Monday, December 31, 2007

ho hum New Years Eve

I don't know what Matt is talking about, but I for one had an EXTREMELY exciting new years eve. First, I went to the ever exciting (and I say this in a tone of awe) Walmart. That is right, I stocked my fridge, and looked at fish. OOOOOhhhhhh...aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh... Then I went out for a gourmet meal at Taco Time. Nothing rings in the new year like a crisp bean burrito and ranch dressing. Next, I may just get to see a naked boy! Oh wait, that means I need to give Blake a bath. Dang... maybe Matt is right.... we are just too exciting...

New Year's Spectacular

We are such a fun group of people here. We're are doing nothing for New Year's Eve, and if I am lucky, I'll be asleep by midnight.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Our Christmas Vacation part II

Okay, now blake is busy watching Finding Nemo (for the billionth time!) I have a minute to finish updating everyone on our vacation...



And, before I start my second half, I have to show you my cute toes! My sister and I got a pedicure before we left. You don't care.... but pretend, okay?


Day four: North Shore

We spent the entire morning on the fourth day driving to the north shore. I was not too impressed, but I was also extremely car sick, so I think that may have clinched that one. We ate lunch in Kapa'a where I had the best tuna melt I have ever had in my life! I don't know what they did, but it was excellent. We pretty much bummed around the rest of the day. Oh--and the traffic from Kapa'a to Poipu was insane!


Day five... again, relaxed by the beach, and bummed around the island.


Day six: Fish Food

The boys went deep-sea fishing. Scott and Matt got so sick that they threw-up multiple times! Scott finally called the fishing trip to an end a half hour early. They didn't even get one bite!


That night we went to see National Treasure II, in Lihue. It was a small theater, but really clean so it didn't matter.


Day seven: Kipu Falls fiasco, Spouting Horn, 9.99 special

So, on day five, we were given crazy directions to a waterfall where we could jump into an inland pond. Right, didn't find it, and ended up in the middle of no where while the boys hiked through the "jungle". Matt and I found good directions from a local and on the seventh day, we actually made it. Well, most of us made it. I wasn't wearing the best of shoes, and I slipped down the first three feet of the trail, and couldn't get up! Seriously! It hurt so bad, and I was crying like a baby. What a woos! I ruined my pants. Oh, and matt kind of ruined his, as well. I had to walk through costco so that we could buy me some different clothes with a spot on my butt! It looked like I had an accident.




As you can see, Matt eventually made it, but he walked around with gross feet all day! The dirt even stained his toes! He did get a picture so I could see what I missed though...




After getting me new clothes, we drove to spouting horn and shoped at the venders there. It was the highlight of our trip. Just Matt and I and the ocean. It was gorgeous, and relaxing. (The rest of the family went back to the north shore) We did our annual 9.99 special at the Lihue (and I use this term loosely) mall. (For those of you who do not know what this is, my family all puts their names into a hat, and then draws one out. You spend 10 dollars on that person, and then we go to dinner and give each other those presents... It is always the highlight of the year). Choices for presents were pretty limited, but we were able to come up with something. We had dinner at JJ Broiler outside overlooking the ocean. It was great!


Day eight: Relax/Church/BBQ

Being the good mormon that they are, my mom, dad and matt went to church. The rest of us ditched. It started at 9:00. That is about all I can tell you! hahahaha... I will have to have Matt up date this.



The rest of the day we spent bumming around on the beach (that little speck is Matt), and then we BBQ'd steaks at the BBQ pit. It was the best meal we had there.



Day nine: Breakfast by the pool/Good-bye/Traveling
On the last day we met my parents at their hotel at 9:30 and ate breakfast by the pool. They had a breakfast buffet, and it was so good! We all ate like three plates. After that, my parents and brother left, and we had to kill time until we left that night. So, I sat by the pool and read, and then watched a movie and took a shower. We no longer had a car, so we were stuck at my parent's hotel. We got to the airport about 7:15, and then we flew back to Oahu. at 10:45 we boarded a plane for home. We arrived at 7:45 am.



This was a great vacation and a great holiday. I can't wait to do something as a family again! Merry Christmas from the Elkins/Nelson/Nielsen Families!





Our Christmas Vacation...

Aloha and Mele Kalikimaka! That is right, Matt and I went to Hawaii for Christmas with my family. No, Blake didn't go, so we had a vacation all to ourselves! We have been planning and saving since last christmas because that was one of our presents from last year. My dad flew us over, and paid for a condo on the beach in Kauai. It was so much fun!



