in the family (a great help to her Mom). She’s enjoying her second year on Drill Team, took the ACT test, and STILL plays the piano. She’s become a fabulous dancer and all around great young woman. We still find her hiding out reading when she can steal a spare moment.

Kendra- Broke the mold and dyed her hair brown. She says it was going to go dark someday anyway, but it’s provided some questions and strange looks from people wondering where this brunette beauty fits into the family picture. Our Sophomore has also been involved in Drill Team, learned to get up every school day at 5:30 a.m. for practice, and how to do a headstand from a pike position. She is our “Twilight” fanatic for those of you who know what that is all about. STILL playing the piano.

Carrie- She has perhaps changed the most this last year as she became an “official teen”. She’s now in 8th grade grown so much taller, and turned into a social butterfly. Many friends, (boys and girls) have kept her life busy and fun. She’s been the Beehive Class President this past year and has had some really great learning experiences with helping girls become active. She LOVES to laugh, all types of dance and tolerates piano. She is “Team Jacob” all the way.

Kadia- Entering middle school as a 6th grader this past year was her new big event. But before that she worked so hard to earn the Great American and Superior Reading Award in the 5th grade. She actually is enjoying piano this year (for the most part), loves to dance and is obsessed with “Club Penguin”. We tease her that she must be quiet at school because she talks a mile a minute at home. In February she will join her older sisters as our fourth in the Young Women’s program.

Carli- She is our little 5 year old joy that we realize isn’t so little anymore. We enjoy most everything about her and still love to baby her. She enjoys preschool and is starting up with a little beginning reading. She loves to go to dance; cut, tape, and color any piece of paper that she can get her hands on, play dress-up, and lately she goes around singing like an opera singer. She makes our lives better by the constant, unconditional love she gives to us all.

Merry Christmas!

~The Nelson Family