Max who?

Matthew knew exactly what he wanted to be for Halloween months ago.

"I want to be Max Hall," Matthew said.

"Max who?" I replied.

Brett chimed in his two cents, "Oh Claudia! He's the BYU quarterback, of course."

Well duh, of course!!! Brett's heart went pitter-patter when he saw his oldest son come down the stairs in all his Max Hall glory.




Matthew and his awesome piano teacher Bridget

We warned Matthew that given that we live in a predominantly "red" (70/30) area, he might catch some slack for wearing blue. He didn't care. He was just thrilled to be able to take down his brothers with all his pads on.

Here he is at his piano recital performing Halloween Hoedown. Wonder what Max Hall would think about that?


(I have no idea why this loaded sideways! Oh well, at least you can hear it. Kick back, tilt your head and enjoy the music;)

Tennis anyone?

If you can't brag about your babies on your own blog then where can can you?

So, indulge me a minute while I brag a little about our sweetie pie, Lisey. She played #1 Junior Varsity for Skyline this year as a freshman and had a fabulous season. Out of 15 matches she only lost one. At JV Region's she took 1st place and within the Skyline JV tournament she also took 1st. She had some tough competition and grew immensely as a player. As her coach pointed out during the finals at Region regarding her opponent, "that girls a fool to hit it to her back hand".

One of the reasons I love tennis so much is because it mimics life so closely. You learn patience, balance, consistency, sportsmanship and strategy. You have to find something deep inside to keep you going when your down. Analisa has developed all of these skills and more. We are so proud of her accomplishments not only in the game but in life.

Keep swinging sweetheart. As dad would say, "YOU ROCK!"

Our Belle sings Home

This is for you Crystal and Moni - two of Sarah's biggest fans. I put clips of Brett and Brenda doing My Fair Lady on his blog. What would we do without Ward Roadshows? Enjoy!

Music Therapy

Every once in a while we find that a piano, cello, violin, or voice lesson provides us with much more than just practice playing notes or singing a pretty song. Quite often lessons provide us with what I call therapy, music therapy. Lessons take place in a safe place surrounded by mentors that truly get our kids. Frequently lessons provide an environment where they can express frustrations or joys through music and leave feeling lighter, happier, and cleansed.

As many of you know, my sweet Sarah has had a tough go with her transition to the big ole' scary Skyline High. Girls who were once considered best pals have turned downright mean. Gossip, rumors and jealousy have all shown their ugly heads. At the beginning of the school year she'd come home from school and beg to be home-schooled.

"Sorry, I don't do Honors Chemistry or Honors World Civ", I informed her.

Lately, her plea has been to transfer to a different school.

"The same problems will exist at any school", I keep telling her. "Find new friends, look for the good in people and dismiss people's insecurities. We are all fighting in the same battle here."

Things are improving, ever so slowly, but they are improving.

One of my favorite things to do as a mom is attend lesson's with my kids. I especially love going to Sarah's voice lessons. Due to a change in scheduling, I ran Joseph to guitar while Brett sat in on her lesson. He called me on my cell on their way home to tell me all about how awesome it was. While rehearsing Home, from Beauty and Beast for an upcoming talent night, passion and spirit filled the room and all 3: teacher, parent and student were left in tears. Her anxiety and frustrations with school were expressed and released in a song. She left feeling cleansed, ready to face another day.

I am so grateful for the beauty of music in our lives. When nurtured by those who understand it's power it can be a force for good, to uplift as well as heal.

Listen here.

Magic

Finally, after 18 years I have the engagement pictures I always dreamed of!

Thanks to my dear, patient, most talented friend Michelle the magic of Brett and I was captured in mega-pixels this last Saturday off the side of the road.

When Michelle talked to me about wanting to do a photo shoot with Brett and me, I must admit I was nervous. Surely there were cute young couples in her ward who'd fit the bill better than us. My studly, handsome prince charming is sometimes less than photogenic and then there was the forever daunting question of what to wear???!!!

