Spring Break

I am at a library in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina right now. We are here for Spring Break with our friends from our ward, the Roberts. So far, the weather has been overcast and a little rainy and we are wondering where all the sunshine is...I guess back in Florida where we left it! We're going to go swimming in the indoor pool and lazy river after lunch so we'll make the best of this weather that we are not used to! Pictures to come later when I get home or when Brady buys resort wi-fi so we can work from our condo! :)

More Fun Pictures

Here are some more of my favorite pictures from our week of having company here.

We had a lot of fun relaxing on the beach.

Annice's feet in the Atlantic Ocean and

Galen's feet in a borrowed pair of Brady's sandals - a first for Galen!

Where to Start...? Continued - The Lighthouse

One of our favorite activities was going to the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse - about 90 minutes from our house. We met Kelly in Port Orange on Friday and drove out to the lighthouse together where we toured the museums and actually climbed the 215 stairs to the top. It wasn't as hard as I had remembered it being the last time we did it, but this time I didn't have to carry Jordan so I guess that made a big difference! We took a lot of great pictures. Here are some of my favorite.

Galen, Annice and Brady walking the stairs up.

Galen laying down to get just the right angle of the lighthouse.

This is my favorite.

On top of the world, or at least on top of the lighthouse.

These next four are all views from the top.

Where to Start...?

Well, after having Brady's parents here for a week and his Aunt Kelly here for three days, I have a TON to blog about...but where to start? The most exciting part of the week isn't my story to tell so I'll have to wait until Galen and Annice get home and share what they want to with all the siblings, then maybe I can put a few pictures up of that day. Here is one from the evening they arrived. Brady got them home from the airport around 6:30 p.m. and we sat down and had a nice dinner of cowboy stew and breadsticks. The kids were so excited to have them here. Jordan wanted them to sit right down after dinner and read to him.

Wednesday was spent running a few errands in the morning with Annice, then Galen and Annice went to institute with Brady. We hung out with the kids in the afternoon, had dinner, then sent Brady, Galen and Annice off to institute again that evening! They stopped at Jeremiah's for Italian ice on the way home...and even brought one home for me! Yum.

Thursday morning the threesome headed off to Starke, FL. More details of that day later. When they came home, they brought this GORGEOUS and DELICIOUS flat of strawberries from Kelly. Mmmm...we enjoyed them all weekend long. Brady also brought me a beautiful, big Easter lilly.

Annice helped put together about two and a half puzzles while she was here. This is a 1,000 piece puzzle that they all put together...only to find that one piece was missing! Now that has happened before, remember the Mickey puzzle? Aargh! The reward is still out on the missing piece - no one has found it yet.

More later on the rest of the weekend. Here's a picture taken today, just before the West Point Nixons headed home.

Church Magazines!

So many of you have made comments, sent emails, or called Stephanie to let her know you read her contributions to the Ensign last month. "Did you know she was in their twice?" is what I would always ask those who mentioned it to me. I was so happy for her! We decided to rack our brains to remember all the times any of our family have been in any of the church magazines. Here is the list we came up with. I tried to hyperlink to each article. Those published after 2001 are viewable in a .pdf format online so you can see the pictures as well.

Stephanie didn't want to post this as she was worried that you may think she was tooting her own horn. Not only is she a fantastic wife and mother, she is also humble! :) She really does have good ideas and I'm glad I married her! So here it is, the complete listing of Nixon contributions to the Church Magazines

MOM
Christmas Countdown Ensign, December 2007
Dinnertime Discussions Ensign, February 2008
Q&A Feb 2008 Ensign, February 2008
One short piece in a Church News Q&A

DAD
Navigating Turbulent Waters Ensign, July 2000
In the News: Church Assists Floridians Struck by Tornadoes (Quoted) Liahona, June 2007
FYI Three's Gospel Company (I baptized these triplets and submitted their picture) New Era, April 1993
Journal Entry in LDS Living Magazine about hurricane Katrina clean up efforts.


MEGHANN
Better than First Place Friend, May 2005

COURTNEY
Friends in the News, January 2001, p. 19

TUCKER
Friends in the News, July 2004, p. 47
Missionary Bear Friend, February 2007

SPENCER
Friends in the News, August 2006, p. 27

JORDAN
Nothing... yet!

