McCall and Jon's Life

Girl's Camp

2011-06-28T09:59:00.000-07:00

We made our way to girl's camp last week and it was like going into a rain forest! It was up Payson Canyon on the Neebo Loop and the views were spectacular with all the snow caps still left on the high peaks surrounding the area. Jon did the hike for the girls and was definitely in his element (not just because he was surrounded by women...)! It was fun to see him find a trail and just map out the route having never been there before. We usually hike in places we have both been and it takes out the element of surprise and adventure just a little bit, but this was totally new and I loved watching him enjoy it, take it all in, and share it with the girls.

*we sang the sounds of music songs here - just kidding...that was for you Mers!

*Beam found the shade all along the way!

*ta da...!

The Lake

2011-06-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

Huck made it out on a boat and while the life jacket was rather tight - they don't make them for 8 month olds who can wear youth size hats - all in all he had a pretty good time. The hat somehow didn't make it onto the boat, and while we thought he was sun screened well, it turns out the corns of his eyes and nose were missed. It did not make for a very good look the following day, actually it looked like he had been in a fight! He loved the rocking motions and fell asleep for a bit but mostly just hung out and observed - taking notes on how to wake board later on, or double ski...
(who doesn't love the entertainment value of a double skier!)

*we finished like this!

*we started out a little nervous...

*yes he had lines on his neck and cheeks from the life jacket.

*in case you recognize the pj's - they are his fav, well the only ones that still fit that have the feet - they do say "top banana" so he was rolling in style.

Just bad at blogging!

2011-06-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

Life just seems to get going and we don't get to blogging or update the blog very often, but we do love checking out others blogs...blog stalking...and especially the pictures so who doesn't like Easter in June, or at least Easter pictures in the Summer months??? Oh well, hopefully we get better as time goes on, either way for the rest of the blogging world -- keep the pictures and updates coming, it is fun to stay in touch!

Happy Easter - Love Huck (don't mind the chewing on the ribbons - it was his favorite part of the basket, we took care of the candy part for him...Reese's PB eggs!)

We had a work trip in MONTANA and who knew Whitefish was home of the Huckleberry???

Happy 2nd Anniversary 5-14-11 = bad picture but great snow for MAY!

Like father, like son - best way to spend an afternoon!

Huck made it to the beach! A little cold but oh well his feet got wet!

SUMMER is finally here - BBQ, warm evenings, swimming pools, relaxing?!? - hooray!

Love - McCall, Jon and HUCK (beamer too!)

A Seat at the Table

2011-04-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

Huck finally got invited to dinner, or at least that is what he feels like - we think!?! "Huck gets invited to dinner," sort of sounds like "Mr. Smith goes to Washington," well maybe not that significant. Anyway, back to the point of this post, Huck has this new chair, THE BUMBO (not to be confused with other similar words...) and he loves it, he gets this look on his face like we finally invited him to the party. It works wonders in the feeding rice cereal department as well - he tried it for the first time last week and loved it but the facial expressions are the best part of the whole deal. I was really nervous for him to start solid foods but the looks he gives are priceless! We also tried to capture a picture of his long eyelashes, he definitely didn't get these from me, but please ignore the orange cat hat he has on his head - it was cold outside and he has a big noggin and it is the only one that fits at this point, well it kind of fits! Here is to springtime and being able to go outside without a hat, 2 coats, 4 blankets, etc. (and then I bundle Huck up too!)

*thanks for the invite Mom & Dad - I guess I can understand, even Beamer eats from the table (sort of...) so now he is finally part of the pack!

For the DAY!

2011-03-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

We maybe crazy because a couple of Saturday's ago we headed to Jackson Hole, Wyoming...for the DAY! We celebrate Valentine's Day on the 18th of February because it is our engagement anniversary and this year we even pushed the celebration back to the 19th and headed to one of our favorite places. We didn't take off until after 10am as Jon had to coach the scouts in a morning basketball game, and by the time we finally had breakfast, and filled up the car, and hit the road it was a bit of a late start, oh well!

We had a great day - probably our favorite drive, you can't beat the scenery and we just talked and read aloud and laughed. Huck slept and played, and we even ate at a fairly good Mexican spot in Star Valley - who knew? Once up there we just did the normal walk around, go through the square, bought some ski socks, and took the famous "antler" picture! We finished it off with dinner at one of my favorite places (growing up my family went to Jackson every year so it has a lot of sentimental value) Nora's Fish Creek Inn - I don't usually think the bread basket is the best part but man the sourdough was worth the drive alone! We headed home about 9pm and hit major snow, they had closed I-80 through Wyoming but we made it home safely around 3am - all in a day's work!

Huck the DJ

2011-02-18T08:56:00.000-08:00

This picture shows Huck in rare form, while we are not training him to be the next SLC DJ it looks like he could do a pretty good job - he may play a lot of country though! Huck is so big that he arches his back out of his vibrating chair so we upgraded to the "play station" last week. We are not sure that he really likes it, he has a hard time sitting totally up right but he is getting more used to it and the entertainment it provides. Beamer on the other hand loves it when we put him in there!

We do however need to invest in a LOVE SAC! We were out tending nieces and nephews for the weekend and he had more fun on this thing than any toy we have showed him yet, it is his personality, pretty laid back and chill - he was relaxing in pure comfort. Sarah and Huck just hanging out watching cartoons!

My Favorite Picture & my favorite beard...

2011-02-07T12:41:00.000-08:00

I figured after all the talk about beards in the sports world this year, from the World Series "fear the beard" to the Super Bowl with the Steeler's defense, that I should talk a little bit about another famous beard - JON'S!