Day 1: (after the 7 hour flight there!) We went to our hotel (ye old holiday inn) and then we went to the Ala Moana Mall in Waikiki. The mall is not something you would find in utah. First of all, it is open air, and second of all, it is full of stores like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Hugo Boss.... you know the really expensive ones that wouldn't survive in Utah. It was late, so we pretty much just relaxed the rest of the night.


Day 2: Polynesian Cultural Center: After paying $16 for two muffins and two drinks--ouch! We hopped a shuttle to the PCC. Our shuttle was full of offensive smells what with the smokers that had that smoke smell, a woman who literally bathed in her perfume, and the burger king breakfast someone brought. Needless to say... by the time we reached our destination, we were both kind of sick. That feeling didn't go away until about 4:00. (Oh--on the way there we saw where they filmed 50 First Dates. That was kinda cool...) We really did have a good time there, considering. We were exhausted by the time we got back to our hotel. 10:30 there, 1:30 here. Our bodies had not quite gotten used to the time diffence.



Day 3: Bumming around Oahu. Our plans were as follows: First, go to the valley of the tempes to see the Byodo-in temple--a replica of one built in Japan. Second, go to the Dole Pineapple plantation to get a dole whip (the absolute best stuff in the world) and go on the tour, and Third drive by the North shore to see if there was any good surfing to watch. Well. we eventually did all of those things, after getting really lost and misplaced on the freeways there. Evidently if you get on H3 (their newest freeway through the mountain) you really can't get off for about 20 minutes which takes you right back to Honolulu and right back to where we started! So about 3 hours later, we got back on schedule...

Byodo-in Temple...



Feeding the Koi at the Byodo-in temple...



At the Dole Plantation:





By the way, if you are wanting pictures of the north shore... too bad. The ocean was literally glass and there was no one there. So that was stupid, but beautiful.


Day 3: China Town/Arrive in Kauai:

We went to chinatown. I was expecting the China town from San francisco that is mostly for tourists. Um, no. China town was full of gross smells from the many fish and meat markets, and lots of things I didn't recognize. We did get Matt a few trinkets. But other than that, it was pretty nasty. We were on our way to the airport to fly to Kauai anyway, so we didn't stay long.

In Kauai, we stayed at the Waiohai Marriot resort on Poipu beach. To give you an idea of this place, Pierce Brosnan was there the same week, but we didn't see him. These are pictures of our room...


And this was our view... true it was the public side of the beach, but still beautiful.


And the private beach belonging to the resort...


Okay, so now, Blake wants me, so I will have to finish our vacation later. I will post again when he goes down for his nap!

Monday, November 12, 2007

Another week, another post



Okay, okay (as Blake says when he is leveling with you) I realize that the design of my blog has changed. Um, yeah, I can't even leave furniture in the same places, so be prepared for the design to periodically change.




This past week has been a little crazy and hectic. Lots of stuff going on.




My brother-in-law (that is almost too formal a term) returned from his LDS mission on Wednesday, November 7. We went to the airport to get him, but we missed him coming down the elevator because the parking was atrocious! Seriously, I have never gone to the airport and not parked in the high rise parking that leads to the different terminals. This week, however, we had to park in outer darkness (as our aunt shauna called it) to even think about getting in to the airport. We even had to wait for, and take a shuttle from the parking lot to the terminal. So, when he came down the escalator, only Blake and Annette were there. He must have thought no one cared! When we went back to our cars, we got off the shuttle just as a bunch of Osmonds were getting on (as in Donny Osmond). They were on their way to the Oprah show.




So, now I have one more person living in our house. (If you didn't know by now, my in-laws are living in my basement while they build a house.)




I will make sure to post pictures soon.




Oh--and my sister Paige (see a link for her blog on the right) took this picture of Blake, and while I already documented our trip to the cabin, I have to put it on my blog. It is too cute not to post it.

Monday, November 5, 2007

The hobbit walk

Okay, so Blake has taken to walking in the ugliest way I could ever think to walk. He kind of hunches his back, sticks out his arms (think mr. burns from the simpsons), bends his knees, and shuffles around the house. I have been trying to get a video of this for a long time now, and I finally did it tonight! ENJOY!

Friday, November 2, 2007

Our Anniversary



Hello to all! Matt and I have officially been married for five years! Count them! 1-2-3-4-5! I am so glad I married that kid! He had to work all day, so he woke up early and made me breakfast. He doesn't know I took a picture of it. But, it was so sweet. AND--he let me sleep in, so I woke up to this! What a sweet heart.


