The Happenings of

The Gaylord Opryland Hotel

2010-12-10T06:59:00.000-08:00

My parents came to see me for a week and my mom had always wanted to go to Nashville so we took road trip to Nashville and stayed at The Gaylord Opryland Hotel, visited downtown Nashville and ate some amazing food. Here are some pics from the trip. We even went to an exhibit called ICE. We had so much fun!

And Thad looks so serious here, it cracks me up.

Love this picture because Mom and Thad look like two peguins standing next to eachother.

2010-09-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

(The Forester twin brothers, Thad and Joseph)

This weekend was the Bama vs. Penn State Game which are two teams rich in tradition, who have not played eachother since 1983. Penn State's coach Joe Paterno, knew and played against Bear Bryant 12 times and has been coaching at Penn State for over 45 years. Because this game was so monumental and a reunion of sorts for the two teams ESPN Game Day came to Tuscaloosa to join in on the excitement. Since I have lived here I have been dying to attend an ESPN Gameday and see Kirk. So on Saturday we got up early and left the house at 7:15 and were there infront of the stadium where it was all going down by 8 am. We were on TV and I got to catch a glimpse of Kirk Herbstreit (Herbie) and Thad got to see Erin Andrews. We made a poster and everthing.

Also Joseph (Thad's bro in Texas) came to go to the Penn State Game and Pat and Ray came to stay with us for the weekend to enjoy the game day festivities. It was a day that started at 5:45 am and went all day. The temp was 95 degrees with a heat index 104-105. It was a scorcher but was out weighed by amazing Big Bad Wolves BBQ (I got the nachos of course) the amazing energy on the quad and the anticipation for a great game that night. We stopped by tents on the quad and ended up at Bo and Sylvia's to celebrate. The boys headed off to the game and had an amazing time, we won 24-3! It was an perfect game day....roll tide!

The ESPN Game Day Bus

If you look really hard you can see Herbie...sigh...I heart him

The cool set

Thad and Joseph and about every other guy in the crowd was drewling over Erin.....

And can you blame them with this behind?

The two prettiest people of ESPN, Erin and Herbie

This is the poster we made for ESPN Gameday and it made national TV

These are the famous Big Bad Wolves BBQ Nachos

The Million Dollar Band on the quad

A gorgeous game day on the quad

Denney Chimes in the background

Long lost pic.....

2010-08-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

Since I have been home from my summer vaca to Utah I have missed my little babies so much. The other day I was going through some old photos and found this one of my Mighty Max. He put on grandma's glasses and made the cutest pose and just looked so dang cute. This picture was taken in 2008 and this week Max starts first grade. I just can't believe it. I love that little boy more than words can express. Love you Bubba.

Our little Green Volkswagen Bus

2010-07-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

We have a customer at my bank and he drives a Volkswagen bus and in fact he drives the same style, down to the same color of van that my mom hauled us around in as kids in Northern California, the only difference was ours had a tire on the front. The other day he let me go out and look inside the van and take pictures. It was honestly so nostalgic for me and brought back a flood of good memories. The seats were the same, the floors, even the stick shift. I spent a good portion of my childhood in that van and have some great stories of that van.

The best story is that the sliding door started falling off and my mom was driving some kids from church to early morning seminary (a class high school age kids take for church) and one of the teenagers she dropped off went to close the door and it came off in his hands, so he was just standing there holding the door in his hands.

So Nelson family these pictures are for you. Oh and once this one got old, we upgraded to a new grey Volkswagen van that also moved with us to France and I drove in High School. Good times!

The interior looks just like ours did

I remember those rubber like flours and my mom hosing the car out, which is so much easier than vacuuming

The good old green bus!

July is passing us by too fast.......

2010-07-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a busy but fun one. We had a lot of things going on. Thad was playing in the Pritchett Moore Tennis Tournament and our church (branch) was having a Fish Fry. We were busy the whole weekend and found ourselves more tired than we were when it started but had a great time anyways.

So on Friday our church in Demopolis had a fish fry. What is a Fish Fry you ask? It is a gathering in the south where you fry some freshly caught fish, more specifically Catfish. My branch was excited to introduce me into the world of Fish Frying. We had it at a park in Demopolis and had a great turn out and great food.

And Thad was able to play in his tennis tournament that only comes but once a year. He played with his long time tennis partner Rich. It was fun to watch Thad and they did really well. So here are some pics from this weekend.......

An up close pic of Sariah and Clarissa who got caught in the rain

All the yummy food that everyone brought

John was the fish frier and man was it good

The best family ever, the Palmers (who are leaving us soon)

Miss Nikki, what a babe

Johnny (in the blue, father of John the cook) who put together the main course for the Fish Fry

Thad and his tennis partner Rich (of 5 years) at Indian Hills Country Club waiting to play their next match in the tournament

Thad taking a rest inbetween matches

This is where I hung out while Thad was playing tennis, they even had some baked Brie...yum!

4th of July Weekend Festivities

2010-07-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

Thad and I had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. It was full of family, fun and food All my fav things. On Friday night Thad and I drove up to Haleyville because David, Kristie and the kids were in town and Terri's kids also came up. It was great to see everyone. We celebrated my birthday, David's and Drake's. We also hada 4th of July BBQ. We spent a lot of time playing in the pool, hanging out and relaxing.

Since Thad and I had to be back for Church we left Saturday evening and went to Demopolis for church on Sunday then went and watched the fire works with the Sprayberrys and Joyners that night. And to finish off what had already been a perfect weekend we went boating on Lake Tuscaloosa on Monday with the Hutchisons.