It just so happens that my favorite picture of late shows off his beard perfectly, and it shows how much Huck loves it too. It is hilarious, Huck hangs on tight and even if Jon is holding him and he is facing forward he will rub the back of his head on THE beard until he falls asleep.

*this first one doesn't show his right hand hanging on for dear life but it does show his favorite spot, one hand on the beard, one hand on the hair, and looking at Dr. Seuss Oh The Places You'll Go! I came home from the grocery store the other day to find the two of them in this spot and had to run and grab the camera, I loved walking in and catching them together like this!

Jon has matching rubber ducky pajama's, you know the ones with the feet in them, but he didn't want that picture posted, wonder why?

Around here we LOVE the beard, Huck's already working on his...and judging by his size and how fast he is growing it won't be long!
*at our recent doctors appointment for Huck's 4 month check up she kept asking us if he was sitting up alone and eating solid foods etc. and then would say "Oh, sorry I look at him and think he is 6 or 7 months old not 4!"

Roll With It

2011-01-23T12:42:00.000-08:00

The most eventful news of the week...Huck ROLLS!

Not very often and not very fast but it is possible. He goes from stomach to back with a long rest on his side in between. He did it twice on Friday night for Grandma Shauna, but has yet to show his new skills to his Daddy, as Jon was doing a Scout camp. We snapped these "action shots" so he could still be a part of the new accomplishment (sorry so grainy, they are from my phone)!

I love the face afterwards, I think he was giving me that look because I was so excited he had finally made it and he couldn't figure out what was wrong with me - can you blame him?!?

He looks huge in the picture, and it is pretty accurate, this week we had to make the switch from the 6 month size "Russian" looking hat (even though he is only 3.5 months) to the 1 year old size "monkey" hat. We are glad his head is growing as it was a little behind percentage wise at his last appointment, and we started to worry he may end up looking like Karl Malone, huge body and tiny head...luckily he looks like Huck instead!

GOOD JOB Chubba Lubba!

Despicable Me

2011-01-16T21:54:00.000-08:00

We decided to watch Despicable Me this weekend, so many people have told us how great it is and we couldn't agree more - it definitely didn't disappoint!

What we didn't expect...Huck loved it too! He watched about 30 minutes of the movie and laughed right along with the story line, even when Jon and I weren't laughing. The music is pretty good and I swear he was taping his toes to the beat, well maybe not the beat, and maybe not taping, but moving nonetheless and giving some pretty good chuckles. I don't know if we had more fun watching the movie or watching Huck, probably watching Huck, I just we had caught it on film or at least with a camera!

We know he has a new fav and a good sense of humor too!

Huck's Happenings

2011-01-11T10:15:00.000-08:00

Huck has been busy as of late...

He can finally ride face forward in the Baby Bjorn and loves looking around on our hikes, until he falls fast asleep! We laugh at what he must think when we attach him to this giant person (in his eyes) and then trek off in all our "puffy" gear...hope he likes it!

His favorite time of the day is his play date with Dad - he even has a pretty good laugh mastered and is working on that rolling over thing!

We got him out of his car seat the other day and found this - we laughed so hard! He moves his head around so much inside his seat that he twists his hat all the way around until it completely covers his eyes, no wonder he falls asleep - the lights go out on him!

Keep growing Huckster - but not too fast!

Nelson & Knowlton Christmas Traditions

2010-12-27T11:16:00.001-08:00

Huck had a great 1st Christmas between the Nelson FHE & nativity scene...

To the Knowlton Christmas Eve Dinner & sugar cookie decorating contest...

To our own French toast breakfast & opening presents (we waited until he got up from his morning nap, probably the last year - at least for a long time - we will open gifts at noon)...

Maybe next year Huck will be a little more into the whole idea of Christmas, but for the 1st round we sure had a lot of fun, especially Beamer!

Happy New Year!

Huck meets The Claus!

2010-12-20T05:49:00.000-08:00

We ventured out to Fashion Place Mall over the weekend to introduce Huck to the guy in the big red suit, we figured it maybe the only year for the next several that he doesn't scream for the picture. I did feel a little weird handing our child off to some strange guy to hold, but he said he had experience as a 6 day old baby had been in to see him earlier in the week!

*Jon wanted me to hop in on the 1st one - make sure Santa didn't drop Huck, he passed, but he did get a little too close for comfort! A pretty authentic looking Kris Kringle -- just wanted to use as many different names for Santa Claus as possible in this post!

Merry Christmas Week!

It's Official...Hooper Knowlton Nelson

2010-12-07T08:03:00.000-08:00

Blessing Day - December 5, 2010

Hooper Knowlton Nelson -- "Huck"

FACTS:
Grandchild #40 for The Nelson's
Grandchild #11 for The Knowlton's
Named after my Dad, Hooper Knowlton III, & my Grandpa, Hoooper Knowlton Jr.

*as tradition has it all the cousins gathered on the bed to watch a movie, Huck included!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-29T08:32:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to our friends and family!

Love,

Huck

Huck raising his hand for a little more turkey...please!

4 Generations - McCall (27), Huck (8 weeks), HK III (65) and HK Jr. (90)

The boys!

3 Hooper's - 2 Hooper Knowlton's & 1 Hooper Knowlton Nelson

And now onto Christmas...let it snow!

Summer 2010

2010-07-27T21:18:00.001-07:00

Man has summer flown by so far, where does the time go?!?

