tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166111522024-03-15T21:11:44.532-04:00NieNie DialoguesStephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comBlogger2603125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-19626154023593777262024-03-13T01:00:00.000-04:002024-03-14T15:56:31.406-04:00Spanning The Ages<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjspW40Wq51ZcKbHOli4MrY5Yzykh3CX9NTSF6PRyEKkbl6RGZPaqV8xva-saQTvUmam3ZQLJ1LlgRqTotJ_XZMak0-9z8NCdIkV5MIqtS66Qyxsawmr1BysLfmnCnhlaRoDobv3GtVhOcqb2Pg1J8Y8jFNDVLCyqKdPlVoHcOseO9Ax0wcszDi/s4000/20240306_203322.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjspW40Wq51ZcKbHOli4MrY5Yzykh3CX9NTSF6PRyEKkbl6RGZPaqV8xva-saQTvUmam3ZQLJ1LlgRqTotJ_XZMak0-9z8NCdIkV5MIqtS66Qyxsawmr1BysLfmnCnhlaRoDobv3GtVhOcqb2Pg1J8Y8jFNDVLCyqKdPlVoHcOseO9Ax0wcszDi/w480-h640/20240306_203322.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's strange being a mom of kids spanning the ages!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Claire and Jane, in their 20's, with full-time jobs, big girl plans,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and independent lives are so different from Nicholas, who</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">at age 17, still needs rules and a curfew but puts himself to bed and </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">gasses up the car with his own money (sometimes),</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">to Lottie, who at age 11 still wants to be read to,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> has her own IG page but goes to bed by 10 each night.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I tuck her in, and we have a kiss routine that includes about 20 kisses</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">complete with sound effects.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Somedays, I feel so overwhelmed trying to be an influential mom to</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">all my Nies who are in such different places in their lives, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">but we all live together under one roof.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">10 years ago, when the girls were Lottie's age, I was a much different mom.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nieniedialogues.com/2016/03/dear-diaries.html">This blog entry posed in 2016</a> about when the girls and I were Lottie's</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">age makes me laugh and smile, thinking about how different</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">we all are.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4odIzaKn0u7T-ZYpG28jEaNKzTF0MEs1Eb2zuLGD875fpl8PtUJRIZOCF_OC_ml1fPTF-ABnZvM3Q9D3TZLKjzkoMXf1NexsvbaGjLl-f76EfCNkaVdmEh-Jx-tHlfcBaikR_BhJxzV6Imkofe09kAlz8wmmz7BBdICvilWnIZQtVNJO2h32/s1600/20140224_3227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4odIzaKn0u7T-ZYpG28jEaNKzTF0MEs1Eb2zuLGD875fpl8PtUJRIZOCF_OC_ml1fPTF-ABnZvM3Q9D3TZLKjzkoMXf1NexsvbaGjLl-f76EfCNkaVdmEh-Jx-tHlfcBaikR_BhJxzV6Imkofe09kAlz8wmmz7BBdICvilWnIZQtVNJO2h32/w640-h426/20140224_3227.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This just proves at any age of motherhood, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">you never actually know what you're doing,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and just praying you're doing it right.