Since David is turning 40 he wanted this message up on a sign in Haleyville that people put messages on (kinda as a joke). The look on David's face when he saw it was priceless

The family spent lots of time in the pool playing and soaking up the sun!

My sweet Brookie having fun in the pool....

Here is the dessert table at Pat and Ray's house. We were celebrating three birthdays....mine (turning 21), David's (turning 40) and Drake's (turning 5) so there are all the birthday cakes for each of us....thanks Pat

Drake had an Ironman cake and as soon as the candles were blown out he was licking off those Ironman figurines so he could get playing with them, it was cute

Ray and Pat got a new basketball stand and so Thad and Max are trying it out

We went to watch the fire works at Sokol Park (which is down the street from my house.....the kiddies watched the fireworks on top of Chris' truck

The Hutchisons invited us boating on Monday and it was nice to get out on the lake

Thad and Garrett floating in the water, I got in and got out quickly due to my fear of the gooch fish.....

View of Lake Tuscaloosa (which is the Lake I live right next to)

Summer Vaca (pronounced Vacay) 2010

2010-06-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

It is always hard coming back from vacation and entering back into the real world, especially when we had such a great past week. We had planned to go to the beach with some friends and had gotten the time off and reserved the condo. Then the oil spill happened which changed everything. We went back and forth about wether we were going to go to the beach or not. Finally two weeks before our trip to Gulf Shores we decided to not go since most likely we could not even go in the water.

We instead decided that we were going to do a day trip to Guntersville, Alabama which is about 2 and a half hours north of Tuscaloosa on Thursday and then go to Thad's parents house for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We had a great time. Wendesday we both got off early and went and saw Toy Story 3 in 3D and then on Thursday a trip to Guntersville, Friday we relaxed, played and ate dinner in Florence at Ricatonis (love their bread) our favorite restaurants in Florence. Saturday we went canoeing all day with Derek, Laura and Dawson and then were literally asleep on the couch by 8 pm. Sunday was church and naps. So it was nothing but enjoyable......it was perfect!

Thad at the Guntersville Lodge, over looking Lake Guntersville

There is a place called Kinlock Falls right outside of Thad's hometown of Haleyville and it looked so fun. There were all these high schoolers there who were getting cooled off!

Thad talking to a high schooler who was getting ready to jump off the six foot cliff. I know Thad wanted to join them...

Here he is jumping

On Friday Thad went on a hike in the woods, his favorite past-time

We went canoeing down Bear Creek with Derek, Laura and Dawson

Thad was so in his element canoeing...

Haleyville 9-1-1 Festival 2010

2010-06-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

As you enter into Haleyville there is a sign on City Hall that reads home of "9-1-1". Each year there is a 9-1-1 Festival held in downtown Haleyville to commerate the place where it all began and since Thad and I met I have loved that Haleyville, his hometown, is the home of "9-1-1". This year we made a special effort to be there for the festival. There were vendors of all kind, rides, music and even a BBQ contest. I loved it and there was a fun energy there. As we strolled through the festival Thad kept running into long lost classmates, friends and family. It was a great time and we will definitly be at next years 9-1-1Festival 2011!

Here is what Wikepedia says about it.....

"Bob Gallagher, then-president of the independent Alabama Telephone Company (ATC), read an article in the Wall Street Journal from January 15, 1968, which reported the AT&T 9-1-1 announcement. Gallagher’s competitive spirit motivated him to beat AT&T to the punch by being the first to implement the 9-1-1 service. In need of a suitable spot within his company's territory to implement 9-1-1, he contacted Robert Fitzgerald, who was Inside State Plant Manager for ATC. Fitzgerald recommended Haleyville, Alabama as the prime site. Gallagher later issued a press release announcing that 9-1-1 service would begin in Haleyville on Feb. 16, 1968. Fitzgerald designed the circuitry, and with the assistance of technicians Jimmy White, Glenn Johnston, Al Bush and Pete Gosa, they quickly completed the central office work and installation.[16] Just 35 days after AT&T's announcement, on February 16, 1968, the first-ever 9-1-1 call was placed by Alabama Speaker of the House Rankin Fite, from Haleyville City Hall, to U.S. Rep. Tom Bevill, at the city's police station. Bevill reportedly answered the phone with "Hello". At the City Hall with Fite was Haleyville mayor James Whitt; at the police station with Bevill were Gallagher and Alabama Public Service Commission director Eugene "Bull" Connor. Fitzgerald was at the ATC central office serving Haleyville, and actually observed the call pass through the switching gear as the mechanical equipment clunked out "9-1-1". The phone used to answer the first 9-1-1 call, a bright red model, is now in a museum in Haleyville, while a duplicate phone is still in use at the police station."

Memorial Day Weekend 2010

2010-06-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

Ok so I feel like Thad and I had the best Memorial Day around. We started out with a quick 2 day road trip to Savannah (a surprise trip from Thad) which was so great. Savannah truly was a city filled with history, charm and beauty. Once we returned home we spent Monday at the pool and bbq with some friends, yep it was pretty much a blast. Here are some pics of our adventures......

