Here's another tender moment I caught between two of my kids yesterday. They truly do amaze me and I love them so much!! Joshua was totally pestering Noah while they were eating their delicious valentine sugar cookies...which they only eat the frosting off of...by the way...I even caught Larkin just licking the frosting off today...naughty kids!! Joshua kept on kicking Noah and then looking at me with that naughty little troll look that said, "What are you gonna do about it, mom?" Well, I showed him exactly what I would do about it, after giving him a couple of warnings. I put him in a time-out up in his room. Joshua then screamed and screamed for what seemed like hours (actually only minutes, though!) when Noah snuck away from the table and headed upstairs. He crept in the room (after finding Joshua's blankey that he had been hollering for) and said, "Come and sit on the bed Joshua, we need to have a talk." Well, I didn't hear what they were saying, but I could hear Noah's tone of voice. He sounded so sweet and loving to his little brother who had just kicked him too many times! They came down soon and Noah said, "Mom, I just had a talk with Joshua. I told him about the devil." "Oh yeah?" I said kind of surprised. Then he said, " I told him that the devil wants us to do naughty things, but that Jesus wants us to do good things." My heart delighted in hearing that!!! Go Noah!!! What an awesome thing for a little brother to hear from his best big brother!! I am so grateful for all of these sweet kidlets that Heavenly Father has blessed Aaron and I with! They truly are amazing!!! I am so grateful for the gospel and my testimony of it and that my kids are already trying to figure things out on their own and teach each other what they have learned. In these crazy times we live in and all of the worries that come into our lives, I am so thankful that I have the gospel in my life and I love the wonderful feeling of peace that it brings to me anytime things look scary or the world just keeps on getting more and more evil. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who only wants to bless us.

Poor Noah. His plight in life is a sad one! He and Arwen were discussing it in the car yesterday and it almost brought a tear to my eye ;) Noah explained to Arwen that he didn't want to grow up because he didn't want a mustache. Arwen told him that maybe he would be lucky and not grow one...then thought a bit and said that he would get one, but that he could shave it like Daddy. Noah got really upset and told her that it would hurt him to shave...that he would bleed. Arwen agreed with him and told him that yes, he would bleed and it would hurt. Then she said that Daddy never screams, because he is grown, but that he cries...oh yes he cries. Poor Noah was in tears at this point! Ahhh...if only growing a mustache were the biggest of his troubles in life...what a great life he would have!

I have been meaning to blog this forever...it's a cute story that I don't want to forget. Aaron and I like to ask the kids about their dreams every morning. Whether or not the kids make most of them up or not, it is always a laugh to hear what they come up with. While in California, I had not even had a chance to ask Joshua when he started telling me about his dream. He said," There was ice and a dragon. And the dragon say...sssssss. Plobly Daddy run away, plobly Mommy run away, plobly Arnie run away, plolby Noe run away, plobly Joshy run away, and plobly Larky Lu run away. It was scary."

Yesterday at church, I gave each of the kids a piece of gum...I don't usually do this, but I wanted a piece, so I knew I would have to give them one as well. We had all been chewing our gum quite a while (at least half an hour...which is long for some of us!!) and Larkin started fussing. Joshua suggested that I give her a piece of gum. I told him that Larkin was too little for gum. I then gave her a snack out of my bag. Joshua proceeded to swallow his gum and then announce, "I guess I too little for gum too. I need a snack!!" It was too naughty and too cute. I gave him a little snack and then he told me he needed more gum..."No Josh...you are too little!"

The main reason we went down to Cali for Christmas was for Aaron's sister Amy's wedding. We didn't actually get to go to the wedding, but we got to go to the reception. It was at a snazzy hotel called "W" I think, in San Fran. The dinner was delicious and overall it was really fun! Here are a few of my favorite pictures. We have lots more Amy and can send them to you!
The big wedding day!

Emily and Amy
Aaron's parents, Bill and Marsha with Amy and Keith
Amy and Keith with Keith's parents
Here's the beautiful couple the night of the reception.
Matthew and Bethany
Me and Aaron (and Emily)
Poor Josh got designated as picture boy...doesn't he look thrilled. He is in between Krista and Meghan.
Here are all of the sisters: Krista, Wendy, Emily, Amy, Meghan, and Whitney.
Emily with her boyfriend, JP.
Krista's version of blue steel. (Is that what it's called...anyways, we have LOTS of her with silly poses!)
Here are all the sisters and the sister in laws!

Aaron took Noah, Joshua, and Larkin on a hike when I was at my brother's wedding over Christmas. This picture was about the best...

Apparently Noah found...and enjoyed...a salt lick!

