Nilsson News

I've been reminded this past week of how our lives are not our own and how precious each and every day is.  Our neighbor's husband died unexpectedly of a heart attack.  He was only 58.  I went to his funeral and it really made me appreciate my life even with my so called challenges.  It made me think of Grandpa and how fulfilled his life was.  What an amazing person to be related to.  I have so many fond memories of him.  I remember when I was really little, he would pick me up by my ears and I thought that was incredible.  When I was around 14, he took me and some other cousins to St. Louis MO. and surrounding areas.  I remember the fun reunions we had in Nauvoo while he was serving there.  I remember wondering how it was possible that someone could run into someone they knew no matter where it was they went.  He knew everyone!  I remember his house in Provo and the many reunions we enjoyed there.  I remember when he sold that house and I was sad but it helped me to realize that it really was just a house and there are more important things/people to focus on.  I remember writing him my scholarship letter for college, hoping I would qualify.  I remember feeling so important because my grandpa was friends with so many of the general authorities.  I loved my last name of Belliston because someone would always ask if I was related to Angus.  Yes I am, he is my Grandpa.

It feels like winter has arrived, other than the snow.  Our garden is put to bed, our leaves are raked up, our animals are fluffing up and my mind is turning to indoor projects.  There's never a moment of rest around here!  I did get a week off from having a calling.  Our stake realigned all the ward boundaries in a major way.  Dissolved one ward completely and all the wards got new names.  Everyone was released from their callings except the bishoprics.  I was soooo happy!  R.S. secretary was just not my thing.  Garrett was beside himself and pouted the entire day.  He loved his calling (YM pres.) and had the entire new year planned out.  I've never seen him so upset about something before.  9:00 that night we got a knock on the door and it was our new bishopric whom we had never met before.  They told us they were wanting to come and meet the Nilsson family (uh-huh, sure.  What do you really want?)  After visiting for a bit they turned and said that they had a calling for Garrett.  They wanted him to serve as the Young Men's President.  He was elated!  I went the whole week without being called and then Sunday morning it came, R.S. secretary.  You can't hide folks.  Don't try it.

Anyway, we enjoyed some fun with the Hart's and mom and dad.  Addy did a fabulous job at her piano competition and earned second place.  We look forward to visiting with you this coming weekend!

 Emerson was thrilled to catch a garter snake we just about stepped on when we were on a walk.

 EIMTA piano competition second place winner!

 It's fall!

 Have you ever made deluxe home made caramel apples?  They are so fun and so easy!

 Eliza the unicorn

 Henry the freezing praying mantis

 Mr. Emerson Robot

 Dr. Addy Nilsson D.V.M.

Hart Happenings

  It was a good week to remember and tap into the power of families.  I am writing this while the boys are playing nicely together in the background (not quietly, mind you, but nicely) and reflecting on how fun it was to have Mom and Dad up on Halloween.  Ruth and Mom and I put our heads together to try to figure out a sewing project Ruth is going to tackle, Dad and Alex ended up in the same room visiting over our heads, the kids all wandered out at different points with questions and show and tell moments, and Lauren called and we got to visit with her in between Wesley commandeering her phone.  It was so family-ish! Very fun!
  It has turned very cold here, but that didn't stop us from getting our yesterday to tackle the rest of the leaves, scoop up the apples under the trees out front, and clean out the garage to make way for the snowblower.  It felt very good and productive and we celebrated our accomplishment by a big bonfire to burn some of the branches we have culled over the summer.  Good times!
  We got to see Addy perform at one of her piano competitions this week which was very fun.  We were all so impressed.  She is an excellent pianist.
  We enjoyed the ward trunk or treat this year and invited our friends from Florida.  I think they had a good time, but were slightly overwhelmed by the size of Latter-day Saint families!  We also went trick or treating with our friends the Martins Halloween night.  We went back to our old stomping grounds on 12th street and it was so fun to wander the familiar streets.
  Peter and Jack have been seek with bad colds and terrible coughs, but the rest of us have managed to steer clear of their germs.  Fingers crossed!
  We aren't sure when we'll be able to get down this weekend.  We'll make it for the funeral for sure, but how much sooner before that I don't know.  We'll be in touch I'm sure!
  Here is a fun poem about Autumn for you guys:

I love the Autumn,

And yet I cannot say

All the thoughts and things

That make me feel this way.