A picture is worth 1,000 words so here are a few of our favorites
(hopefully we add even more in the next month or so):

*It doesn't get any better than the Grand Tetons

*Teton Village Tram in the background

*Beamer in rare form on the boat & a few nephews

*A great family shower - THANK YOU!

*It wouldn't be summer without BBQ's & Granite Bakery "butterfly" cookies!

One Fine Day becomes One Fine Year!

2010-05-16T23:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary - WE MADE IT!

5-14-2009
Salt Lake Temple

5-14-2010
Monument Valley, Utah

One fine day really has become one fine year. We have learned a lot, gone through some significant challenges, experienced great joys, taken some fun road trips, moved a couple of times, gone on a lot of drives and walks with Beamer and become even better best friends!

Our Route:

View Larger Map

Happy EASTER & General Conference

2010-04-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

The Nelson family has a great tradition of getting together on the Sunday evening of General Conference and recapping the talks & themes and this year since it was on Easter Sunday it worked out great to celebrate everything all at once!

It is one of our favorite traditions and the kids (and the adults) love every minute of it! This year we had parts of both the Nelson & Knowlton families (a whopping 51 of us) and enjoyed gourmet pizza (thanks Dad, or we can call you Wolfgang if you would prefer - sad to say I didn't get any pictures of his incredible creations or of him in his "chef's outfit" = priceless!), amazing cupcakes/cookies (Jon's sister Rachelle has her own cupcake business, Heavenly Bliss, and she went above and beyond with this project - use her for your next party and you won't be disappointed!), prizes for getting Conference questions right and even had Jon's parents (serving a mission in New Jersey) on the webcam to join in all the fun!

HAPPY EASTER and bring on SPRING!

Valentine's Day FEBRUARY 18, 2010

2010-02-18T09:48:00.000-08:00

Our Valentine's Day happens a few days later than the rest of the world - we will always celebrate on February 18...WHY? Well, we got engaged February 18, 2009 so it just seems like that should be our February 14th celebration!

I can't believe it has been one year since that day - we reminisced about it this morning on the way to work. Jon talked about how excited and nervous he was, he went and saw the finished ring on February 17, 2009 but was too nervous to take it home so he asked McKay Jewelers to just keep it in their vault for another day - funny! I was soooo clueless to the whole thing and just kept wondering why Jon was coming to get me if we were hiking in Centerville - duh??? And of course Jon reenacting my Dad's reaction...no one does his voice and mannerisms better!

Here is the link to the full story Jon wrote about it all last year:
http://mccallandjon.blogspot.com/2009/02/on-our-second-date-we-took-beamermy.html

I guess celebrating on the 18th works just perfect for me! I have been known to look for any and every reason to celebrate so this way I can celebrate what I love most for an entire week instead of just one day - hopefully I celebrate Jon more often than just one day a year, but either way the purpose of this post is to say:

"HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY JONNY ~ love you!!! Muah & mqmqmq!!!!"

Christmas 2008 & Christmas 2009

2010-01-12T12:57:00.000-08:00

Last night I was again reminded of Christmas 2008 & I can't help but think...
"WOW - all that can happen in just 1 years time!"

The STATS Christmas Eve 2008:
- days since our first date = 11
- dates = 9
- ski days together = 2
- times meeting the entire nelson family = 1
- times meeting the entire knowlton family = 1
- days since deciding we would eventually get married...3
*and jon recovering from a major ski injury - broken ribs, dislocated shoulder, torn rotator cuff...

(Cook Christmas Party 2008 - jon's sister - we enjoyed peppermint ice cream with homemade hot fudge sauce!)

The STATS Christmas Eve 2009:
- days married = 224
- days left living in Park City = 4
- ski days together = 1
- favorite date = market street & bravo broadway
- favorite nelson family activity = meme's 70th birthday party
- favorite knowlton family activity = willow creek park & farmer's market
*and a year of new mcCall & jon traditions

(Knowlton Christmas Party 2009 and leading out the gift exchange - this is the only picture we have together on Christmas Eve this year, better luck next year!)

(A new 2009 tradition - gingerbread house making with the nieces & nephews!)

Thanksgiving Dinner

2009-11-29T14:44:00.001-08:00

Our first Thanksgiving together was full of good food, friends, family, cousins big & small, and plenty of after dinner entertainment! It started on Thanksgiving EVE when I joined Jon and Rich for their annual tradition (signaling the start of the holiday season) which includes dinner and a movie, but the movie has to be what they call, "a good, bad!" After much debate and anticipation the selection this year was 2012 and it didn't disappoint - long, dumb, unbelievable but memorable, and most importantly it provided plenty of pointless quotes!

On Thanksgiving we headed to the Nelson's, they hosted the BIG dinner (all 29 of us, and it was only half the team) and since it was an "off" year for The Knowlton Family my parents were able to come too! The food was amazing, from monkey bread to homemade pies and enough mashed potatoes for an army, by the time it was over we were stuffed to the brim. The best part came after dinner with Jon playing the guitar and singing and all the cousins joining in on the chorus lines - "burn, burn, burn and the flames come higher!"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

and here's to snow, skiing, lights and hot chocolate

in the weeks to come!

True Grit

2009-11-13T11:50:00.000-08:00

I love westerns--old and new. Mostly because I love the archetypes; plots and characters. There's good, bad, conflict and resolutions. There's no ambiguity. The payoffs aren't as simple as a conflicted boy and quirky girl teaming up to scream into a deep chasm. And the clashes aren't created by a son returning home for his mom's funeral only to find that he still can't communicate with his dad.

