Our Secret...

Holy Cow!

Lesson learned.  If not a conscious effort, blogging gets shoved lower and lower on the priority list.  We have had SO many big and exciting changes around the Nielsen home as of late.

#1. We moved!

I am NOT a city girl.  Growing up out in Cove at the mouth of the canyon has had some effects on how I view the hustle and bustle of "city life" and I must say, I am not a fan.  Yes, I consider little Logan, Utah a "city".  We loved our little apartment.  We had it nice starting out at newly weds.  But after 8 months of waking up to the neighbor singing "Give Said the Little Stream" over and OVER to her very angry newborn took its tole and I started hinting to Shawn that I missed the fields, my dog, and my OWN walls. :)  When we heard there was a small house out in Cove for rent for only $500 a month we JUMPED on it.  Literally.  Within two days we had decided and made the move.  I am so glad we did!  And so is Shawn, even though he is now the commuter.

#2 New job, HUGE business growth!

Shawn is now working as an insurance agent for Farm Bureau and he loves it.  (Hit him up for a quote! ;) )  He's still going to school and working very hard to do it all and come home with a smile :)  He's my hero.  The business experienced a HUGE leap this month and almost knocked me off my feet!  I wasn't quite ready for it!  I am now looking at hiring another groomer and taking a look at what else I need to do to help it continue to expand.  It's a good problem to have though :) We've been so blessed.

#3 and probably the BIGGEST....

I debated even blogging about this yet as it is still pretty hush hush.  But I figured most the people who do check this blog already know, and those who don't yet but check my blog deserve to know. :)  So if this bit of news totally shocks you, I apologize but if you could just keep it on the DL for the next week or so until it goes officially public I would appreciate it.

Well, with an intro like that, I'm sure you already know what is to come next, Shawn and I are expecting our first baby due first of June-ish...  We are SO excited, and YES I have been VERY sick.  I throw up every morning and then at night, like clock work.  Shawn is so sweet and feels so bad through it all especially when I had a TOTAL melt down the other day and started sobbing saying something about how I was going to feel like this for the rest of my life!  (That's good ole pregnancy hormones for ya).  Then the other day he read something about how morning sickness is actually a good sign that hormone levels are high and the baby is healthy and developing as it should.  So this morning as I was having my usual date with "The Throne", in between my heaves I heard him yell from the other room, "Sounds like a healthy baby!"  He makes me smile at the most unexpected times.

Anyway, the first doctors appointment is next Thursday.  I should be about 11 weeks along or so, so hopefully we get a good picture and a little heart beat.

Exciting times here!  Love it!

The Hunt

I'm currently waiting for Shawn to return from the deer hunt and thought I would take this quiet moment to update the blog.

The deer hunt for me growing up meant that if we played out in the yard we had to wear bright colors and that was about the extent of it.  Since being married to Shawn, I have learned that this time of year is like "Man Christmas".  He left yesterday with some buddies to go up to a cabin just up one of the canyons here in the valley.  He was SO excited!  If you ever want to see men act like boys, just hang out with them the night before the hunt.  Guns are checked and double checked and triple checked.  Ammo is refilled and bags are packed.  Camouflage is pulled out of all the crevasses of the house and orange vests are dusted off.

Thursday night Shawn slept very little and I woke up to the sound of all three men in the kitchen making breakfast and completing the last couple to do's until they took off for a weekend of Men VS Wilderness.  Don't get me wrong, I was invited several times to come along, but waking up at the butt crack of dawn to tromp around in the cold chasing after deer just didn't sound thrilling to me.

Last night was actually very fun.  We "widows of the hunt" got together and had the first girls night I've had in a long time.  We ordered Chinese food and watched "We bought a zoo" and just had some girl time.  I had a BLAST!  I'm so glad Shawn has such wonderful friends with such incredible wives that are SO fun to hang out with.  I'm going to start looking forward to deer season more than Shawn! 

Beef. It's what's for dinner.

It's starting to get pretty chilly here in good ole Cache Valley and everyone is starting to burrow in for the winter.  Flashy cars are retired to the garage safe from the elements and harsh salt used on the roads.  Bikers too stubborn to tuck their bikes away bundle up and look like penguins from the south pole's chain gang.  Patio furniture is winterized and BBQ's are covered up until next spring.  Before the Nielsen grill was granted its much deserved winter hibernation, I decided we would have one last BBQ.  Shawn was helping me with the grocery shopping for the week and so I sent him off to "snag us a couple little steaks".

This is what he came back with:

Needless to say, I failed to finish the whole thing but they were great!  It was a wonderful way to say goodbye to an awesome summer and gear up for the fall and winter of Logan, UT.  Shawn's thoughts of this last meal were expressed two days later while we were relaxing on the couch after work.  Out of the blue he sighed and said "Man!  I'm so sad I finished that steak... I wish I could eat it three or four more times..."

Bring on freezing temperatures!  The sooner we can get back to grilling weather the better!

Brown Grass and Lemonade

Let's be honest here.  Anyone who knows Shawn or me knew that this blog was just bound to happen.  My mother used to write a newsletter to her family every month updating them on our family and when I started to realize that my Facebook Posts were starting to look more and more like her newsletter clips, I decided it was time to start keeping these memories in a better format.

A quick little intro to the Nielsen family for those of you who may not know us as well:

Shawn and I were both raised here in wonderful Cache Valley, Utah but never met each other until his roommate asked me out on a date.  We doubled with Shawn and after the good nights' and date drop offs' were over, Shawn apparently complimented Andrew on his date choice and asked if he could have my number.  A free sonic drink, off roading adventure in his truck, and about 6 months later we got married.  Shawn and I were both known as the quick, witty people in our families so life together has been HYSTERICAL!  Sometimes I don't even notice how hilarious my life is until I am retelling it to someone else.

Married life has its ups and downs, that's for sure.  And with Shawn going to school full time, and me starting up a small business, the Nielsen household is no different.  However, Shawn and I have decided that instead of moving from one side of green grass to the other, we've just decided to water the grass we have (no matter how brown it may appear compared to the neighbors) and make lots and lots of lemonade with those lemons that have been tossed our way on occasion!  How do we do it?  Lots and LOTS of humor!  Just the other day in the middle of one of my complete melt downs, Shawn squeezed my cheeks between his hands and looked into my eyes and said, "Alyssa, I have four little words for you and I just want you to remember them and repeat them over and over.  Ready?  Here they are; It's going to be ok..."  I paused in my sobbing for a minuet and looked at him and then smartly replied "That's five."   He rolled his eyes slightly and then held up a hand to begin counting them off for me in a "matter of fact" way.  "ITS. (one) GOING (two)..." Slight pause as he realized his wife was indeed correct... "TOBE. (three) OK! (four)"  I couldn't help but crack a smile and soon we were both laughing.

Now I'm not going to promise a weekly blogging.  I know if I do it will never happen.  However, I do hope to be able to record little moments like this as life goes along.  Who knows really how long it will last, but for now anyway, it really helps me keep perspective and constantly be watching for those little things that just make me stop and say "Yup!  My life is GREAT!"