HaPpy Birthday Dawn

This is my gorgeous cousin Dawn, and though we didn't spend many holidays together growing up I do have many fond memories of her as a little girl and a young lady (of course you still are young Dawn).

We Nelsons have a hereditary condition called...hu-morous - corny-itis and it can be quite serious (how's that for a contradiction?).

In a nut shell, it is the inability to prevent corny humor from spilling out of our mouths during social gatherings or even during a serious moment when a little humor could lighten the situation. (My Dad Lee was the king).

I saw the first signs of HCI in Dawn at our sweet old auntie Bertha's 90th birthday party when during our soulful rendition of the happy birthday song, her voice above all others rang out..." Happy BERTHA-DAY auntie BER-THAAAAAA, Happy BERTHA-DAY tooooo youuuuuu". Of course we all laughed since we too suffered from this strange affliction.

I'm proud to say that through many years of therapy as a mother, her condition has advanced to rival such greats as Erma Bombeck and Barbara Johnson. If you've ever read her blog you know exactly what I mean.

Here's hoping that you have a SUPER day Dawn. We're proud of you. You come from good stalk.

Editor's note: the closing statement was unpreventable.

Thinking about my dad…

 

 It’s hard to believe that my dad has been gone for 18 years. So many of my memories of him are as clear as if they happened yesterday. Let me tell you just a little bit about what a great man he was. He was a quiet man, but when he did speak what he said was either profoundly wise, hilariously funny or he wanted to talk about you. He was extremely humble. He would graciously accept a compliment but almost always try to give the credit to someone else. He proudly served his country through several tours in Europe as well as all over this country. He was a sergeant in the Army Air Force, the 236th. And at the time of his honorable discharge, he had earned over 5 medals. He was the king of puns. You couldn’t out “corny” him if you tried. He was a fabulous cook. He would collect the best recipes from around the world and modify them to be even more spectacular than the original. He had a great connection with nature and the outdoors, a love that both of my parents thankfully passed down to me. I grew up camping and hiking with my family and my dad’s unique observations of nature always fascinated me. He loved to laugh and did so often, though quietly. His sneeze however, could be heard through several zip codes. He was the most forgiving man I’ve ever known and when he loved, he loved deeply and unconditionally. I’m thankful that though I only had my dad for 30 short years, I have a lifetime of treasured memories and life-lessons that I hope to pass on to my son. On that note, here are a few shots of our Father’s day with the new generation of dads. It was great spending the day with my husband's family. Also, I wanted to give a little shout out to the dads on my side of the family. The Nelson boys and Dave, the Krug boys and Mikey V... You guys are AWESOME! I know that someday, Gavin will want to share with others the many fantastic qualities that his dad possesses...... He’s a gentle giant, loving and kind, the kind of dad who attends every award’s ceremony and teacher conference. Yes he throws a ball now and then but he also takes the time to show an interest in Gavin’s life. He’s always anxious to hear about his day and even though he may be dead tired upon arriving home, he seems to musters up enough energy for a bike or scooter ride through the neighborhood. I’m proud to have married such an amazing man and stand out dad (having an amazing dad himself I'm sure had a lot to do with it. We're missing Gavino today too). 

     My beautiful sis-in-law  Baby number three, arriving soon.               

BFF

 

Have you ever really thought about the phrase “Best friends forever”? I mean have you seriously looked back on your life and counted your oldest friends? Well let me just tell you that the older you get, the fewer life long friends you really keep in touch with.

I’m extremely blessed to have two friends that I still talk to that I have known since… well, since DAY ONE (our older sibs were friends). I’m so thankful for the technology that has allowed us to reconnect and remain friends for all of these years (love you Jeanne and Leslie). Technology has also reconnected me with some of my BFF’s from high school (love you Mariann, Kathy and Patty) and many other great friends.

As an adult I have many, many great friends, most of whom I consider to be the bestest friends a girl could ever have, but where will we all be in 20 years? There is really only ONE best friend who has always been with me and always will until the day I die. This friend is someone who loves me unconditionally. Someone I can always run to who will never judge me, never be disappointed in me and who will always have encouragement prepared for me and even though my fabulous husband comes darn close to this description, he’s only human.

The bible says that Jesus calls me His friend. I can’t think of more capable hands to put my whole trust in. Kevin may promise me the moon but only God can actually deliver it if He so chooses :-). I know this post might sound cheesy or cliché but I’m lucky to REALLY have that kind of friendship with the creator of the universe. It’s pretty darn special. He really is my BFF.

I pray that all of you will be blessed with tons of great friends over your lifetime and I hope that you really get to experience the forever part of the bff I’m talking about.

HaPpy Birthday Dane

Isn't he handsome? This is my cousin Dane and his wife Juany. Hope your day is as special as you are Dane.