No, westerns are gritty--they have teeth. The conflict is triggered by a killing and the resolution is earned by revenge. Case study 1 - True Grit. Mattie's dad is killed by Chaney so she hires Cogburn to "kill him back." Cogburn (played by John Wayne) is thought to be the one with grit but we soon find out that Mattie is the one the film/novel is named after. She relentlessly pursues Chaney, breaks her arm, is bitten by a rattler, even shoots Chaney in the stomach and eventually sees him die. Grit comes when a character faces conflict and overcomes it through strength.

That's what I've seen these past three weeks. The protagonist in this story is McCall, the antagonist is death. In an earlier post I wrote about us losing McCall's pregnancy--things escalated from there. The day after McCall received the chemo treatment she started bleeding internally. Within seconds she lost two cups of blood. We rushed from Park City to LDS hospital where the doctor had an operating room prepped for emergency surgery. McCall's dad and I gave her a blessing just before she was taken to the OR. For an hour we waited (Hooper, Shauna, Meme, William O., Dr. KGC and I) for news from the doctor. Last we heard they were going to remove a fallopian tube and maybe do a blood transfusion. The phone rang in the waiting room and I rushed over to answer. "McCall is in the recovery room."

I couldn't resist--although I knew I would get busted--I sneaked into the recovery room to see McCall's face. She smiled when she saw me and said, "Hi baby."

Although death has released it's grip, the last three weeks a different form of conflict has shown it's face. This one looks like pain (surgery), nausea (chemotherapy) and grief (loss). I have watched as McCall has pursued these three ugly faces, caught them, beat them and has come out a hero. In the process she's blackened her eyes, broken her bones and looked in some ugly, dark places but she's healed and has turned the dark places into light.

If McCall lived in the old west, she'd be a Mattie Ross fersure...or maybe a Betsy Ross.

THANKSGIVING came early this YEAR

2009-10-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

Autumn is definitely my favorite season, especially Halloween, but this year we skipped right to Thanksgiving. There is nothing I love more than caramel apples and caramel corn, little pumpkins decorating the table and of course the feast (the picture is from a few years ago but sums up the holiday at our house pretty well.) Anyway, it came early this year because of the blessings we have experienced during the past week...a direct result of our dear family and friends!

It has come in all forms: prayers, blessings, emails, text messages, dinners, phone calls, flowers, favorite treats, visits, immediate answers to prayers, capable doctors, kind nurses, modern technology, and most of all loving and supportive family and friends. We couldn't make it without you and can't let this time go by without a sincere (well as sincere as a blog post can be) and heartfelt "thanks" for your many kindnesses on our behalf.

Thanksgiving also has a new and special meaning for me because this year I have Jon! The past week he has literally done it all, including making it from our apartment on main street Park City to LDS hospital in Salt Lake City in a record 23 minutes (and this particular time down Parley's Canyon every minute really counted!) His job description has not only included his normal CropChocolate.com responsibilities, but everything from cooking and cleaning to staying up all night just to make sure I get my pain medication right on time, to just being a listening ear as I have expressed my thoughts and feelings after an eventful few days. Jon has sustained me completely and continues to do so as we navigate this new path, and for that my gratitude continues to grow.

I am more thankful today than I thought I could be, not that it has been easy or that I would ever choose to repeat this experience, but I know and truly feel blessed because of so many of you and for that we will celebrate Thanksgiving early in 2009!

*Jon's brother Dan came to visit in the hospital and in honor of the chemo treatment I received earlier in the week he bought all the 50% off "breast cancer" apparel he could find! I am not posting this picture because it is a great one of me (turns out surgery will do that to you, or at least that is what I am telling myself!), but it sure did make us smile & laugh -- thanks Dan!
*Adding to our Thanksgiving, our parents! This was taken the first full day home and as she has always been my Mom is with me every step of the way, holding my hand just to make it easier. You may notice the "big gulp" on the side -- I hear they really improve healing and add to a fast recovery!

Joy. Pain. Sunshine. Rain.

2009-10-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

I will never forget seeing McCall clear three flights of stairs in three giant leaps. Partially because McCall can't jump--I have film to prove it--but more because of why she was so excited. After spending over $300 on home pregnancy tests, McCall went to a clinic to confirm our suspicions about her being pregnant and the results came back positive. Over the past several weeks, McCall has exhibited signs of pregnancy which will not be mentioned to keep this PG.

For two weeks we've been walking on sunshine--so to speak. Today, on a rainy day, we found out that there were complications with the conception and McCall had to go in for a dose of chemotherapy--the baby won't be born on June 7ish as expected.

Through our joy of learning of McCall's pregnancy, our love for each other and the family that we were starting to create grew in heaps. Our weekly planning had a new perspective; our lives were moving in a direction that both McCall and I have wanted for years; our conversations included possible names for either a boy or girl--names like Gary and Lou Ann. Joy made our hearts swell until they overflowed with love.

Today the joy has taken a 180 degree turn as we learned of the complications of McCall's pregnancy. The pain of knowing McCall won't be giving birth in late May/early June has brought a different perspective to life--rather than a swelling of joy, we feel engorged with gratitude and peace. Gratitude that McCall is healthy--she started cramping and bleeding somewhere in the Arizona desert. Peace knowing that the prayers of our families have been answered and McCall is home safe tonight.

We see blessings through this experience: First, we know that we are able to conceive. Second, our love has grown through both the joy and pain. Third, McCall can start drinking Diet Coke again. Forth, we'll have a full ski season.

Of course the third and forth reasons are jokes but we are grateful for the first and second...and to our family and friends who have been so generous and supportive.