The fifth year is "wood" as an anniversary gift. We decided to follow traditional gifts for anniversaries, because we can never think of what to get each other. So... I bought Matt a Bonzai Japanese Ficus tree. He is way excited, and he even said we have to go get one of those ugly little pagodas to sit underneath! Dang... that thing is gonna be in my kitchen til the day I die now, right? He designed me these incredible earrings that are yellow sapphires! (Sapphires are my favorite gemstone) and they were in a wood box. True, it is really pushing the "wood" limits, but I won't complain. I will take jewelery over wood any day of the week! Haha!


This weekend we are going to a bed and breakfast in Park City. I will post pics later next week about our "trip".



Blake has been incredibly busy this week. I caught him sweeping the floor in the kitchen the other day. I guess he watched me, and then decided to "help". I also got a great picture of him sweeping. I can't wait to scrapbook it! Notice the incredibly manly pink socks!

Thursday, October 18, 2007



Another week, another post to what is quickly becoming blake's memoirs! He is so busy all day long, that I (brooke) just about fall over after he goes to bed at 7 PM. I know I shouldn't complain because he does go down at 7 and sleeps until 8 AM...I will just have to keep reminding myself that he is a great baby, and I am LUCKY!




An explanation of this picture...Blake loves to throw things away in the garbage. After he puts anything (and I do mean anything--we found two of our spoons in there last week) in the garbage, he throws his hand triumphantly in the air and expects us to clap. Way to go OCD Blake. Don't leave anything on the floor!


Another thing he loves right now, is CURIOUS GEORGE! I swear that little monkey is raising our son. He watches that and Winnie the Pooh everyday. I can quote the dialogue to you if you want...just ask me next time you see me! He does laugh at it a lot which is good, because that means I don't have to entertain him as much. What a slacker mother I am!


He has been ransacking my house lately. Cereal boxes all over the house (he can reach them in the pantry--I finally had to tie the door closed with a ribbon!), bowls and dishes out from under the counter, tissue strewn about like it is snowing... you get it. While it is really really cute, it also makes a lot more work for me! Luckily I have a son that (as I stated above) is a little OCD and loves to put things in order!

Monday, October 8, 2007

At the zoo...




Today we went to the zoo... well, let me back up a bit. First, Matt went to school and called asking me why no one was on campus. I had to call the main University of Utah line to find out if school was in today. Um yeah-- it wasn't. Surprise, it is fall break...duh, Matt! So, we went to the zoo instead.




We were only there for about an hour, but we had so much fun! Blake ran around the whole time, and refused to ride in his stroller, but that was okay, because the lay out of the zoo is really good for little kids. I think his favorite part was the rhinocerouses (rhinoceri? I don't know what the plural of that is!) There is a viewing window and a rhinocerous was right by it. I think it kind of scared Blake because he gave a little jump.
PS: The reason I (Brooke) am not in any of the pictures, is because I am taking them! I will have to get Matt on the ball!

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Going to the Cabin...

A few weekends ago, we went to the cabin (half way in between Evanston, WY and Park City, UT). We went up for the whole weekend which would account for Matt's scruffiness. Blake and Matt went for a ride on the 4 wheeler, and they were gone for over an hour. And I got worried. (Evidently they went and threw rocks in the pond, and went looking for moose, mistakenly taking the long way home.) When we went to go look for them, they pulled up, and Blake was fast asleep. I guess he thought it was a long ride, too.
Unfortunately, the entire trip to the cabin was not as much fun for Blake. We got up there on a Friday night, and threw up all night Friday (no sleep for mom and dad). The next morning while I was trying to catch up on the sleep I lost, Matt and my brother Scott went into Evanston to do the laundry from the night before. Saturday night was the same thing, as was Sunday night. Luckily Blake is a happy baby, and he was still very pleasant the whole time. By the time we got home, we were all exhausted.
Oh--and my sister Paige, my mom, and I got sick as well (we brought it home with us, though). I can say, from personal experience, I wanted to die!

My first post in my fist blog...

Holy cow! I cannot believe I am doing this. Those of you who know me, know that I love to talk, but who would have thought I would be rambling via the internet to everyone (and quite probably, no one.)I guess I have to give some credit (or blame, however you look at it) to my brother and siter-in-law, Eric and Heather, for giving me the idea. I love looking at their son on their blog, and it keeps me up to date since I live so far away from them. So here it goes. Cross your fingers for me, and keep checking back. Hopefully, this will be something I want to keep up.