My girls borrowed a red prom dress from a neighbor and and in a moment of craziness I tried it on and found that it fit. Snugly, but it fit. When I told my sister Moni that I took some pictures with Brett in a borrowed red prom dress she asked me if I was crazy. Yep, I guess I am. It was fun though. And so worth the effort.

Thank you Michelle, for capturing us so perfectly. I don't think these pictures would have ever been as meaningful 18 years ago. Marriage, kids, sacrifice and life experience together are what make these so real to me.

SYTYCD

So, if you are wondering what the title of this post stands for, then you probably haven't been watching SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE...DANCE...DANCE... Last night we gathered together with some of Utah's biggest fans and attended the concert held at the E Center. Thanks to the generous gift of Cristy's friend Jerusha we were treated to a box seat where we danced and partied the evening away.

Cristy, Amy and I have been having weekly SYTYCD parties for a few years now. We clap, we cheer, we have our secret crushes. We (being experts and all) critique far better than any biased judge on the show. And sometimes, if we're lucky, Cristy will demo moves in her yard as we depart for home. We always watch the results show with our families and call each other to see how fair or unfair we felt the judging went (we missed you Matt). At the beginning of each season Amy makes a 2 page survey sheet where we take our best guess at who will be the top 10, final 4, top 2, winner, so on and so forth. Points are tallied for each correct answer and a grand prize is awarded at the end of the season. Last years winner, Miss Sarah won some snazzy earrings, a tiara, lip gloss from Bath & Body Works and of course, the title of SYTYCD WINNER!

As you can imagine, we were more than ecstatic to be able to see our beloved top 10 dancers perform our favorite dances LIVE! It was so awesome! Watching it live verses watching it on TV where you are forced to watch through some weird camera man's view point is not the same. If you are a fan and they are coming to a town near you, GO SEE IT, you won't be disappointed. I honestly believe dancing yourself or watching dance can be spiritual in nature. It is good for the soul. We filmed some of our favorite dances and will put them up here soon.

You might be asking yourselves: So, do you think you can dance? Oh yeah ... we don't think, we KNOW we can! ;)

FHE

I don't know about your house, but Family Home Evening is anything but typical at the Nielson home. Very rarely do we have it on the designated Monday night because of the girls dance schedules. And very, very rarely is it quiet. It often ends with Samuel being shipped off somewhere so that the other two younger boys can listen without Sammy trying to wrestle or ninja kick them. Despite the chaos that typically erupts, the spirit somehow always manages to be present (even for a few minutes) and we are edified in the process. At least that's what what we keep reminding ourselves when we go at it again, week after week.

A few months ago, I got an e-mail from Sarah's agent asking if we had a cute 3 year old boy that looked somewhat ethnic. Even though he has a 100% Hispanic mommy, if you saw him or any of my kids at the playground you probably wouldn't identify them as ethnic. I submitted a picture of him anyway and received a letter stating that his curls stole the show and they were interested in using our family for a church publication video. Because our family of 8 was not the "norm" as far as typical LDS families go, they asked if they could use just the younger half of the fam. Four is the new six I guess. Anyway, we were excited to even be considered and headed down to the LDS motion picture studio in Provo.

I don't think they knew what they were in for when they invited Sammy along. What was I thinking!? If he could barely sit still at home during Family Night, how in the world was he going to do take, after take, after take, in front of grown men holding lights and cameras? We filmed for about 3 hours with lots of snack breaks in between. The first takes were always the best. Their errand person made several trips to the store for candy and tricks to keep Sammy happy. If you look close enough you can probably see sweat beads on my forehead. There was one instance where they had Matthew teaching a lesson and they asked him to pick on one of his siblings for an answer to his question. All of the kids hands shot up as they typically do during a lesson and when Matthew chose Joseph instead of Samuel, a true melt down was caught on film as the whole stage crew burst out in laughter. Want a glimpse of Family Night at the Nielson's? You got it! Tears, falling to the ground, wailing, gnashing of teeth, you get the picture. Unfortunately, it didn't make the cut. Darn it! Through the magic of editing they pieced together a fun little 3 minute training video. We are in the last 30 seconds. Here it is for your viewing pleasure. By the way, the Nursery Manuel we are promoting is fabulous for families with kids of any age. Enjoy!