This is the famous River Street in Savannah that is right along the river....pretty but a tourist trap

We took a picture here because the stairs were so steep and tall

There was this yummy candy shop full of freshly made treats (I heart anything with pecans in them)

I loved this little bridge with the ivy arch-way

In the background is the restaurant Lady and Sons, the main purpose of the trip and they were booked and we never got to eat there

I made Thad stand under the gorgeous moss, so pretty (not Thad, the moss)

Can you imagine taking a ghost tour of Savannah in this car at night? Very cool

We search high and low for the bench that Forrest Gump sat on with his box of chocolates......but found out that the bench was in a museum now but found the park the bench use to be in(this is Thad impersonating Forrest Gump)

We got away from all the tourists and strolled the neighborhoods and fell in love with all the neat old homes

We stumbled upon a gorgeous church and to make it more quaint there was a couple getting married in the park across the street

Ever wonder how peaches or fruit get to us all pretty and shiny? Well on our way home we came across a peach factory and you could take a tour through the factory. I was very impressed and really was fascinated by what a perfect system they have going

Then on Monday we went to the pool by our house and had a lovely time

It was a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Father/Son Campout

2010-05-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

This past week was the Father/Son campout. It was held from Friday to Saturday. They stayed on property owned by Boys Scouts of America which is about 20 minutes outside of Demopolis. The boys had a great time. They had cowboy dinners, dutch oven peach cobbler (that Thad made)smores and a camp fire Friday night. On Saturday they had a hardy breakfast, followed by kayaking, doing some service (i.e. mowing some grass, cutting some weeds) and exploring. It was a great time. Here are some pics of their adventures (Thanks Gwen).

Hiker Thad

2010-05-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

Recently Thad has rediscovered his love of hiking. Our Saturday routine usually consists of me running and Thad going hiking. Thad gets all suited up for his hikes....wearing boots, a hat and of course he must have a walking stick. So this past Saturday after we had done our hike and run, Thad asked me if I wanted to hike to one of his favorite hiking spots. I agreed and we hiked out to Lake Harris, which is about a ten minute drive from our house. The hike was about 2 miles in and out and it was gorgeous out there, a perfect day for a hike.

There was a pretty little run-off and Thad to ride the run-off down into the little pool, where he then took a swim. We also saw some armadillos or rather were ambushed by two armadillos and Thad ended up killing one of them (long story). In the end we just took in the surroundings and soaked it up. It was great. Here are some pics from our adventures. Enjoy!

My Herb Garden

2010-05-05T06:24:00.000-07:00

On Saturday my in-laws came over and helped Thad and I clean up the yard and get some shrubbs and flowers planted, it looked so good. But my favorite addition has been my herb garden that we planted on the back patio. I have wanted one for so long and so my mother in-law and I made it happen. I am so proud of it and have been watering it and loving it since.

This is a picture of my Parsley, Basil and Rosemary.

This is my Sage

And here we have Oregano and Thyme.

I am now a gardener in training. We will see in time if I have a green thumb or a black thumb!

Bryant Denny Stadium

2010-04-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Thad and I had the treat of going to Bryant Denny Stadium to tour the locker room and press box and were to walk onto the field. It was a rare treat and since I have come from not caring two cents about Football to absolutely loving the Alabama Football team, this was really special for me.

One thing I love about the University of Alabama is how classy they do things. They spare no expense and build everything with the best materials and their architecture is always simple, classy and timeless (Brooke the simple and classy was for you). And more than anything I love Nick Saban. He was able to take us to the National Championships and win within 3 years and I am so proud to live in Tuscaloosa in the heart of it all. I do not profess to know a lot about football but each year I learn a little more (I have a good instructor) and grow to love Alabama Football, the festivities that surround it all and the old fashion traditon of football here in Alabama and to that I say Rollllllll Tide Roll! Amen!

Here are some highlights from our visit on Saturday to Bryant Denny Stadium , home of the Tide!

This the the famous "A" that is in the center of the Football locker room

This is where the players exit the locker room and head out onto the field

Thad standing in the doorway where the team enters the field

Thad leaning on one of the goal posts, this was his first time in his 12 years in Tuscaloosa of actually being on the field

Here I am pointing to the expansion project going on. After being completed, the entire stadium will be enclosed on all sides

Entrance to the locker room

My Nick, I heart him

Thad and I overlooking the field from the press box

Lake Nicol

2010-04-14T14:03:00.001-07:00

Thad's co-worker and friend, William Woodward took this gorgeous picture of the exact area we ate dinner last night and I love this picture. Yesterday was a gorgeous spring day and so when Thad got home from work we decided to go down to an area about 10 minutes past our house called Lake Nicol. We actually went to a little area where Lake Nicol runs off into a little rapid stream. I made something quick for us to munch on and we then ate dinner by the stream. It was a perfect night and oh so gorgeous.

Here is s map of our area. We live off of New Watermelon Road.

I feel so blessed and lucky to live in such a pretty area where nature is right at your finger tips.

Easter Weekend

2010-04-09T06:23:00.000-07:00

For Easter Thad and I were able to go up Haleyville and see the fam. Mark was in town and so we all gathered to celebrate him. It was a good time. Sylvia and Bo had a going away BBQ for Mark and Sunday was full of good food, an easter egg hunt (we hid the eggs so well we were unable to locate 8 of them) and Mike Shifler whom is also a photographer took some photos of the family. It was such a beautiful weekend which made for some good memories. Here are some pics I took.

Mark's going away BBQ at Sylvia's house.

If you look closely Mark is in the tree, trying to get a frisbee out

Mike snapping shots of Nick and loving Nick's cute grin

Thad and his sister Terri

Thad's (and my) oldest neice, Katie

Max riding the golf cart, the grandkids love that thing

Brookie and Mark

The Bunny Cake Pat makes every easter

Pat made Mark an early Birthday cake.