 

I love walking on the angry shore,

To watch the angry sea;

Where summer people were before,

But now there's only me.

 

I love wood fires at night

That have a ruddy glow.

I stare at the flames

And think of long ago.

 

I love the feeling down inside me

That says to run away

To come and be a gypsy

And laugh the gypsy way.

 

The tangy taste of apples,

The snowy mist at morn,

The wanderlust inside you

When you hear the huntsman's horn.

 

Nostalgia - that's the Autumn, 

Dreaming through September

Just a million lovely things

I always will remember.

Also, if you're looking for a really fun upbeat new song to add to your playlist check out "Like This, Like That" by the California Honeydrops.

  See you all soon!

North Logan Notese

It’s a drizzly, overcast, sullen day here in Cache Valley. That should be indicative of my mood, but there is an overarching peace and warmth that keeps pushing away the sadness. We cannot stop thinking about Grandpa and what an amazing man he was/is. It's an interesting awareness that even though we didn't always connect with him on a regular basis, the option of interacting with him - calling to check on him, asking for advice, counsel, blessings, etc., is no longer available. It's a rather lonely realization. But, that said, there are no feelings of anxiety for him or anything other than feelings of love and admiration and tenderness. Of course we will miss him. Terribly. For a long time. What a blessing to know it's all part of the Plan. And, just so you know, Dad and I "don't have any problem with the Plan of Salvation!"

Grandpa rallied enough strength to participate in our family reunion. He even went to Nephi and stood on farm soil. We read together the essay he wrote about the soil to make sure we remember the things that are most important. It completely wore him out and he wasn't out of bed much after that. His last days were filled with family, though without much conversation. All that needed to be said, had been.

Thank you all for your visits, letters, phone calls and texts. They were remembered and mentioned by him and Christi. Emma's sweet letter was beside him when we arrived on Friday morning. Grandpa loved you all very much, as I'm sure you felt and understood. He was immensely grateful, as are Dad and I, for your efforts to live the gospel. Often, he spoke of our family and his gratitude for your gifts, talents, obedience and goodness. Thank you for giving him such "joy in his posterity."

I loved Thomas' Instagram message and Emma's letter and wanted to share them with all of you, so they are attached below.

To clarify, so you all know the plan, the funeral will be on Monday, November 12 at 11:00 in Springville. There will be a visitation on Sunday evening from 6 to 8 and again on Friday morning from 9 to 10:30. I will send a copy of the obituary, or a link to it, when it is published. The schedule after the funeral will be a little different since Grandpa will, of course, be buried in Nephi. So, we will have a luncheon after the funeral and then drive to Nephi for the burial.

Jennifer and Scott will arrive on Friday, and Thomas will also be flying in, probably on Saturday. It would be nice if we could get together to visit while everyone is here, but I know that may not be possible. We would be happy to have you all here for a gathering of dinner and visiting on Friday or Saturday, if possible, otherwise we can plan on some good visiting in at the luncheon and other funeral events, hopefully. We are looking forward to seeing all of you and having some time with all of the family.

North Logan Notes

After reading Lauren's post, it appears the title is appropriate - Manning Madness!! It made me tired and more than a little grateful for the seeming boringness of our lives at the moment! Hang in there Mannings!