</div><br /><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-38472642460918293692024-03-12T01:00:00.001-04:002024-03-14T15:39:36.694-04:00I Spy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYcrB6I7uzC5KAUyps1tzlKufWoy72ZBFa-Q8sUpJtaYkEHxbGb2yW4EZKdYqi94wDUS0QwNGxgCuj_Hfa8bFsrR6XRC9is0X4z5vPwwVms210RGWIUzD7jSnK3ySbU2Vtmufmc5SaxIkJihCL0CGtvSC0TMZd63iKjJ9e2yQ4TEYIcLrt9kp/s4000/20240311_193702.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYcrB6I7uzC5KAUyps1tzlKufWoy72ZBFa-Q8sUpJtaYkEHxbGb2yW4EZKdYqi94wDUS0QwNGxgCuj_Hfa8bFsrR6XRC9is0X4z5vPwwVms210RGWIUzD7jSnK3ySbU2Vtmufmc5SaxIkJihCL0CGtvSC0TMZd63iKjJ9e2yQ4TEYIcLrt9kp/w480-h640/20240311_193702.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lottie's desk overlooks the most breathtaking spring blossoms.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It almost looks like it's snow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Let's play "I Spy"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1. A <a href="https://www.nieniedialogues.com/2024/02/snoods-and-books.html">Snoot</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2. Oliver</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">3. A gold goose</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">4. Jesus</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">5. Pink butterfly</div><br /> <p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-69995841603722718882024-03-11T01:00:00.032-04:002024-03-12T15:16:21.989-04:00Just A Minute<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphen1EJXCywbziRb19ZC7WlY4uhlRXdNUTqsPI1k4KfHA8H0szxvt_4PQ7QnRsMcdCnVnbIfEwW967E96sNrKy-lbywdxhhgmdohC8FADe9YU9ReEKV6BqvmaIJLXfPZazkJFB3268xxk04B1KEBvLy2gcKt5dNnkGBeyMf9vprZOicv-0b9AZr/s4000/20240311_123924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphen1EJXCywbziRb19ZC7WlY4uhlRXdNUTqsPI1k4KfHA8H0szxvt_4PQ7QnRsMcdCnVnbIfEwW967E96sNrKy-lbywdxhhgmdohC8FADe9YU9ReEKV6BqvmaIJLXfPZazkJFB3268xxk04B1KEBvLy2gcKt5dNnkGBeyMf9vprZOicv-0b9AZr/w300-h400/20240311_123924.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0YDC3KQBRF6upI-h_CgVFZSRNsbhjAxeAmSq6roHwuZlbF1bYGL_7VHMgC4elGaC7iLzSkXxi0x3Xl3LAuz9vVdpYRDfEPkcNn3I-ktTGSRfrrsY2zlxrTjIvfUbaECmdzi7zu-ASRlgFEvFQDMe5neMJ6kJqik143kURI-kXjb4jNojluMc/s4000/20240311_123930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0YDC3KQBRF6upI-h_CgVFZSRNsbhjAxeAmSq6roHwuZlbF1bYGL_7VHMgC4elGaC7iLzSkXxi0x3Xl3LAuz9vVdpYRDfEPkcNn3I-ktTGSRfrrsY2zlxrTjIvfUbaECmdzi7zu-ASRlgFEvFQDMe5neMJ6kJqik143kURI-kXjb4jNojluMc/w300-h400/20240311_123930.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This afternoon, after grocery shopping, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I dropped the bags inside the house, leaving the car doors open.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When I went outside to close them, I discovered Cindy inside the trunk</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">looking down at the other chickens below </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">like she had accepted a dare to get there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As soon as I walked over to the car, the chickens scrambled </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">in every direction, except Cindy, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">She was perfectly content and not in any hurry to get out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I thought about how, just 15 minutes before, when I pulled up </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">to the house and turned off the car; I sat inside the car without moving. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I wasn't on my phone, listening to music, or doing </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">anything else -- just sitting there in the hot sun in complete silence.