Thadeus and I, such a hansome couple :)

Cute Brookie looking for hidden eggs, she was so excited

Nick hobbling around looking for easter eggs (who is usually a speedster at everything he does)

Ray and Nick counting the easter eggs

My Mighty Max

2010-03-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

Brooke sent me these old time pictures a while back and they made my heart ache for those days. As soon as I would get off work I would run over and spend time with the Max for a few hours and was amazed by how much I loved and adored that little boy. I think he was about 2 years old here. So about 4 1/2 years ago. My goodness how time flies.

Isn't he cute!!!

The whole family went to St. George for an extended weekend.

Here Steve, Max and I are hiking and enjoying the desert landscape.

Max enjoying an ice cream cone from Hatch Family Chocolate that was across the street from Brooke and Steve.

Spring has sprung and is still springing......

2010-03-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung here in Tuscaloosa. On Friday night we went to try a new BBQ place here in T-town called Moe's Original BBQ with Mike. Thad and I left a little early and went for a walk on the University campus. It is so pretty on campus and especially right now, the grass is green the weather is perfect and everything is blooming. Here are some pics I took on our walk.

I was on-line trying to figure out what kind of tree this is and I am pretty sure this is an Athene Magnolia Tree.

My Formative Years......

2010-03-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

There are two places I consider to be home.....Walnut Creek, California and Park City, Utah. My parents moved to California when I was three months old and we stayed there until I was almost 14 years old. I have not been back there since right after my mission and honestly that place just sings my childhood. So many good memmories there of playing with my neighborhood friends, visits to Curly's and Swim team (The Larkey Sharks).

So my brother Quentin and his cute wife Christie were able to visit Northern California and I made them promise they would take pictures. A lot of people I know, when they think of Cali, they think Los Angeles, traffic and movie stars. Northern California couldn't be more different from Southern California and in my opinion should be different states. Here are some pictures that take me down memory lane.

The green rolling hills of Northern California

Our house that we lived in for a few years. We use to ride our bikes up and down that driveway.

Our Larkey Lane House. This was our house that we grew up in and this is the house my parents remodeled.

Same house and Q is sitting on the steps. It use to be grey with a white porch and the trees were all trimmed and pretty and there was a nice front door. I still don't like seeing someone else live in my house! :) We planted all those plants and they are now huge.

Behind Q is the tree house my dad and our neighbor Steve build for us in our backyard.

Here is Q at Larkey Park, this park was one house over from our house and we spent hours playing here. There were two playgrounds and an animal museum here.

Q in front of Curly's which was our favorite corner store which was a few houses down from our house.

Where you see Rite Aid is where our favorite store Thrifties use to be. They had an ice cream counter and we would go get ice cream cones for Family Home Evenings.

(Pictures courtesy of Christie and Quentin, Thanks guys!)

One can dream......

2010-03-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

Ok so I am here at work and I have just been dreaming about Buffets. I want one for my dinningroom because I have run out of room for storage in my kitchen and would love a place to store all my platters and china. So I have been looking high and low at some of my favorite consignment shops and have also been looking online at stores and Craig's List. I thought I might have found a buffet that would have needed to be refinished and loved a little bit (which I was so willing to do) but he was not willing to come down enough for me in price.

So here I am left, without a buffet and am left to dream. I much rather get something old, used and has some history to it, than something bought new at the store. So here is what I would get if money was not an option. These items are from the 17th century in France and are gorgeous. My mom and dad purchased a beautiful buffet (and other gorgeous peices) while living in France that look and are very similar in style and color. Too bad they cost over $4,000.

Here are a few of my dream peices.......

and another one......

and another beauty......

Groundspeak's Geocaching iPhone Application

2010-03-12T08:40:00.000-08:00

Ok this is the coolest App on the iPhone or even if you don't have an iPhone it is still fun. Our friend Mike is staying with us and on Sunday evening we wanted to get out of the house for a little walk. We decided that we were going to do some Geocaching(pronounced geo-cashing). Geocaching is a all over the world and "they" describe it as hiding and seeking treasure. This is how "they" describe it and can do a better job than I can. "A geocacher can place a geocache in the world, pinpoint its location using GPS technology and then share the geocache's existence and location online. Anyone with a GPS device can then try to locate the geocache."

So essentially you go out looking for a hidden treasure with your GPS and find a little bag or box. There are little treats or trinkets that someone has left and you take one of whatever is in the box and then leave something in place of what you took. Hopefully I am making sense. As we went hunting in the forest across the street, we got close but never found the treasure. People can go on and leave comments about that particular search or treasure, for this hunt that we were on, people commented that they had to go two times to find it. So we are going to head back and try to find it for a second time. Try it out, you will have a lot of fun finding a hidden treasure!

"Pinching your pennies"

2010-03-10T09:55:00.000-08:00

On Monday, I was at work and sorta bored, so I decided to go through the sale adds in the Sunday newspaper. I cut out coupons and by the end had a whole little envelope full of coupons. One place that had a lot of coupons was Walgreens. I know my mom loves the deals at Walgreens and so I cut out a lot of coupons from there. I then went shopping there yesterday after work and used my coupons. I was able to save $15 there but was the annoying woman in front of you in line who is sorting through her coupon purse, trying to locate each coupon for each item. I was pretty proud of my savings.

So then this morning I saw this link called Pinching your pennies ,went to the site and was impressed with the deals. It is laid out like a blog format and it easy to sort through. This site also gives you a heads up on deals in the area such as Panda Express has a coupon that is good for only today to try their new honey walnut shrimp entree for free and you can just click on the coupon link and voila.

I will be checking this site everyday for great deals and just thought I would share.