We love you all!

PS - no offense to the Garys and Lou Anns out there--it's just our light hearted nature.

One. Year. Ago.

2009-10-09T06:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome to FALL

2009-10-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

Fall has definitely arrived in Park City, Utah! After a couple of weeks of being in SLC/Bountiful/Centerville we came home to the full spectrum of colors. We had some extra time to enjoy dinner in the Uintahs -- notice the full harvest moon in the picture -- (and no we didn't go all out, we left the cooking to Barbacoa!), an afternoon drive on the Alpine Loop (my first time making the whole drive at once) and an evening hike in Jupiter Bowl (at a sizzling 23 degrees!)

We both LOVE these types of days; outside and playing in the Utah mountains! We enjoyed them alone or with friends up until almost a year ago (we met and began facebooking about this time last year) but now we get to do them together, and that is by far THE BEST part!

"Hooray for fast love, hooray for fast marriage!"

Blueberry PANCAKES

2009-09-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

This past week Jon and I got to watch a few our of nieces and nephews while their parents were out of town. They were so good for us and we had a great time and loved being one-on-one with each of them, but what I loved most was watching Jon truly in his element. He was up early every morning making blueberry pancakes (yes they did look and taste as good as the picture here), french toast, or scrambled eggs & cheese for the kids and then walking them to school with the dogs. I would come home from work to trade shifts and see him teaching the youngest (2 years old) to hit a ball with a mini baseball bat - definitely a future star in the making! He managed all this while continuing to run and grow http://www.cropchocolate.com/ and even got in a major truck repair with my Dad - what a week!

10 days into our dating relationship I met all of Jon's immediate family and knew from that moment (well actually even when we were just emailing I could tell how important family was to him) on that he would be an amazing dad one day (as he is the favorite uncle - no bias here!) but this week I got to see him firsthand and at his best!

Love you JON & thanks for making all of this possible!

our weekend MUSICAL!

2009-08-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

what you get when you mix:

1) 6am on a Saturday morning

2) Parley's Canyon

3) Diet Coke & String Cheese for breakfast

4) Les Mis soundtrack

5) Jonathan William Nelson

Our life is never boring and always full of surprises thanks to Jonny!

Love you Jon ValJonny!

*the BEST video, where Jon uses string cheese for a mic is taking forever to load but is coming soon or you may just have to come visit us to see it on my computer or in person!

jon & mcCall’s top 10 summer activities

2009-07-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

In no particular order…

1. Being on the lake with family
2. Evenings in Park City
3. Walking beamer at Willow Creek Park
4. Weekend road trips with friends
5. Gelato in Heber City at Spin Café

choc. hazelnut or PB/honey/banana
6. Bee’s games with fireworks
7. Guardsman Pass: hiking, driving, riding
8. The Canyon’s farmers market
9. Commuting to SLC together – best chats, laughs & fun
10. Summer with JON – or any season, day, week or month for that matter

http://www.basinrecreation.org/Parks/willow_creek_park.html
http://www.spincafe.net/

http://www.parkcityfarmersmarket.com

So here’s to the last few weeks of summer and the perfect days ahead!

Creepin' in Kauai

2009-07-09T12:31:00.000-07:00

Kauai by Sea

2009-07-07T15:24:00.001-07:00

Kauai by Land

2009-07-07T15:07:00.000-07:00

One Day in Ouray

2009-06-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

Ouray, Silverton, Durango, and back.

the PERFECT day!

2009-05-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan William Nelson

5.14.2009

We couldn't ask for more - thanks for all of your love & support!

WEDDING PRESENT

2009-05-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

So, last week Jon and I went to Denver to help his brother move…well that is what I thought we were going to do, but as usual Jon surprised me with a wedding present! A couple of months ago I sold my road bike because I wanted to get a mountain bike so that Jon and I could ride together, but I thought I would work after the wedding and save up for a bike that would hopefully help me keep up with Jonny. On our ride over Jon threw a bike rack in the car (telling me it was for his brother so he could bring bikes over to SLC) and I didn’t think anything of it. We had talked a lot about bikes and even went to REI here in SLC to try some out, but the closest ones that would fit were in Boise or, you guessed it – DENVER!

So I had to go to the bathroom all the way from Vail to Denver but for some reason Jon really wanted to get to the REI store in Denver. Once again I didn’t think anything of it—the Denver REI is their flagship store and pretty famous so I was “holding” it so we could make it by 9pm and walk through the store. We pulled in just in time and ran into the bathroom and then walked each floor of the store. In the basement is the bike shop and I wanted to look at bikes, contemplating our future purchase, but Jon walked right up to the counter and asked if he could pick up a bike he had ordered. My first thought was, I hope he got a new bike (he was having his fixed and I thought maybe he needed the whole makeover and not just a few parts) but as soon as I looked at his face I knew the bike was for me!

In typical fashion I started to cry and couldn’t even speak, Jon hugged me and whispered “Please just wait until we get in the car!” With all the tough guys in REI it was quite a site to see me with tears, standing next to a bike watching Jon sign the receipt. What a SURPRISE! We took it right outside and I hoped on to try it out – it is PERFECT! The best part of the whole thing is that Jon got it for me so that we can spend time together riding this summer in Park City (we are moving there after the wedding for a few months) and continue to develop our relationship by doing the things we both love, together!

Thanks JONNY! My parent’s living room is full of beautiful glasses, pans, bowls, all sorts of amazing gifts but my very favorite is propped up against the wall – my new BIKE!

A Sneek PEEK!

2009-04-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

17 days and counting...FINALLY!