While Arwen and I were in Salt Lake, Aaron braved San Francisco by himself with the 3 youngest kids!
Here they are...all smiles for their dad!!
Here's Noah eyeing all the cool alligator bread guys...yummy!!
This is Noah's attempt at being a pirate with Alcatraz behind him.
Joshua pretty much had this same mopey face in all the pictures. Larkin looks happy to be there, though. Aaron said she only ate a little sand!
Aaron said it was almost too warm for sweaters...jealous...it was FREEZING in Salt Lake!!
There's a smile...:)
Hold on Noah! The kids had a wonderful day with Aaron...definitely because he's the way nicer, better parent!!

Here is the much awaited blog post of my brother Scott's wedding...well, I think two of you are waiting. So here it is Grandma and Mom!! The pictures aren't too great since I was standing by the real photographer and no one is actually looking at my camera...that and someone else took some of the pictures...and they are not too in focus!! Oh well!! It was a great day, nonetheless!! I even proved to be a "true Nielsen" and forgot my Temple Recommend and still managed to get into the sealing!! Aaron forgot his on the day we were married...I think he about gave my mom a panic attack!! Scott and Danielle were married in the Salt Lake City Temple on December 30th, 2008.
Here is Danielle with her family. She is the third daughter of 6 girls....the same as my mom. Her sisters are so sweet and her parents are so nice. Scott is so lucky!!
Here is Scott, Danielle, my mom, and dad.
Here is my family...well minus my husband and 3 of my kids! The couple on the right are my sister Kelly and her husband Jon.
Sisters, with the new groom!! My parents are done now...they got all three of us married in the Temple! Way to go!!
Scott with this best man Charlie...don't ask, because I have no idea why...!!
Scott and the cutest little one there!!
Danielle and Scott decorated Christmas trees for the decorations at their reception. They put orange slices, twinkle lights, and paper cranes on the trees.
Here is the cake...that Arwen was lucky enough to score a piece of...the rest of us had cheese cake...which was delicious too!
And here is my brother break dancing at his reception...that is until he messed up and hurt himself...

The kids had a lot of fun playing and Grandma and Grandpa's huge house! We pretty much didn't see the big kids the whole time we were there...they were so busy getting into mischief and playing.
Here is Arwen twirling in the entryway. Her and Larkin were going to wear these darling pettiskirts to my brothers wedding...but I ended up not taking Larkin and Arwen decided she would rather not wear it...

Outside at Grandma's is the best. They have tons of fruit trees (great in the summer) and a tree house, a pool, spa, trampoline, chickens and lots of other stuff. Here are the naughties playing on Grandpa's lawn mower.

Okay...last post for today...Uncle Joseph brought his two dogs to play with the kids this Christmas. Their names were Harley and Fizzgig...both of which the kids immediately forgot...so the dogs got re-named Emily and Fish Stick. Close enough! "Emily" was definitely the favorite. Noah asked Uncle Joseph is he could take her home with us. He carried that little 6 pound dog with him EVERYWHERE!!
(Noah has Aaron convinced that we are buying the kids a dog for Christmas this next year...great...so I can potty train Joshua, Larkin, and a new puppy all at the same time!!)

Santa did pretty good this year. I think all the kids got what they asked him for!!

Larkin, of course, asked for candy. She LOVED her jelly bellies...what a delicious and nutritious breakfast!! (I remember my mom always having special Christmas breakfasts...like hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls...which we were always too sick to eat after eating all the candy from Santa!!)
Here's Arwen in her Billy Bob teeth!!
Really Josh? Really? Why in the world are you still crying?? Not only did you get lots of great toys from Santa, but you snagged Larkin's baby stroller from her too! Joshua spent nearly every minute of the two weeks we were at Grandma's crying.
Good job, Santa...we were gonna have to have some words if you didn't bring Noah the silly putty he asked 2 million times for!!

There are now 10 cousins on the Nielsen side of the family. We got a picture of them in all their badness on Christmas Eve in front of the Christmas tree.


From left to right: Madelyn, Arwen holding little Christopher (Madelyn's brother), Joshua, Noah, Austin (standing), with Jack, his brother right in front of him, and Oh...I just noticed all we have of Evan is his bum...and then cute Dallin. Larkin is in the front trying to crawl away from all the mayhem!!

We were able to escape the crazy snow storms up here in Portland and head on down to California for Christmas with the grandparents and the cousins! After driving straight through a night, we met up with Aaron's bother Michael and his wife Heidi and their two kids, Austin and Jack. We first got to ride a cute little train...which Joshua LOVED!!

It was FREEZING outside, but the kids were troopers...I need to take a few lessons from them :)
Then nearby were a bunch of animals we could feed. Aunt Heidi brought celery and lettuce for us! The kids really had a good time.
There was a sign right about Noah saying, "Don't feed the rabbits...it gives them diarhea and then they can die..." Way to go Noah!!