Lemon Heads and Curly's

2010-03-03T09:40:00.000-08:00

My co-worker Candace and I share a love of fruity candy, the ones that over time ruin your teeth, like Mike-N-Ikes, Starburst, Mambas, Skittles, Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids and the list goes on and on. So the other day she pulled out some Candy and I squealed, I had not seen Lemon Heads since I moved away from California when I was 14 and they brought back a flood of memories.

We lived on Larkey Lane in Walnut Creek, California and there was a corner store that was the next block over. We would come home from school and gather up change from around the house and go down to the corner store called "Curly's" and buy ourselves candy. Lemon Heads were sold there and I loved my fruity candy even way back then. I cannot remember the owners name but he was a nice man, because often times to buy our candy we would throw down millions of pennies and he would patiently count them out. We would then ride bikes, go the park or play in the tree house or on the rope swing.

Here is a picture of Curly's, it is no longer named that but to me it will always be Curly's.

Those Lemon Heads just triggered all of that and yes I helped myself to some and they were just like I remembered them.

Dear John

2010-03-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

Thad and I were able to see the new movie "Dear John"a few weekends ago. It is worth seeing. It dragged on a bit but enjoyed the love story thoroughly. Thad on the other hand was just sweet to come with me, I know that it was not a movie that Thad would have picked out but sometimes you sacrifice your desires for the one you love and so Thad did just that, thanks babe.

Here is a better movie summary than I could give ""Dear John" tells story of John Tyree, a young soldier home on leave, and Savannah Curtis, the idealistic college student he falls in love with during her spring vacation. Over the next seven tumultuous years, the couple is separated by more of John's increasingly dangerous deployments. While meeting only sporadically, they stay in touch by sending a continuous stream of love letters overseas -- correspondence that eventually triggers fateful consequences."

My love of Channing Tatum goes back to my single days. My girlfriends (you know who you are) and I went together to see the movie Step Up which is a dance/love story. We all fell in love with the main character Channing Tatum and were hooked on the dancing featured in the movie. When the sequal came out about 20 of us gathered to watch Step Up 2 the streets. Which produced an amamzing soundtrack.

I must confess that I started to cry from the very beginning (true to fashion, I am sure my brothers would roll their eyes if they knew that since I have been known to weep in movies).

So thank you Channing Tatum for staring as a leading man in a great love story and thanks to my leading man for coming with me.

"Capoeira: The Dance of Freedom."

2010-02-20T18:57:00.001-08:00

Steve put so much blood, sweat, tears and money into the making of this documentary for his Masters thesis. He is so talented and so capable. I love you brother so much and am so proud of you.

His Documentary "Capoeira: The Dance of Freedom" has been shown through out the world, from Utah to New Orleans to Brazil and now will be featured at "Utah's African History: Storytelling Through Art and Craft," in West Valley.

Proud of you Steve!

See link about the event below:
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700010448/Film-project-explores-Brazilian-capoeira-dancing.html

Valentines Day at Firebirds

2010-02-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

Since Valentines Day fell on Sunday Thad and I decided to celebrate on Saturday. We ventured to Birmingham for the day to eat lunch and to take some V-day cookies to the neices and nephews.

In December Thad took me to a place in Birmingham called Firebirds. We had their Ranch onion rings, fresh bread, ceasar salad and I had their Durango burger which has fried onion rings, pepperjack cheese and garlic roasted ranch on it. That is where I fell in love. It turns out this restaurant is inspired by Colorado. The owners had traveled out there many times and were inpsired by the food and feel of Colorado, so the cuisine and ambiance has a mountainy feel which reminds me of home in Park City. I was mad at Thad, wondering why he had been holding out on me all this time and had not taken me here sooner. Our lunch was delightful and just what I had been craving.

So whenever you come to see me (friends and family), I give you my word that we will take you to Firebirds. So come on!

Take a look at Firebird's link:

http://firebirdsrestaurants.com/index.html

Merecedes Half-Marathon

2010-02-15T11:19:00.000-08:00

Since I moved to Alabama I have heard a lot about the Mercedes Marathon and half Marathon which is in its tenth year and had over 4,000 participants this year. Last year I had signed up for it but was still trying to get back into my running since having mono and ended up not running the race. So this year I decided last minute to run the race (with a good little nudge from Thad).

I ran the Half-Marathon on Valentines Day. My experience was a good and bad one. The course had a lot more gradual inclines than expected and not enough port-a-potties through out the race. But what made it a good experience was the gorgeous weather and the energy there. I loved and was grateful for all the supporters who took the time to come out and cheers us on. My favorite two posters I saw were "Run like you stole something" and "That is not sweat, it is your fat cells crying".

When finished I was tired and not feeling well, so it was so nice to make it home and be able to relax the rest of the day. Thad was also able to come home and take care of me too. Will I run the Merecedes course again next year? Yes I will. But in the end I am glad I did it and glad it is over.

The Rickey Harrison 10K

2010-02-01T13:40:00.000-08:00

Thad promised me that in 2010 he would run in one of my races with me. So when Caroline told me about the Rickey Harrison 10K, I was in and so was Thad. He decided completely on his own and as the race drew near I noticed that for a guy who had never ran more than 2-3 miles there was no training taking place. I worried that either he would get injured in the race or die of complete exhaustion. I knew he was in shape from playing his basketball and tennis but was still worried. I learned a very important principle from this race, never underestimate my husband and his athletic abilities.