So, we had our engagement photos taken and you will see "the ONE" we picked but there were a lot of others that show our personalities much more than the traditional pose! We laughed, felt totally unnatural, tried to look serious in a few, but mostly just enjoyed being together - like always!

As the days get closer and closer I cannot believe how LUCKY I am to be with Jon and how amazed I am that it just keeps getting better! He does it ALL - plays with my nieces and nephews (they love him more than me but I am OK with that), cooks dinner, calls during the day, texts me when he gets home, fixes my car, enhances the relationships I have with my family members, love me for me, understands me better than I do myself and even comes to WEDDING SHOWERS and charms all the ladies! LOVE YOU JONNY - THANKS for the time of my life, and we have only just begun!

Rocky Mountain Skies

2009-04-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love most about my relationship with McCall is the time spent talking. It seams to me that when we go places the radio stays off and we talk about things that are most important in our collective and individual lives. Not all conversations are deep or life-changing--they are often free and easy. Like when she told me about her dad bringing home a dog for her when her mom was out of town--McCall got a dog and Hooper got a horse(s).

We drove to Colorado to visit my brother's family. We left early on Friday, April 3rd through Wyoming. The clouds sat low on the vast prairies and snow salted the landscape. Although the snow fell , the roads were clear making our travel time from Salt Lake City to Denver only 7 hours. I think we listened to one song.

We spent the weekend in a spring freeze so a lot of our time was indoors. My nieces, Isabel and Sophia, immediately took to McCall and McCall found them in her bed snuggling with her early in the mornings. Every time McCall sat down Sophia would quickly stake her claim on her lap. Children can quickly identify the authenticity of a person and my nephews and nieces have immediately taken to McCall because of her genuine love and happiness.

We went to several restaurants, a chocolate bar and the 2009 auto show. We had other plans but since it was 24 degrees with 60 MPH winds, an indoor event like the auto show was perfect. What's more, both McCall and I like cars so that was cool enough.

We took I70 home. I think one of the most beautiful stretches of Interstate is from Eisenhower Tunnel to Glenwood Springs. From Denver to the Eisenhower Tunnel the sky clear and sunny, we flew up the canyon with ease in the 4.2L twin turbo.

We honked as we entered the 1.6 mile long tunnel that sits at 11K feet above sea level expecting to be blinded by the sun as we exited. Not so. There are two weather systems when you're that high--one is the system on the east side of a mountain and the other is on the west. Since systems generally travel from the west to the east with an occasional SW to SE or NW to NE the weather can be drastically different as a storm gets pent up against the high mountain peaks. This was the case. There was several inches of new snowfall on the western exit of the Eisenhower Tunnel and instead if being blinded by the glare of the sun, we were blinded by heavy snowfall.

We were lucky, not only did the Allroad's massive engine motor up the mountain with great ease, the Quatro drive kept all four wheels gripping tightly to the slippery roads as we careened past cars that had stopped to wait the storm out. My brother Josh called us about an hour after exiting the tunnel to check if we were OK. Turns out, minutes after we shot out of the hole in the mountain, a 21 car pile-up ensued. We must have missed it by minutes...maybe even seconds.

Our adventure once again confirmed my love for McCall. Spending that much time in a closed metal box that's only 7'x15' doesn't give you much space for solitude...and thank goodness. When you're with a woman like McCall, you want to be as close as possible--even smooshed.

WE went to PARIS...The Paris!

2009-03-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

DATE NIGHT - switched to WEDNESDAY

WOW, what a sweet surprise! Jonny called me yesterday morning and told me it was “date night!” We have been busy wedding planning and he has been working nonstop on CropChocolate (and is doing an awesome job by the way!) So…anyway, he still wanted us to have OUR time and gave me some special gifts: his undivided attention, a special feeling all day (weekend anticipation only on Wednesday instead), an amazing dinner at the perfect restaurant (see picture and our menu selections for the details) and most of all an added measure of the feelings that have come to defy our relationship, PEACE & JOY!

THANKS JON – Love YOU!

Tour De Marze Brie

(Garnished: Mesclun, Assorted Nuts, Fruit, Olives, Cornichon)

Butternut Squash Ravioli

(Sage Beurre Blanc, Pan Roasted Hazelnuts, Parmigiano Reggiano)

Rôtisserie Fresh All Natural Chicken

(Provençal Vegetable Fricassée with Olives Mélange, CousCous)

Warm Molten Chocolate Cake

(Served with Hazelnut Gelato & Candied Orange)

And my DIET COKE – of course!

25 things I LOVE about JON (25 is such a limiting number…)

2009-03-23T17:22:00.001-07:00

With a few pictures to illustrate!

*In no particular order:

He is my best friend

He has special relationships with his mom and sisters

He knows how to laugh, be silly and have fun

The man can SKI (I have always said you can tell a lot about someone just by watching them ski and this could not be more true of Jon – adventurous, passionate, a pro – I love to watch you ski Jonny, and to ski with you!)