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I wasn't in a hurry to get out, either.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I just needed a minute.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sometimes, we all just need a minute.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-4048158271798364942024-03-09T01:00:00.007-05:002024-03-12T14:29:37.764-04:00He Always Falls Asleep<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Saturday 9:34 PM:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWElCKMeLEyEs07j9xJchD3Ofi7clb3fHb7WXL3lUAcw7nGwH0vnYFQJT6oTiBOJGHNkJpIZ4YToK0E9Rpp2mbJsDodjYi_hiw6H-unyjDhuCVQ1-cOORuQdX7O6yBgjETm9IMbVD0tvLWRCwIQEDIQxHESkkp_St_XU_6ylij-QkL9N-5B3v/s1216/pqX7MbjzQQqUbw6-xmRiLg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="1216" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWElCKMeLEyEs07j9xJchD3Ofi7clb3fHb7WXL3lUAcw7nGwH0vnYFQJT6oTiBOJGHNkJpIZ4YToK0E9Rpp2mbJsDodjYi_hiw6H-unyjDhuCVQ1-cOORuQdX7O6yBgjETm9IMbVD0tvLWRCwIQEDIQxHESkkp_St_XU_6ylij-QkL9N-5B3v/w640-h480/pqX7MbjzQQqUbw6-xmRiLg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-89111107164563377932024-03-08T01:00:00.034-05:002024-03-12T14:20:58.678-04:00Weekend Vibes<div><div style="text-align: center;"> Weekend Vibes:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Dinner out together for (veggie) burgers, fries, and shakes. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I look forward to this Nielson weekend tradition all week!</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(We missed Claire, who was working!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9LWaQctegXzuJEW9xR-3HANvP1N4dvFtRhNJ3AirQ9-32aam9OEuRNIuVPJPyF3T-um7MQUkEotaDD_SGNs5PKLQOC4kmQPSo99NzCyZb8P1DAqg2XNfOCw5LrI82G_Yj0Xfn_r26j_ZlYADFsfNwCBXNqkrcT_HRX2kqQZV1XP_in_IA7QY/s4000/20240302_205315.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9LWaQctegXzuJEW9xR-3HANvP1N4dvFtRhNJ3AirQ9-32aam9OEuRNIuVPJPyF3T-um7MQUkEotaDD_SGNs5PKLQOC4kmQPSo99NzCyZb8P1DAqg2XNfOCw5LrI82G_Yj0Xfn_r26j_ZlYADFsfNwCBXNqkrcT_HRX2kqQZV1XP_in_IA7QY/w640-h480/20240302_205315.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Speaking of Claire,</div><div style="text-align: center;">she's posted several times on my IG about her </div><div style="text-align: center;">medical mission trip to Africa next month.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She is selling her closet to save money.</div><div style="text-align: center;">If you want to help, take a peek into <a href="https://poshmark.com/closet/clairenielson">her CLOSET,</a><span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">or you can donate @Claire-Nielsonto on Venmo.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTyVxlBuPq4Qook0Bd751H-GAkvdJHB1B5C-EeWLROkH2YPvTI9OeArVIBx0KmtsLp0Ba8J03fDYS4VrB3763wOrEOcsdgw93klujdvdZI1hl7PsRdyrkO9417m72hVw_3nuZo6xiSCykCvmuimaRfAIT6AkJJxmp_Ic53COQTZNdBmJXrvSC/s1920/IMG_20240306_092721_539.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTyVxlBuPq4Qook0Bd751H-GAkvdJHB1B5C-EeWLROkH2YPvTI9OeArVIBx0KmtsLp0Ba8J03fDYS4VrB3763wOrEOcsdgw93klujdvdZI1hl7PsRdyrkO9417m72hVw_3nuZo6xiSCykCvmuimaRfAIT6AkJJxmp_Ic53COQTZNdBmJXrvSC/w360-h640/IMG_20240306_092721_539.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-935305864273334812024-03-07T01:00:00.000-05:002024-03-12T14:14:19.616-04:00Numb<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"> Why do I have bad teeth? </div><div style="text-align: center;">(I type, wondering while chewing on a huge piece of black licorice?).