As the race began I slowly pulled away from Thad and lost sight of him. When I crossed the finish line I decided that I better go look for Thad on the race course and make sure he was ok and cheer him on but then Yvette and Caroline told me that Thad was not far behind them. As I looked down the hill, there came Thad running up the hill. He was RUNNING, not walking or crawling....running. I ran down the hill to run the last stretch with him and was so proud. It turned out that he ran the entire 6.2 miles and never stopped nor walked. I was so proud of his commitment and endurance and he has already told me that he wants to run in another race with me which is what usually happens. Once you get running and races in your blood, you can't give it up. Go Thad!

A White Christmas

2010-01-16T07:54:00.000-08:00

It was such a great Christmas season. I realized that Thad and I are both sentimental and sorta cheesy when it comes to Christmas. We loved to be home by the tree and watch Christmas movies. So when the season drew to a close and the tree came down, it was sad for us both. So I thought we could re-visit the season with pics from our trip home to Utah. Enjoy!

Quentin and I ready to go snowshoeing on Christmas Eve.

Thad, Cavet and Quentin behind my parents house

Thad, Cavet and I snowshoeing up Millville Canyon

Thad, Henry and I at the Millers' Live Nativity on Christmas Eve

Grandma, Max and Mimi at Hardware Ranch

The Elk feeding

We went skiing at Beaver Moutain which is about an hour east of Logan. Here is Thad striking his skiiing pose. It was tons of fun, just cold.

What a cute sporty couple (Skiiing at Beaver Mountain)

Million Dollar Cookies (Chocolate Chip Cookies)

2010-01-13T09:46:00.001-08:00

I work at a bank where things can get slow. When this happens, which is often and I want to make the time go by a little faster, I browse food blogs and the Foodnetwork for new recipes. I love to just read the recipes and see what ingredients the authors use. Enjoying cooking and baking is something I have discovered about myself recently. When I was single, I was always grabbing food to go or eating out with friends. It was never fun to cook for one. Another reason I love to cook is because of my mom. She has always been a great cook and has been known in the land for her cooking abilities. She is an adventurous cook, who is always trying new recipes and uses no boxed ingredients (i.e. brownie mixes, cake mixes, etc.), everything is homemade. When she was a little girl she often times had to cook for herself, so she has had many years to perfect the art of cooking. I have often described the way my mom showed and shows us love is through her food she makes us and so I aspire to be half the cook my mom is!

Thad loves it when I bake. He is my best taste tester and critic. He asks me to make this recipe at least every couple of weeks and swears these are the best chocolate chip cookies he has ever had. It is a simple recipe but so good. I love this recipe because of the tecture of the cookie. It is a fluffy and dense cookie and I like to add coconut and pecans to give the cookie an even richer taste.

Million Dollar Cookies (Chocolate Chip Cookies)

¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup butter (1 1/2 cubes)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
6 oz. pecans
Fresh coconut to taste (I do 1/2 cup)

Cream butter with sugars, preferably with a fork. I try to have the butter at room temperature for a better consistency in the cookie. Add egg. Combine soda, salt and flour; add to sugar mixture along with vanilla. Mix in pecans and chocolate and roughly a half cup of fresh coconut to the mixture, dough will be a little dry. Press into patties ¾ inch thick, the bigger you make them the better. Bake at 375 for 12-13 minutes. Half-way through the baking time, I rotate the cookie sheet so that they are evenly brown. Don’t over cook, I feel the key to a good cookie is how it is baked, so watch them closely! (My mom likes making them on a baking stone).

These are sure to be a delight and household favorite and hard to eat just one, so dieters beware. Enjoy!

January Celebrations........

2010-01-11T07:53:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday we were able to celebrate too very special events, the birth day of Thad and Alabama winning the BCS National Championship. The game was a good one and come the 4th quarter we were only ahead by three points and I had to put my head down and not look, I could not imagine Bama loosing on Thad's birthday, especially when a win was all he wanted for his birthday.

For Thad's birthday he wanted an Alabama birthday cake, so I made him a scripted "A" cake and another Chocolate cake that was more edible since the "A" cake had so much red food coloring in the frosting that it would have stained every one's teeth. We were able go over the Sprayberry's home and watch the game and enjoyed parched peanuts, Pigg Shack BBQ and Thad's favorite dip that Caroline makes. In the end we returned home late Thursday night after a win by Alabama, 37-21, which a win for Bama equaled a great birthday for Thadeus.

Then On Saturday Thad and I were out running errands and just happened to stop at the Tuscaloosa Wal-mart. There was a large crowd of people in the middle of the store and a news camera, so I went over to investigate. It turned out that the BCS Trophy that was passed around by the players and that Saban held up as the BCS Champions, was displayed at Wal-mart for the day. Thad and I waited in line and were able to get our picture taken with the $30,000 dollar Waterford Crystal Trophy, a rare and cool opportunity.

Roll Tide Everyone!

Long overdue..........

2010-01-06T09:22:00.000-08:00

Ok so it has been too long since I have made a post and I am sorry for that. It just seemed like Brooke had baby Henry and then the rest of summer and fall zoomed by too fast for me to even think about writing anything. One of my new years resolutions is to be a better blogger so that my family and friends who aren't so close can be kept up to date on our life in T-town. I also want this blog to be a cooking blog. Thad will tell you that my favorite thing to do is hang out in the kitchen and bake. I also love, when I am bored, to surf food blogs, read recipes and then print them off (I must have a stack of over 200 recipes I want to try).

Thad and I were blessed to be able to spend Christmas with my family in Utah. It was fun to have a white Christmas and be a part of all the Nelson traditions which usually involves good food. We had Fondue, Crab, Brie, Raclette, orange rolls, smoked salmon and so much more. I seriously gained 7 pounds while I was home. We enjoyed some skiing, snow shoeing, hanging out with my nephews and niece and just soaked up time at home. Sigh. It was a great time and I already miss my little kiddies.