He has a heart of gold

He tells me he loves me all the time, and isn’t afraid to show it

He is BUFF

People are drawn to him

His nieces and nephews adore him and have special memories with “Uncle Jonny”

He has close/lifelong friends

He wants to have a big family

He anticipates people’s needs

He is such a MAN

We talk about anything and everything – we don’t even listen to the radio or ipod

He loves film and I love to watch movies with him

He studies the gospel and puts into action the things he learns and believes

He loves good jeans

He can’t wait to be a DAD – especially to have that special father/daughter bond

He understands people’s situations

He deeply respects and loves his parents

He has made my family his own – and they LOVE him

He is simple

I can be myself with him and wherever he is that is where I feel most at home

He can do all sorts of impersonations

He always says what I need to hear

Some things I love about McCall

2009-03-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

1. She smiles...a lot
2. More than anything, she wants to be a mom
3. She gives and gives and gives
4. She loves her parents and talks about them in gratitude
5. She loves her family (so do I)
6. She loves my family (so do I doy)
7. My family loves her
8. She loves God
9. She has a foundation in Christ
10. She's all about touching
12. Her hands
13. She has a great laugh and uses it
14. I love her face and body of course
15. She can talk in depth or about the weather
16. She's felt pain
17. She skis like a dood but walks like a woman
18. She loves Beamer
19. We're equals but she's better
20. She finds nice things to say to people
21. Her style
22. We counsel together
23. She doesn't make excuses
24. Her warmth
25. We're friends

To be continued:

2009-03-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

COOKING 101

This week I had the chance to go to a cooking class with some of Jon’s sisters & Mom at Sur La Table at the Gateway. The food…was AWESOME and I really want to make the soup at home, and the dessert was the perfect mix between being just sweet enough but not over the top (I will include the menu below – all from the Barefoot Contessa’s newest cookbook Back to Basics)!

Jon’s Mom is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to cooking (and lots of other stuff as well) and we spent the night talking all about how cooking is a tradition in the Nelson home and has been passed down for generations, we also laughed ourselves sick…kidney stones dude, added herbs, knife skills, and a teenage chef! I have so much to learn when it comes to cooking and luckily these great Nelson women are experts and can tutor me along the way. I can’t wait to cook for and with Jon and our family – like his Mom said, “it is one of the best ways to show love!”

But, the best part of all, “the sisters!” Next to loving and being loved by Jon, being a part of them is the best feeling! I share such a special relationship with my mom (and Knowlton family members) and I never thought I would duplicate that with other women but I see that same love and potential in the relationships I share with The Nelson Women. Jon and I are not even married yet (see the countdown to the side of this post) and I feel so incredibly honored to be counted among them, I can’t wait for what it will be like to officially be a NELSON woman! Jon told me from the very beginning, “my family is my greatest asset,” and as I have spent time with each of them I now know they are OUR greatest asset as well, The Knowlton Group included as well! I so admire the relationships they share as sisters, mothers, daughters and friends!

Thanks JON for the class, creating an opportunity for me to be with your family and build such meaningful relationships with them, and most of all…thanks for being YOU and being the most important, special, amazing and guiding person in my life!

PS - I have to brag about Jon for just a minute, checkout http://www.cropchocolate.com/ to see what he has been working on nonstop so he can provide for ME and our future family!
MENU: Savory Palmiers - Pappa al Pomodoro - French Bistro Steaks with Provencal Butter - Oven Roasted Vegetables - Honey Vanilla Fromage Blanc with Raspberry sauce

“The ring so worn, as you behold, So thin, so pale, is yet of gold”

2009-03-03T15:11:00.000-08:00

I’m sure at some point in our marriage I’ll give McCall a Glock G21 .45 handgun or a pair of 191 Volkl Mantras—and I’ll most likely “borrow” them. That’s just how us doods are I guess. So it’s rare when a dood like me can give a gift of significance.

As soon as McCall and I started talking about marriage I started gathering ideas for a ring. First stop—Tiffany.com. It was there that I found the perfect ring for McCall. I’m sure I skewed Tiffany’s web analytics as I parked on the site for hours looking at that ring.

A few days later McCall pulled out a binder with pictures of wedding stuff that she’s seen in magazines, pictures of gowns she’s made, ideas for her future date and more. Inside was a section of rings that she liked. To my surprise, the same ring I found on Tiffany.com was torn from a Tiffany catalog and circled in the book. I knew.

For the next few weeks we went from shop to shop—looking for the perfect setting and size. Ring size was my only interest—somewhere between a six and six and a quarter. I had already found the one…girl and ring.

Aesthetically it is more pleasing to see things in odd quantities—one, three, five, etc.—so why three? The three diamond ring signifies past, present, future or yesterday, today, forever. It also has a holy meaning of God—being the center stone—and the bride and groom—being the side stones. McCall’s the one on the right hand side.

After seeing the actual Tiffany ring in person, I decided to have one made. As beautiful as the Tiffany ring is, it just wasn’t quite right—the three stones were only .15 carat each. I went to a jeweler in SLC with pictures and renderings in hand. I showed him the ring with three inset diamonds and 40 round cuts. It’s significant to note that all 40 stones are round cuts and not chips because of the way they reflect light. It also had to be platinum. He sent it to New York to have it made then he would set the three stones himself. We looked at several stones and narrowed it down to the 3—all D or E FL.

It took about two and a half weeks to make the ring. Two and a half weeks of waiting for a phone call. Two and a half weeks of planning. Two and a half weeks of skiing with McCall.

THANK YOU, thank you, THANK YOU!

2009-02-24T11:24:00.000-08:00

THANK YOU, thank you, THANK YOU!

Valentine's SKI DAY!

BDAY Dinner with The Knowlton's

(nephew WILL - not ours!)

Valentine's Party with the NIECES!

First and foremost, thank you Jon for the best week of my life (more on that later!) Secondly, thank you to all of our family and friends who have shared in our joy and excitement this past week. Whether talking on the phone, visiting in your homes or trading emails and facebook messages we have been overwhelmed by the blessings of support and love we have felt from all of YOU!