Life with an almost 16 year old daughter ...

Oh, the joys of having teenage daughters! A few weeks ago Sarah and Analisa (much to their Dad's dismay) were asked to go to the big homecoming dance. They didn't even ask us if they could go. They just assumed we'd say no because of the 16 rule and hence broke a few hearts. Sarah was asked by her summer boyfriend Blake and Lisey was asked by a junior she recently met named KC. I didn't like the idea of either girl going out one on one. Since all of their activities thus far have involved a big group of kids and parents checking in every so often it felt good and right to say no. A few days later Sarah's Bo dumped her. She was so disappointed. She also found out that same week that she didn't get the part she wanted in the school play. Another devastation. School, friends, BOYS all sucked (as she would say)! Life was sad, sad, sad.

Later that week, I got a call from one of her best friends Matt who asked if he could take Sarah to the dance with a group of friends who all served as SBO's together. Nothing romantic. Just some friends going as a group. After agonizing back and forth with the pros and cons on whether or not to let Sarah go to homecoming, we finally decided that yes, she could go with her group of friends. Since she and most of her friends are either not quite 16 or just barely driving, we thought parent chauffeurs were the best option. Knowing how sad she had been, Matt decided to cheer her up by asking her to the dance in a true, creative Utah way. He wrote in chalk on our front porch, "Follow the yellow brick road". He drew a path that went all the way down our drive way, across the street and down to the school. There were little saying like, "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my. Did you remember to bring little Toto along?" She did. Topher was skipping right along side her. The path ended at the school marquee where he had a big poster that said, " There's no place like Home-Coming. Will you go with me?" On the other side of the marquee it said his name along with a pair of new ruby slippers. She was ecstatic. Jumping, giggling. Lots of, "Oh my gosh, that's so cute!" He was hiding out in some bush watching the whole thing. We went from sad to happy in a matter of seconds. Thank you Matt!

Since this is getting a little long, I'll spare you the details of finding the dress, altering the dress, getting ready in 25 minutes and freaking out cause he showed up while she was still wrapped in a towel. Thank you Tia Crystal for keeping me from killing her. Because I attended The High School for Performing and Visual Arts in Texas, we had no such thing as football . . . we had no homecoming anything. I don't ever remember going to a dance unless I was performing in one. Except for my senior prom. The process of asking, responding, and day long activities was all foreign to me. I don't even want to think about how much mula he spent on her. Does the same thing apply to girls choice dances? Ugh.



There is a constant wave of emotions at the Nielson home. Late last night Brett and I smiled at each other as our 3 girls laughed hysterically in the kitchen about who knows what. The younger girls love hearing Sarah tell about her adventures. Her funny stories and her heart-aches. As they departed to go get ready for bed, I heard Sarah holler down the hall:

"You guys are my best friends!"

"You, mine!" they replied.

And their all mine!

returning home

Recently, my friend Michelle wrote an entry on Segullah entitled My Friend, The Apostate. It was fascinating and spurred a frenzy of comments discussing how people from various backgrounds deal with friends or close ones that chose to turn away from the church. My heart ached as I read and related to the exact scenario. My dear mother chose the same path about 17 years ago. While my friend wrote that she wasn't really worried about her friend because she knew everything would turn out okay in the end. When this happened with my mother, I was devastated. Just reading about someone I didn't even know caused me to fall to my knees in behalf of her and her children.

Over the course of my life I have spent many many hours in prayer and fasting, dreaming of the day when both my parents would be active in the gospel. My Dad joined the church a year after Brett and I married. My mom, who raised me in the gospel, left shortly after. I never stopped praying and hoping that she'd find her way back.