After a week in Millville we ventured home to Alabama and went straight to Haleyville (Thad's hometown) to spend time with his family. Joseph, Patsy and the kids were in town and Terri's kids also ventured up to play with the cousins. We had a full house and it was fun to be all together because it rarely happens.

As we begin the New Year I am so thankful for all the great people in my life and a warm and cozy roof over my head. We are blessed. Happy 2010 ya'll!

Home Sweet Home...

2009-07-26T23:22:00.000-07:00

So I know that I already posted something today but I had to add these photos. As some of you know my parents' black lab Chole died on July 23rd after 12 years of being a member of the Nelson family, she was a great dog and we have so many great memories with her. My favorite memory of Chole was when we lived in Park City. We lived over a Golf Course and she would get out and run down the hill and harrass the golfers on the green. After several attempts of calling her from the back deck we would give up and pretend she was not ours (horrible I know). I also remember that after I moved away from Utah and would come home for a visit, she would always be so happy to see me. We will miss our Clo-bo!

Max and Maddie love this little puppy. So sweet.

My parents other dog Zeus had been so sad at Chole's passing that my parents rushed to get a new dog as a companion to Zeus. They got a Cheasapeake Bay Retriever and we named him Brownie III. My great granfather had a Cheasapeake Bay Retriever named Brownie and so did my father and they have always been great dogs. Brownie is soooo cute (as all puppies are) and we are all pretty much smitten with him.

My parents purchased a playhouse for Maddie and placed it near the apple orchard. It is not all completed just yet but will soon be fully decorated and be every little girl's dream playhouse. In this picture we were ordering ice-cream from "Mimi's ice-cream house". She is too cute.

And lastly, I have posted pictures of Sunday dinner made by my mom. Anybody who knows her knows that she is a five star cook and that her food is pretty much awesome. The salad is a comprise salad with fresh Mozarella and for the main course we had Pork Tenderloin with Chevre lavender and a lavendar apple jelly sauce. For dessert we had homemade ice cream with homemade sauteed cherry lavender sauce. It was to die for and I have big shoes to fill and hope one day to be the kind of cook she is.

We Welcomed Henry into the world on July 19th

2009-07-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

Our baby Henry has arrived and we have never been so excited (except for when Max and Maddie were born). Brooke went into labor earlier than expected and I was able to hop on a plane and get there three days earlier than planned. I missed him being born but was able to get there soon after.

Henry is beautiful and as expected looks like a Bartholomew. I have always told Brooke and Steve that one thing they are good at is making beautiful babies and they have done it yet again. He is so chill and honestly just precious. I took the kids up to my parents home in Millville for the weekend so Brooke can rest and Maddie keeps telling us that she misses her baby and tells anyone who will listen that her baby is out and his name is Henry......so cute!

Welcome baby Henry, we are so thrilled you are here!

Seersucker is so southern........

2009-07-17T06:34:00.000-07:00

When I first moved to the South I would see Seersucker suits on the Southern gentlemen and was not sure how I felt about them. Then over time I began to like them. Garrett, who attends our church would always wear his seersucker suit with a tie that just popped and I grew to really love the look.

So one day Thad and Mark were in Belk and saw some seersucker blazers on sale for $30 plus a tie that they loved. Thad was being good and said that although he wanted them he did not need them. I made a point the next day after work to go over and get the tie and blazer for him because he is always getting me things and putting my needs and wants above his, so it was fun to actually get him something. We took a picture of my hansome Thad in his seersucker blazer and new tie after church. So sharp, so Southern and I love it!

Forester Reunion

2009-07-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Thad and I were able to go to Haleyville and see Patsy and the kids who were in town for a few weeks. We had a great time swimming and playing categories (a fun pool game), eating Pat's home cookin' and just chillaxin. Here is a picture of Thad and myself and some of our neices and nephews. We love those kids to death and miss each of them already. We were missing Katie, Claire, Max, Drake and Ada that weekend who would have made that picture complete.

Also Thad, Randy, Nick and Blake were able to fly these cool little airplanes. It was a good time!

July 4th Weekend

2009-07-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

So it has been too long since I have updated our blog but here we are and Thad and I hope you all had a great July 4th weekend because we sure did. We left on Friday night to head up to Haleyville for the night and then spent the 4th just relaxing at the Forester's pool. There are specific things that both Thad and I need to make a July 4th complete, Thad's is homemade ice cream and mine is fireworks. So we gathered up the ingredients for homemade ice cream and got it going as we swam and played. The ice cream turned out creamy and delicious. We then headed home to Tuscaloosa that night to catch the fireworks. We opted out of dealing with the crowds and watched fireworks from the back of Thad's truck in the Publix parking lot close by.

I honestly love fireworks. Growing up in Walnut Creek, CA we would have a picnic/bbq with friends and then about 3-4 families would load up in several cars and head over to the fireworks where we would munch on homemades treats and lie underneath a blanket of fireworks. Such great memories. Thad and I being newly married are trying to create our own memories and traditions and are off to a good start........ice cream and fireworks, you can't go wrong.

Glen-Ella Springs Inn

2009-06-15T06:27:00.000-07:00

Thad and I were able to travel to Georgia for a wedding this weekend. The wedding took place at the Glen-Ella Springs Inn in Clarkesville, Georgia. It was nice to get out of Tuscaloosa and roadtrip a little. I had never been to Atlanta so Thad showed me the sights and we were able to make a stop in Buckhead at Nordstroms which I miss and love. We had lunch and continued on to the wedding.