</div><div style="text-align: center;">Today, I visited my dentist, Dr. Jones, for my scheduled root canal on tooth #5.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div>I was feeling cozy in the dentist's chair, with my sunglasses on,</div><div> and listening to good music.</div><div>I had also asked for the X-ray apron </div><div>to be placed over me as a blanket and comfort weight.</div><div>The best trick if you don't particularly love the dentist- like me!</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">After I was sufficiently numb, Dr. Jones began drilling.</div><div style="text-align: center;">After 15 minutes, he stopped and told me the news that</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'd need to see a specialist because my tooth was too calcified, </div><div style="text-align: center;">and an Endodontist could use his super tools to fix it.</div><div style="text-align: center;">So, my half-numb face and I left the office a little annoyed</div><div style="text-align: center;">at my teeth and regretting all the delicious gummy treats I've</div><div style="text-align: center;">indulged in for my whole life.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I called the Endodontist, who was super cool to let me come in right away,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and through his super-magnified microscope, </div><div style="text-align: center;">he was able to finish the job successfully.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Afterward, I left the office and went into the waiting room </div><div style="text-align: center;">where Christian was on the phone.</div><div style="text-align: center;">He stared at me with concern and worry, </div><div style="text-align: center;">frowning between words in his conversation.</div><div style="text-align: center;">He was extra gentle and caring, and after he hung up the phone,</div><div style="text-align: center;">he gave me a big hug and then told me</div><div style="text-align: center;"> I looked like I had had a stroke.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I told him I hoped he hadn't seen a vision of our future!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Nope, just had six shots of local anesthetic back to back.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJ9FHFoCDkF_QlvrLnOnWE1l5xn8xrvzV43wWLcLlEjwWAcgYTUYqZwZdlcLPJB1JiLEyNtZE0AO6IlpSrCjITCYUVemUkRflDtZ1RkFCao6VmAZMxe413Geh1mnvywblgk9tjBRw_w_5-kCvuFBT4rIq1FnYDeUpygT53-bMG9VgBuGBwAI5/s2944/20240305_160043.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2944" data-original-width="2208" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJ9FHFoCDkF_QlvrLnOnWE1l5xn8xrvzV43wWLcLlEjwWAcgYTUYqZwZdlcLPJB1JiLEyNtZE0AO6IlpSrCjITCYUVemUkRflDtZ1RkFCao6VmAZMxe413Geh1mnvywblgk9tjBRw_w_5-kCvuFBT4rIq1FnYDeUpygT53-bMG9VgBuGBwAI5/w480-h640/20240305_160043.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-33237312808181231122024-03-06T01:00:00.007-05:002024-03-08T16:38:20.280-05:00Trial Run<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXYpRuyX0cMdmfLX8UELjUtBRUyzkJiZf8yNDL836vpep7YtHC_vLuRfN0JWMWAdG4XT7jTIDbCc1yMc0X7QFb3WohECOAJQUKTIMpYDEYNxivT_k2QC3Sr8ZhR14wRivoe6tCY77mnBCSo099MrH3mK_8wI4eE7Z9_iHxibnKKt8Kuq-_LAM/s4000/20240302_144442.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXYpRuyX0cMdmfLX8UELjUtBRUyzkJiZf8yNDL836vpep7YtHC_vLuRfN0JWMWAdG4XT7jTIDbCc1yMc0X7QFb3WohECOAJQUKTIMpYDEYNxivT_k2QC3Sr8ZhR14wRivoe6tCY77mnBCSo099MrH3mK_8wI4eE7Z9_iHxibnKKt8Kuq-_LAM/w300-h400/20240302_144442.