UPDATE: Imagine our surprise when one day after I published this post the April Church magazines came and what do you know... Jordan (and his brothers) finally made it in the Friend magazine. See April, 2008, p. 47

My Tag from my wife

OK, so a while ago my wife "tagged" me in her own blog to see if I actually read her blog. Well, I do, but it has taken me some time to get this together.

A-Attached or Single? Attached, happily and eternally
B-Best Friends? Stephanie (of course). Dallas Peterson in Snowflake. Probably Kent Shepherd in Florida. In High School it would be a number of friends like Matt Child, Dave Stephens, Sam Toomer, Dave McNaughtan, Michele Stevens. They all still get Christmas cards each year.
C-Cake or Pie? Humm. I love ice cream cake, but nothing beats a Trapper’s Peanut Butter pie from Taylor, AZ... nothing. I miss that place!
D-Day of Choice? Does this mean day of the week or day of the year? I'm not quite sure. I have always loved Friday afternoons because school was out and the weekend was about to begin. Something is/was always happening on this night. Saturdays are great for getting projects done. Sundays are relaxful and needed after a busy week. Mondays can be fun as I look forward to getting back with my students. Tuesdays usually begin very early as I tend to visit early morning seminary classes on this day. BYU devotionals are at 1:00. Wednesdays are currently very busy with a daytime and nighttime classes to teach and a lot of lesson preparation to do. Thursdays are great because I have gotten past the busyness of Wednesdays and that brings us back to Fridays.
E-Essential Item? I’m embarrassed to admit that would be my laptop computer, and deodorant of course.
F-Favorite Color? Green because I was a Clearfield Falcon and Blue, just because I was born with that gene.
G-Gummy Bears or Worms? Gummy Bears the red and white colors.
H-Hometown? West Point, Utah. My children were all born to us in Snowflake, AZ, so even though we no longer live there, it’s like my second hometown as that is where my own family began.
I-Favorite Indulgence? Edy’s (Dryer’s out West) Vanilla Bean ice cream or Jeremiah's Italian Ice, coconut flavor.
J-January or July? That’s hard as my birthday is in July, but living here in FL, I’d have to take January over July, even with my birthday in the summer!
K-Kids? Cinco. In fact, our fifth child was born one day before Cinco de Mayo. At first we were bummed, but then we realized he has a cool birthday 05/04/03.
L-Life isn't complete without? Family, friends, and the gospel... oh, and my laptop :)
M-Marriage Date? December 12, 1991. It was a cold and windy day, but other than that, it was a pretty regular day!
N-Number of Brother's and Sister's? Two brothers and three Sisters. I’m the second of six but the tallest of the bunch.
O-Oranges or Apples? Oranges right off the tree here and then juiced! Nothing can compare.
P-Phobia and Fears? Being called to be a bishop.
Q-Quote? Right now I like the quote from Joseph Smith, “There are many souls whom I have loved stronger than death, to them I have proved faithful–to them I am determined to prove faithful until God calls me to resign upon my breath.”