The Inn itself had so much character. The festivities were held outdoors and the area had such a serene moutain feel. The ceremony was in the garden and the dinner was on the candlelit terrace. I loved the location as a destination wedding and it had a small country-chic feel. I was so taken by the scenery and the area, it was truly a delight for us to be there.......loved it. Sadly Thad and I could not stay over night due to church obligations but it was a quick little adventure for us!

Here is the website to Glen-Ella Inn Springs: http://www.glenella.com/

Happy 3rd Birthday Mimi

2009-06-04T07:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Maddie Belle. Sorry this is a little belated but we love and miss you Mimi. Here are the top 3 reasons we love you......

1. You are a princess and wear pretty princess dresses

2. You are a good sister to Mighty Max

3. You have the cutest little chipmunk voice ever and are a good girl (ok so maybe 4 reasons)

Uncle Thad and Aunt Dew Dew love you!

Off to the Balloon Races

2009-06-03T07:31:00.001-07:00

Saturday was a perfect day. I had to work that morning so Thad and Michael played some tennis followed by us meeting up at Michael's pool. We enjoyed the sun and worked on ours tans or pre-mature aging, whatever you want to call it. There were several guys in the pool who talked Thad and Michael into playing some pool volleyball with them. After about 45 minutes, Thad realized that his wedding band had fallen off. Upon announcing this discovery about twelve people, some with goggles, were in the pool searching the bottom, searching the drains, searching the grassy area but to no avail.......it was no where to be found.

The good news is, the day perked back up. We went in our swimsuits to Mexican food which is always a joyous occasion because Thad knows I am always in the mood for la comida mexicana. That evening we had planned to go to the Balloon Races that Neighbor Becky had invited us to. So Becky, Michael, Thad and I went out to the Tuscaloosa Airport to the Air Balloon Races. We were unsure as to what to expect but once there we were awestruck by the sights of these huge air balloons all being blown up at the same time and all taking off one right after the other. I kept snapping picture after picture, loving the colors and the designs of the balloons. And to add to the beauty it was a gorgeous day with clear blue skies. So thanks Becky for inviting us, we loved it!

3 Day Weekend

2009-05-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Thad and I road tripped to the Beach to see Mark. We left early Sunday morning and instead of the 4.5 hours it takes to get to Navarre, FL it took us seven. We decided to stop where ever we wanted which ended up being a stop at a fruit stand, lunch in Prattville, a visit to a Market in Montgomery and even stopped off at Priesters Pecans.

We finally arrived at Mark's house that evening and fell in love with his nice place. Mark took us around town and then took us to Pensacola for dinner. All week the weatherman had predicted that we would have a rainy Memorial Day, instead it was perfect weather and we were able to spend Monday at the Beach. It was a great little getaway minus Thad's (and Mark's) horrible sunburns. We will miss Mark when he leaves for North Carolina but he still will not be too far away!

Sister Sister Face to Face

2009-05-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

It is a Firday night and Thad is at a Stake Youngmen's Campout and I am bored. I told Thad that him being gone meant I was going out clubbing and he seemed to be just fine with it. However we all I know I wouldn't ever do such a thing and am all talk and so instead I was looking at my sister's blog and for anyone who doesn't know she is my BFF in the whole world and probably knows me better than anybody on this planet. I saw this pic, taken in the Grand Caymen, pre-mission for me and post mission for Brooke. Man those Nelson sistas are smokin' hot. I wish Brookie and I could hang out tonight while having Max and Maddie climbing all over us, eating Mike-N- Ikes. Love ya sis.

"Cheese Wit"

2009-05-14T06:42:00.000-07:00

Last week Thad traveled to Pennsylvania for business and one of his stops was Philadelphia. I was so jealous that he got to go and experience Philly. Living in DC for several years, I had always wanted to make it to Philly and never was able to but I knew that if I ever got there I needed to have a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich at Pat's King of Steaks. Much to my delight, Thad was able to make it to Pat's and partake of some Steak and Cheese Whiz.

Just a little background, Pat's is located in South Philadelphia, has been around since 1930 and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is home to the Steak and Cheesesteak Sandwiches. Also when ordering a Cheesesteak you say "I want a cheese wit", meaning a Philly Cheesesteak.......just some urban lingo Thad taught me.

http://www.patskingofsteaks.com/index.html

Jumping on the Family Blog band wagon.....Yee ha!

2009-05-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Forester blog. My sister always complains that I do not blog enough and so I have set out to become a better blogger, so here I go sister. I often feel like because we do not have kids that I have nothing to report but I have concluded that this simply is not true.

Last week, we were blessed to have some dear friends from DC visit (love you ladies)us, Katie, Destiny and new residence to the South, Nikki and David . It was so great to have them see our home and where we live. They had never been to the South so we made sure to give them a true southern experience. They received the one of a kind tour of the University Campus from Thad (which I have heard over eight times) and then we tried to take them to our fav place, the old abandoned Bryce Hospital, Thad and I love going out there which is so funny. I also, took the ladies to one of my favorite streets in Northport, full of adorable shops. One of the shops I took them to in downtown Northport, where I tell Thad I want one of everything is called Gracefully Done if you are ever in town. We had the lunch special at Cafe Venice and ate at the famous and my favorite......Dreamland. I think I even saw Katie Lund eat the BBQ nachos.

It was a great visit and I was so happy to have my officemate and spouse come visit us. We love you guys!