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBdLx9s09PgrI8-zFa5fYgR4VsWZZAVnOpMOV7EeChkCge9W0P532vopxwvTt7v38Gpi8Vuq_TxZi6YievSKdfKma8SFC9e_gv7FqHBNgF-_GmIkmG5uZNfzvmUabqDV1GJdIoKY_ZK_W3icrF6Z0d-JOgHWCneGbq9sMCsfTD3rBirDG6oNt/s4000/20240302_144444.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBdLx9s09PgrI8-zFa5fYgR4VsWZZAVnOpMOV7EeChkCge9W0P532vopxwvTt7v38Gpi8Vuq_TxZi6YievSKdfKma8SFC9e_gv7FqHBNgF-_GmIkmG5uZNfzvmUabqDV1GJdIoKY_ZK_W3icrF6Z0d-JOgHWCneGbq9sMCsfTD3rBirDG6oNt/w300-h400/20240302_144444.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> This afternoon, Gigs pulled up to the house and carried two baby goats</div><div style="text-align: center;"> from the car—goats he has been obsessing over since they were born weeks ago.</div><div style="text-align: center;">When I came outside to greet him with the baby goats in his arms,</div><div style="text-align: center;"> he assured me that this was just a trial run—just to see if the goats </div><div style="text-align: center;">would be happy here, and for me to</div><div style="text-align: center;"> "soften up" on the idea of "maybe keeping them."</div><div style="text-align: center;">I don't care if we have goats, we already have everything else, </div><div style="text-align: center;">but I don't want to look out my window</div><div style="text-align: center;"> and see a goat who looks lonely, sad, or bored. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I can't do that. I will go mad from extreme guilt.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyTvR42-YERxHKZm9GItJj36kGGIW_d24uBsQEDqmSHPzjmjhTKf9EKWc5_wikpH4SoXcS447Gcu6InFGqZJv9ivKQ9cXBlK5uYMUlOUQnGNYE8OkvyVH6sW0CngPNeYlh3suLBqiGXvt2ZH8wZvit-IrpgkydzAsjs1W0bX8hhovD1t_phkd/s4000/20240302_144228.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyTvR42-YERxHKZm9GItJj36kGGIW_d24uBsQEDqmSHPzjmjhTKf9EKWc5_wikpH4SoXcS447Gcu6InFGqZJv9ivKQ9cXBlK5uYMUlOUQnGNYE8OkvyVH6sW0CngPNeYlh3suLBqiGXvt2ZH8wZvit-IrpgkydzAsjs1W0bX8hhovD1t_phkd/w480-h640/20240302_144228.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>Gigs assured me I wouldn't feel this way, especially</div><div style="text-align: center;"> since he hopes to bring home and keep both goats.</div><div style="text-align: center;">At first, we planned to get only one goat, </div><div style="text-align: center;">but it turned out that one goat wasn't enough. </div><div style="text-align: center;">So, MAYBE we'll be keeping</div><div style="text-align: center;">Gump (named for his odd behavior) </div><div style="text-align: center;">and Ricky (named after Gigs's favorite movie "Hunt for the Wilderpeople").</div><div style="text-align: center;">They're not ready to be away from the clan yet, but soon.</div><div style="text-align: center;">They frolicked around Stillestead and were absolutely adorable.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueoTFZyh2oh09NjzEw-QP2loQIjH_2z5PRAxc3JKjtCZpKp1aTJI8SSiY_UciOwRwBA7-c48kIC6relsp54TS8NPEDuK3I9XXARz3hd_LRiuA8XbiLe9DaB4vJRKO52dGUCGm5UIiVUpt6phw-Ps9KOgNnPuusBPVnhVPxnSX0RD-tk1BwOIx/s4000/20240302_144235.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueoTFZyh2oh09NjzEw-QP2loQIjH_2z5PRAxc3JKjtCZpKp1aTJI8SSiY_UciOwRwBA7-c48kIC6relsp54TS8NPEDuK3I9XXARz3hd_LRiuA8XbiLe9DaB4vJRKO52dGUCGm5UIiVUpt6phw-Ps9KOgNnPuusBPVnhVPxnSX0RD-tk1BwOIx/w480-h640/20240302_144235.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVctKnulw5eWveUXU7X7oOl9yy5NBTUsbL4cfSMLCcWxrI2478NoMGaetWN75OHJ7XfamybZvR9cGC1eTvUcObaFgs6OVnpgdgXNAE9xIovQHUCzzQ7EF2GZPaHCPRrcCedsv5xlivgekmLLCMyc7w260LUEOOROl6vwrIuiE_SxkZSadPAf3/s4000/20240302_144241.