We were grateful that a mom and baby accommodated our wishes this week when baby finally decided to come on Thursday night (10 days late) so I could go to the family meeting/council in Springville with Dad. It really was a blessing to be there with everyone. All of Dad's siblings, with the exception of Kate, were there. There was a feeling of unity and support and gratitude and love that was beautiful and rich. Grandpa seemed to rally long enough to participate in the foundation meeting, and even traveled to Nephi to see the farm and Mt. Nebo, for what we suppose was the last time. He is very weak and failing. Dad is back down there today, sitting with him while Christi is gone. He, Dad, was able to give Grandpa a blessing while we were there, which I think was comforting and special. It's a difficult time, made sweeter by the love and support of children and grandchildren. He loves you all and is proud of your efforts to live the gospel and be good people. We will keep you updated on his situation.

We had a Regional Stake Conference broadcast yesterday, which was wonderful. Elder Ballard, Elder Curtis, Bishop Waddell and Sister Harkness all spoke from the Dee Events Center at Weber State. It was noisy there, but spirit filled where we were. We hope to fill you in on the details when we visit with you next.

Speaking of that, Dad and I hope to get a jump on the emphasis (really a re-emphasis) on family instruction by visiting each family one or two at a time and having a family council with you. We have had several things on our minds that we hope to share. We'll be in touch about that soon.

The weather here has been lovely lately, but I think we've seen the last of our 70 degree days, which we enjoyed on the weekend. The leaves are raining off the trees, which is breathtakingly beautiful! Love it! Dad took this photo of my very favorite tree in all of Cache Valley. It is always the most gorgeous thing in the fall - in front of our Hyde Park Stake Center.

Thinking of you all and loving you more every day!

Manning Madness

First of all, thanks to all of you who made the trip for Chet's blessing. It was so fun to have family over and to be supported that way. I know that those of you who couldn't make it would have come if you could!
This week was a little bit crazy! But crazy can be fun and it was a fun for sure. It was all Nick's fault I think because he expressed at the beginning of the week that he kind of felt like he was twiddling his thumbs wondering what an elders quorum president should do. Don't EVER think or say that! He has been doing lots of ministering interviews and presidency meetings but this week was a whole new level of service!
Monday night we had the elders quorum presidency and their families over for FHE and banana splits. It was a blast. Wesley was in heaven with all the attention and we got to know each other a little bit more. Nick gets to work with the cream of the crop! So fun! Well, while everyone was here for that, a brother came over for some help with big family issues. So Nick was out with him the rest of the evening. He was still trying to help that man the next day when Nick got a call for another family that needed some help getting their daughter to school because their car broke down and the girl has some challenges that complicate the matter. While Nick was making lots of phone calls for that, Wesley decided to get sick and he started throwing up everywhere. So Nick took the sad Chet and I tried to help Wesley. We had our ministering brother help give Wesley a blessing and he fell asleep for a little while. But then he woke up and threw up until about 11:30 that night. He didn't want to do it in a bowl, the toilet or the bathtub so the only reasonable place was the bed. Lots of laundry. The next day I was trying to get Wesley feeling better and Nick was able to stay home and help which was a blessing. That evening we learned about a family in the ward that got in a car accident so Nick went to visit them. The next day Nick was teaching guitar and I ran to the store with Wesley to pick something up for dinner. When I was done I got in the car and it wouldn't start. It was a low battery in those silly keys they make. I tried everything I could think of. Nick had visits in 30 minutes and Chet had just woke up hungry at the house. Nick tried to find a neighbor that could watch Chet while he came to see what he could do but the neighbors had pneumonia. I finally got the car started after I opened the door and it got the battery working again. The next day Nick's counselor 's wife had a baby. Happy day! The next day was Saturday and Nick remembered he was supposed to teach the lesson on Sunday! Sunday he got the assignment from the Bishop, "Brother so and so has a 'vote for prop 2' sign outside of his house. I want you to go correct that." Good thing Nick gets along with everybody. He is truly amazing and I think he knows what an elders quorum president can do!
I think we are all on the mend with stomach bugs and whatnot.
Chet is a trooper through everything this week. He is the cutest baby. He smiles and laughs and blows bubbles like a champ. We sure love him and can't wait for all of you to meet him!