What a week…from a nieces party at Meme’s to Valentine’s Day skiing and dinner at the Silverfork, I thought it couldn’t get any better – boy was I wrong! We then celebrated Jon’s BIRTHDAY with my family, decided to move our wedding date to May 14th and OFFICIALLY got ENGAGED (with the most beautiful ring I have ever seen – I am not at all bias though)!!! We made the rounds visiting family and friends, had yet another awesome BLUE BIRD ski day and enjoyed dinner with friends visiting from out of town. I know that my life with Jon will never lack in excitement, adventure, lots of laughs, fun and complete peace and joy. THANK YOU JONNY for knowing me better than I know myself and making every moment memorable – I can’t wait for the many moments to come!

And one of the most important moments in my life 12.13.08 (our first date – Slumdog Millionaire and The Dodo!) has taught me this about LOVE:

LOVE - what a great thing! Love is what connects us all and is the foundation for ALL things. Love binds us when all other emotions try to pull us down into the depths of despair, complacency and selfishness. If we can FEEL and GIVE love completely we will find our purpose in this life, and nothing can top that moment!

02.18.09

2009-02-19T13:26:00.000-08:00

On our second date we took Beamer—my dog—on a snowy hike up Duel Creek Canyon. It's a sheer canyon on both sides with a single track trail and a healthy creek cutting through the middle. There are several small cascades—one of which McCall commented on during our second date. There's a flat area where the water pools and spills into another pool. That's the backgrounder.

I played dumb yesterday, asking McCall via text what she wanted to do last night. She said she wanted to drive out to meet me but I insisted that I pick her up because of icy roads. I said that Beamer needed a good hike and asked if she would go with us. I picked her up at 6:00 PM with a request that she pack winter clothes.

We went to the restaurant where we ate on our first date. McCall commented that we ate there on our first date so thought she was onto me.

Of course it was a wonderful evening over dinner.

We changed our clothes and picked up Beamer. As we drove to the mountains McCall again commented that it was where we went on our second date, and again I thought she was onto me.
I put my backpack on telling her that I had a sleeping bag and more puffy clothes just in case she got cold. I also said we needed the sleeping bag and insulated pad in case of an emergency. I opened the backpack wide to put water in it—and to show McCall that there was nothing suspicious in the bag. I closed it tight. It contained more than what I had told her—including 3 month's salary in rock and metal.

We hiked across a snow packed road and turned into Duel Creek Canyon—let me just add that McCall is the only woman I know that skis, hikes and is as active as any dude I know but walks and acts like a woman in every way. We walked from snow packed roads to a powdery trail. The deeper we hiked into the canyon, the dimmer the lights of the city became. We turned our headlamps on.

McCall said about half way into the canyon that we were hiking the exact trail we hiked on our second date. Again, I thought I was outed. We came to the clearing aforementioned where the canyon flattened and the creek poured from a high pond to a lower one. That's where we stopped and I said I needed to take my pack off and cool down.

From my pack I pulled candles out saying that I had a few things besides water and extra clothes in there. I lit the candles and stuffed them in the snow. She said, "Jon, what guy does this?" I blew off her question by saying "Um, a few?" Then I pulled the sleeping pad from my pack for her to sit on.

I turned my back on her to hide my next activity. I pulled a portable iHome speaker stand and iPod from the pack, mounted the iPod and pushed play—earlier that day preselecting the song that would play.

Here's the thing about the song. I never though I would propose to Country-Western music playing in the background and I certainly knew I'd never propose to an Alan Jackson song. But over the New Year's break McCall and I drove to my brother-in-law and sister's cabin at Bear Lake. We talked non-stop for two-and-a-half hours until we drove into Logan Canyon. It was a stormy weekend so the drive was a little longer than expected. Snow fell on three inches of road-pack as I pushed play on my iPod. The song "Remember When" by Alan Jackson was the first to shuffle—we drove quietly—a scene right out of a Western Christmas romantic-comedy—if such a thing exists.

That's the song I preselected last night when I pushed play. The next words from McCall’s mouth were "Jonny, I'm going to cry." She stood up and hugged me and sure enough, she started to cry. I milked her tears for the first few verses of the song then asked her to sit, there were still more things in the bag.

McCall sat on the rolled up sleeping pad and I dug to find the only zipper pocket in my backpack. There it was—the symbol of my eternal love.

The candles were pleasantly dim, flickering light on the creek, the canyon walls and McCall’s face. I stood before her and flipped on her headlamp so she would be dazzled by what I was about to give to her. She look up and me and said, “What’s going on?”

I got on a knee and presented a closed ring box. I started to ask her to marry me but she grabbed me and pulled me to the ground. We wrestled in each other’s arms laughing…McCall's laughter mixed with tears.

“Wait.” I said. “Let me finish!”

I got back to my knee, opened the box and again asked McCall to marry me. She stared at the ring, almost afraid to touch it, said “Yes,” took the ring from the box and slid it over her finger.

The next half-hour we laid on the ground in excitement—laughing more than talking.

It was the best reaction I could have wished for.

On our hike out of the canyon, Beamer came to an abrupt halt and stared into the darkness. His ears were at attention and his tail was straight out. I put McCall between Beamer and me as we made our way out. When we reached the snow packed mountain road we heard coyote yelps echoing down the canyon. The Crow and other plains mythology believes that the coyote is Creator, elder brother or a notion of the Great Spirit—who was too sacred to mention.

Awesome!

Five Months and Counting

2009-01-21T21:13:00.000-08:00

Hello. This is McCall. I love Jon.

Hello. This is Jon. I love McCall.

We are lovers.