I first heard this quote in the Joseph Smith movie at the Legacy Theater in the JS Memorial Building. It was a line almost said in passing and I was convinced it was an actual quote from the prophet they had incorporated into the script. As I talked to others about trying to locate the quote, many wondered if I was sure it was an actual quote. I wasn’t sure, but I felt like I recognized the language of the prophet over the writing of a screenwriter. After some searching, I was able to locate the quote. I was so happy. I think the reason I like the quote so much is because I can relate to how Joseph felt. I think of the hundreds of students I have taught and loved, the many priesthood leaders I have worked with and loved, and most importantly, my own family who I love–there are many souls whom I have loved and I am DETERMINED to prove faithful to them. I don’t want there to be any surprises to those whom I have loved when the Lord holds me accountable for all of my thoughts, words, and deeds. For that reason, I am determined to prove myself faithful to them and be the type of person these people believe me to be. Did that make sense? Bottom line, this quote helps me stay on the strait and narrow and make good choices in my life.
R-Reason to Smile? Being happily married. Watching our children grow up. Accepting the direction the Lord is taking our lives together. Looking forward to going on missions with my wife to far away places someday. Good memories of great people who have touched my life.
S-Season of Choice? The fall. School and seminary begin in the fall.
T-Tag Three People? I gave up tag when I was in elementary school. She was a much faster runner than me!
U-Unknown Fact About Me? There is only one job that would get me to leave CES (now called S&I or Seminaries and Institutes of Religion for those who didn’t know)... Any guesses? Take your browser and drag/highlight the text that follows this sentence to see what it is. Secretary to the First Presidency or Quorum of Twelve.
V-Vegetable? I love corn on the cob with lots of butter and some salt. Yum!!! I also love steamed asparagus.
W-Worst Habit? Staying up too late at night on school nights (like tonight trying to get this silly thing finished). Wasting too much time instead of disciplining myself to do something worthwhile and productive. Getting project to about 80% real quick, and then taking much too long to complete the last 20.
X-X-ray or Ultrasound? X-ray Vision of course!!! :)
Y-Your Favorite Food? I love bread – homemade and hot with lots of grains in it. I love a Puerto Rican bread called pan sobao. We ate it all the time on the mission. Thankfully, I have found a Puerto Rican bakery not too far from home where I can buy it again! I also love homemade coconut ice cream! Oh, and Stephanie’s chicken enchiladas.
Z-Zodiac Sign? Cancer. That always freaked me out as a child because I thought it meant that I would get it someday.

Birthday Gift

I hope Kelly doesn't look at my blog before she comes to visit this weekend. It's her birthday on Monday and since she's a big fan of FSU, I made her this tote bag in their school colors. I hope she likes it! I love those bags...so functional!

Ride 'Em Cowboy...or Cowgirl

A few weekends ago we went to the Church ranch for a Young Single Adult activity. It was a hoedown, complete with BBQ pork dinner, horse riding, and even lessons on whip cracking. Our kids had a great time and couldn't wait for their annual horse ride. Since Brady is highly allergic to horses, he kept his distance and was actually the one snapping pictures this time (which is why only two turned out...don't tell him I said that!) :) He has many wonderful qualities, but photographer isn't one of them.

The "Last" Tag

Thanks for the "tag" Meg. I am finally getting it posted!

1. Last book you read or are currently reading? The Mom
s Book for the Mom Who's Best at Everything. Just some light, humorous reading. Also listened to "Four Signs of a Miserable Job" on CD.
2. Last person you talked to on the phone? Sister Cullen - finding a sub for primary. What else does a secretary do on Saturday night?
3. Last movie you watched at the theatre? National Treasure, I think. I go so rarely it's hard to remember.
4. Last restraunt you ate at? Olive Garden
5. Last thing you bought for yourself? Ooooh, I just had a fun shopping spree at Kohl's and I even told Brady it was journal-worthy, I had so much fun. I only bought a shirt and a jacket for myself though, and something else for everyone in the family.
6. Last vacation or trip you took? Well, I don't think the husband/wife convention in Atlanta counts, so I'd have to say our trip to Utah last summer. We're going to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in a week though!
7. Last thing you ate? Some Butter Pecan ice cream last night on the couch with Brady. :)
8. Last time you cut your hair? About 6 weeks ago and boy is it time again...can't wait until Tuesday and my next appointment.
9. Last time you worked out? Friday
10. Last time you did laundry? Saturday
11. Last time you were on an airplane? Last summer - Utah vacation.
12. Last person you said "I love you" to? Courtney - just this morning.
13. Last show you watched on TV? Watched a little of the Glenn Beck show last night with Brady while eating ice cream. I think his show is a little depressing because he's too cynical for me.
14. Last song you listened to or sang? Well, I haven't showered yet this morning so I haven't done my singing (ha ha) but the last song I listened to was music from the CD Brady made me BEFORE his mission. Let's see...that was 18 years ago. Wow.
15. Last job you had or currently have? This was an "unofficial" job but I did some typing work for a friend's husband who is a lawyer and made more money than I have seen in a long time. Before that I had my little stint as an Elections Official!
16. Last place you lived (not currently living)? Snowflake, Arizona
17. Last obsession? Home Improvement, we're having our own little Extreme Home Makeover...watch for a blog on it soon!
18. Last "project" you worked on? Well, BESIDES home improvement, I embroidered two towels for a birthday party Friday night. Twin girls - the towels turned out so cute.
19. Last name? Nixon. That one was easy, whew!
20. Last concert you went to? Concert? Does Blues Clues Live count last night? Before that, I can only think of the Amy Grant concert Brady and I went to in Phoenix, but I'm sure there's been one here in Florida. Brady will have to jar my brain. (C'mon dear, what about Taylor Hicks at Universal Studios? That was Mardi Gras last year! ;) BN)