There are countless reasons people leave the church. Her reasons were unique in that she never really had the "issues" that a lot of people have who leave. She has always been a believer. Pains in her past, better left unsaid, kept her from embracing God's love. While it is true that God's love can be found in many places; not living what you know to be true can leave you feeling empty.

About a year and a half ago while talking to my Mom, she confessed that she was ready to come back. She said she knew it was past time but was scared to death on how exactly to go about doing it. I assured her that it was the right choice and that her family and close friends would support her. She knew that it would be difficult and painful but wanted more than anything to feel peace and whole.

Her first Sunday back not a single soul introduced themselves to her. Not a hi, how are you? Are you visiting? Nothing. She introduced herself to the bishop who came across as a matter of fact, accountant, who replied "Our clerk will be phoning you." When I heard this, my heart sank. We were so discouraged. In true Martha fashion she said, "You know what? I didn't come this far to let people get in my way from regaining full fellowship. Next Sunday, I'm going to be proactive and introduce myself to people and share why I'm here."

She did just that. Within a few weeks she was assigned visiting teachers and shortly after was given a calling as Relief Society secretary. Mom has always hated going to Relief Society, so this was a true test. Long, long story condensed. She hasn't missed a single Sunday. She has reread the Book of Mormon and has felt to "sing the song of redeeming love". She has endured countless meetings with a somewhat cold Bishop and has regained her ability to enter The House of The Lord.

Last weekend my sisters and I surprised her with a visit to Texas to accompany and celebrate her return to the fold.

I love the parable of the lost sheep found in Luke 15.

"And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost."

The Lord has answered our prayers in behalf of our dear mother. We had a wonderful time rejoicing in this fact and savored the rich, sweet spirit found in the temple. I admire my momma and her tenacity for life. I hope she knows how proud and lucky I am to be her daughter.

Martha Zarate, my beautiful momma

Cristina, Mom and Crystal

Monica, Marisa, Mom, Crystal and me at The Houston Temple

Mom and her 5 girls celebrating at a local Mexican restaurant

The girls enjoying a stroll in downtown Houston

Goodbye Summer

It's now September 2nd and I feel like I've been dogie paddling with no life-jacket in deep waters for way too long. August came and went like a whirlwind and all I'm left with are a few measly pictures and piles of "to do" things that were never touched. Oh well, we had many adventures and great memories. Now that school is solidly under way(was it just me or did everyone else have hundreds of papers to fill out!) I can get back into a routine and hopefully get my bearings again. I love having all 6 of my little pups around but it does leave little little time for meal planning and exercise. Now that the washing machine has stopped running overtime (due to a flood in my basement) and Sammy is back in preschool, I can sit down and enjoy the quiet, just for a minute anyway. Here are a few of my favorite summer pics.

Katherine and dear friend Eliza have a tradition of walking home from church and enjoying Popsicle's together. A tradition I hope continues long after the flip-flops are put away. Kate is also sporting a cute skirt she made this summer.

Sammy boy turned 4 on August 15th. His first question was if that meant he could turn 5 tomorrow. "Yes. In lots of tomorrow's," I said.

"Hooray! It's my birthday tomorrow," he told his siblings.

It feels like it's always someones birthday around here.


Brett and I celebrated our 18th anniversary on the 18th. Sorry, no picture or story. I'll have to save the mushy stuff for a future post.Needless to say, I married my best friend, my heart's duet, my home away from home. I am one LUCKY girl!

We celebrated Joseph's 7th birthday on August 24th. I can't believe my little man will be getting baptized in one short year! We celebrated by spending countless hours at the pool with cousins and friends.

Two of my favorite pictures this summer are of Analisa and the Sunnydale Quartet (minus Sarah). Sarah was at EFY during this gig and the substitute cello player didn't want to pose. We'll have to photo-shop Sarah in for the album cover. Ha!

It was a fun, busy summer. The new school year is already showing new, unexpected twists and turns. If you have or have ever had teenage daughters, you'll know what I 'm talking about. Wish us luck. Summer will seem like a stroll in the park compared to the roller-coaster we're heading on!