Flake Fun

The last couple of weeks have been pretty uneventful for the most part.  After 2 weird little snow storms we are now experiencing beautiful fall weather.  We planted some winter rye as a cover crop for our garden and it is doing very well.  Somehow our tomatoes are holding on so we get a handful or two each week for snacking on. 

We had our first fall social in our new ward and it was lots of fun.  We are surrounded by good, fun-loving people. 

Anyway, that is about all that we have to report!  Hope everyone is enjoying beautiful fall weather.

North Logan Notes

The past three weeks have been busy and delightful. We thoroughly enjoyed being with the family for Chet's baby blessing. All that fuss and fun for a sweet little baby who was totally oblivious to being the center of such attention!! Wesley was a bit overwhelmed at first with all the cousins vying for his attention, but after getting used to it, he was quite thrilled to have people to play with. It was so nice to visit for a while after things quieted down some. Dad took Elise and Joe and Ruth for a short visit to Grandpa's. He was glad to see them, but wasn't up to much in the way of visiting. His situation causes him some embarrassment as well as consternation, but he is always pleased to know his family loves and cares about him.

We returned to American Fork the Thursday after Chet's blessing to help out a little while Nick was gone to Las Vegas for another shooting class. We enjoyed playing with Wesley and holding Chet, working to get things "winterized" in the garden and doing basic stuff like bathing boys and grocery shopping that gets tricky with only one parent. We had commitments that took us home Friday night, but wish we could have stayed until Nick returned late on Saturday. We are still waiting to hear about his adventures (hopefully without flat tires or robbery this time), though we're sure he had a great adventure!

Our favorite thing from the past few weeks was helping at the "Loaves and Fishes" community dinner. I think some of you helped provide music for one of those dinners at one time. The program started out as an effort to provide meals for homeless and/or needy folks during the holidays. Then it progressed to a meal once a month for anyone in need. Now they serve a mid-day meal every first and third Saturdays to anyone in the community who wants to attend. This week we served chili and cornbread, salad and fruit and dessert to over 200 people. Most of them are needy people and they came back to get more food to take home or to take to sick or needy neighbors or friends or folks at the senior citizen center. They are always grateful and are glad to have a good meal and people to visit with. It was heart warming to see some younger people there helping carry plates for the shaky older folks. It is a wonderful project and very satisfying to participate. I would like to go on the Saturday before Thanksgiving to help with that meal. They typically serve over 400 people that day! But, that happens to be the weekend of Dad's YSA stake conference, so I'm quite sure we won't be helping out on that day.

We had a YSA group for FHE last night. The roads to our place were closed due to the pumpkin walk, so only 4 people made it. But we had a great visit with them and learned a lot of things about growing up with convert parents in New York and Florida. The church is sometimes run a little differently in those areas.

All of our efforts at finding a home have been interesting, but unproductive as yet. We did see a nice, brand new house today and spoke with the builder. It is still a ways out of our price range, but we may talk with him about building a different house for us - if we can find a lot...  We know there is a right time and a right place - or maybe several "right" places, or possibilities. Still trying to understand patience.

We are hoping to see all of you in the near future! We love you and are grateful you are involved in so many wonderful things. Our prayers continue for Jennifer. We are getting quite excited for her! Grant had a fall at the neighbor's and ended up with some stitches in his cheek :(  We hear it is beginning to heal nicely now. Emma is enjoying her new companion, but could still use some solid missionary opportunities, so we are praying for her, too. Thomas and Victoria moved last weekend to a new apartment - and signed a 14 month lease, so I guess they'll be in Houston for a little longer! We are praying for them to make some good friends and have some more wonderful opportunities. In fact, we constantly pray for all of you because we know how hard you are working to do all you can that is good and worthwhile! We love all of you and are so glad we are a family.