Now I'm tagging Ann. By the way Ann, I love the new look of your blog! Now show it off with your tag! :)

Pay Back

Tonight we volunteered at our favorite theater, The Orlando Reperatory Theater. The kids are usually excited about going to the theater, but tonight they were complaining. Well, everyone but Jordan was complaining. We were going to see Blue's Clues Live and the older kids all thought they were way past their Blue and Steve days. During the show (that everyone was enjoying by the way) I thought, "Hey, this is pay back for all the hours of Blues Clues that I watched on TV when I would have much rather been watching Regis and Kelly!" I did Blues Clues for them, now they can do it for me. It was a 50 minute show, short and sweet and very well done.

First Lacrosse Game

Saturday we went to Meghann's first lacrosse game. This is a much more aggressive sport than she is used to but she did a good job. When I first got to the game she was almost in tears because her uniform didn't fit and it was so ugly so I am still trying to convince her that playing sports is not an activity that you have to look pretty for. :)

Rocket Chasers

My husband is crazy. He woke up at 12:30 a.m. to go with three friends to see a shuttle launch. They first stopped at Denny's and had breakfast (at 12:30 a.m., what meal would that be called exactly?), then they watched the shuttle take off at 2:28 a.m. The funny thing was that he said it was CROWDED. He said he felt like he was at a rock concert there were so many people there. Me - I was home sleeping because ONE of us had to be functional today! Actually, he got home at 4:00 a.m., slept until 8:00 a.m. and then he was off to work. Bet he'll go to bed early tonight though!

Puzzle Mania

We just put together this puzzle that Brady brought me back from his trip to Utah. I love the puzzle but the reason it is blog-worthy is because he bought it at a WALMART! Oh, only in Utah can you walk into Walmart and buy a Salt Lake temple puzzle. What a luxury!

Raking Leaves

Last week the kids were given the assignment to rake the leaves in the back yard. See, we rake leaves in the spring here when they finally fall off the trees, not in the fall! Backwards, huh? Anyway, the kids decided it would be more fun to send the leaves down the slide, making a pile at the end of the slide that they could fall into. I'm not sure how many leaves actually made it into a garbage bag...

Meghann's Value Project

For a Young Women's value project Meghann was asked if she would make some tote bags that the class presidencies could use to carry their binders back and forth to church in so that they were prepared for class presidency meetings. We digitized a temple design for the bags and Meghann did all the cutting of fabric, zigzaged the edges so they wouldn't fray, embroidered all the designs on the bags, sewed them all together, and marked the place for the handles. I did sew the handles on for her. Here she is with the bags. The picture didn't turn out great but hopefully you can see them well enough.

Bowling with Aunt Kelly

Yesterday we met Kelly in Ocala (about an hour and a half drive for both of us) and spent several hours together. First we found a nice park and had a picnic lunch together, then we went a bowling alley and bowled for about two hours. We had a lot of fun. Here are some of my favorite pictures, among the 100 or so the kids took!

My best shot!

Brusters PJ Ice Cream Day

Our favorite day of the year is Bruster's Free Ice Cream Day. If you wore your pajamas to Brusters yesterday they would give you a FREE waffle ice cream cone. Aaahh...we plan our life around Brusters free ice cream day. Here's the kids all enjoying their ice cream. I actually didn't get to go this year (sniff sniff) because we were crunched for time - Brady had about 15 minutes to take the kids before we had to leave for a church meeting so I stayed home and put sheets on Tucker's bed so that he could go to sleep that night. Oh, the sacrifice of a mother!

The Funeral Speaker

You've heard of the Wedding Singer...well, I'm married to the Funeral Speaker. Brady was asked to speak at yet another funeral of an older gentleman in our ward who passed away last week. His name was Ray. The first funeral he spoke at was for a man named Roy and the second was for a man named Raymond. There seems to be a pattern here!