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVctKnulw5eWveUXU7X7oOl9yy5NBTUsbL4cfSMLCcWxrI2478NoMGaetWN75OHJ7XfamybZvR9cGC1eTvUcObaFgs6OVnpgdgXNAE9xIovQHUCzzQ7EF2GZPaHCPRrcCedsv5xlivgekmLLCMyc7w260LUEOOROl6vwrIuiE_SxkZSadPAf3/w300-h400/20240302_144241.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7VqxWtsLs6fD4-sINzmWxNiwuc3iDC0KkPLR5dh4AuNigay5OCHoDw2ru9y7uJFvAaO2AX78wZx7fghnt5-Gjn7xdY1ECPQa-heNNor-v7E305RBrQ0oXc8OJWR58s2wqJw_2cjR2E4a9bzWR4bgQP1Sl5qSmCARwstXFECwRB7NhTGQFkfF/s4000/20240302_144305.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7VqxWtsLs6fD4-sINzmWxNiwuc3iDC0KkPLR5dh4AuNigay5OCHoDw2ru9y7uJFvAaO2AX78wZx7fghnt5-Gjn7xdY1ECPQa-heNNor-v7E305RBrQ0oXc8OJWR58s2wqJw_2cjR2E4a9bzWR4bgQP1Sl5qSmCARwstXFECwRB7NhTGQFkfF/w300-h400/20240302_144305.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I even (and I can't believe I did this!!) </div><div style="text-align: center;">let them INSIDE the house for a minute.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXCZR3ev8iebw6uVuRzrrgzRHcHoUj8Tfw50fffiF2J-jgxCCr3xWgdXc002NY3Xds9VHbjPHkRlkGYew9swVRGI0Y59RRpgn3H5d8mMAYAKJJ4OEu1u2o9HvVubKia_L6qh05NkDqiz__JWrtGTXLZa7nVsT5Ig5B0XsMTXD30BKcPFnmW9l/s4000/20240302_173818.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXCZR3ev8iebw6uVuRzrrgzRHcHoUj8Tfw50fffiF2J-jgxCCr3xWgdXc002NY3Xds9VHbjPHkRlkGYew9swVRGI0Y59RRpgn3H5d8mMAYAKJJ4OEu1u2o9HvVubKia_L6qh05NkDqiz__JWrtGTXLZa7nVsT5Ig5B0XsMTXD30BKcPFnmW9l/w300-h400/20240302_173818.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkHf6Sl5fnKxm4LYmDLhkK3aNFPpZJyPNIzuftsnXXmlnN-yaQl0xCCUOxkYGMjwyff0P1LUu5Vppd3iYSjpQeYhFism8VK5Foobqhj3r62GoPud2kHVmndLJjlQtZDo2cv4hptUG2H165TpAJaNqOQ7xNsOBSo4sHUCMc4N9EokvtruramjR/s4000/20240302_173937.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkHf6Sl5fnKxm4LYmDLhkK3aNFPpZJyPNIzuftsnXXmlnN-yaQl0xCCUOxkYGMjwyff0P1LUu5Vppd3iYSjpQeYhFism8VK5Foobqhj3r62GoPud2kHVmndLJjlQtZDo2cv4hptUG2H165TpAJaNqOQ7xNsOBSo4sHUCMc4N9EokvtruramjR/w300-h400/20240302_173937.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7NP9mXpjeXIPqQa1tjTelnJaE3z9cYw7ZEAJCeYL6HPxKaZNBYyXk-Wy-dzRLaaQy3AAPHePsMq-f3_-zPF1Jio_i7wnGEjx1T-hXH66lBURVtcF5AcdjatcCETO-dn5hnJ068ZEHGRtCZhaaftiRqjGLiVcBYAS3UEdA1OOcUBm86Uo-r4I/s4000/20240302_173931.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7NP9mXpjeXIPqQa1tjTelnJaE3z9cYw7ZEAJCeYL6HPxKaZNBYyXk-Wy-dzRLaaQy3AAPHePsMq-f3_-zPF1Jio_i7wnGEjx1T-hXH66lBURVtcF5AcdjatcCETO-dn5hnJ068ZEHGRtCZhaaftiRqjGLiVcBYAS3UEdA1OOcUBm86Uo-r4I/w300-h400/20240302_173931.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_LIXA7INsAgvMe9hKo4-SnRxAtk1kAkPEPmMyCaLqIcXwXnKloNpd_9AHoe6TuKxTaAsKMGaeC0EukHtJEo03Pjkp0Mibb3RlHyKNRUL321nN3LPAtk4SHR1hI8qyuUz6vmqpM7hdy8MymiVRGfE4YjGLtsulLFzHSKsHJgFfA6kfE5ePsks/s4000/20240302_173932.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_LIXA7INsAgvMe9hKo4-SnRxAtk1kAkPEPmMyCaLqIcXwXnKloNpd_9AHoe6TuKxTaAsKMGaeC0EukHtJEo03Pjkp0Mibb3RlHyKNRUL321nN3LPAtk4SHR1hI8qyuUz6vmqpM7hdy8MymiVRGfE4YjGLtsulLFzHSKsHJgFfA6kfE5ePsks/w300-h400/20240302_173932.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS8hQhvUR9JAry4BYaSSFXSR3SMUyEAViz0MpOnUkmhyozIrUBsE1Hm4f5yHsyJBuk8vnN5DrrrIXRX4mC0qchPTuIv6z7RJF_1Oua7aESHaRg_TcN6Nxfb0Jib-o7WoojM7c6Nw0djRrGaVqjCchJHU8s6n7UgZoLimFU9y0beYVCQmsGy7WD/s4000/20240302_144731.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS8hQhvUR9JAry4BYaSSFXSR3SMUyEAViz0MpOnUkmhyozIrUBsE1Hm4f5yHsyJBuk8vnN5DrrrIXRX4mC0qchPTuIv6z7RJF_1Oua7aESHaRg_TcN6Nxfb0Jib-o7WoojM7c6Nw0djRrGaVqjCchJHU8s6n7UgZoLimFU9y0beYVCQmsGy7WD/w300-h400/20240302_144731.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xal0aepqp4JH-0hFnimtrq91C43J05CeG5HyhedSSN2f_9KW6ez0rvyXbcNpg-5cgkkFDKuS5i-mrQ_0AdMGxsRFUoIeFBptOQhdGjlqEKouNyoEcBh_yf87V213THWSvXBtDGlrXKMZR6GoIGAsaOjEPlQJoEb6ezMNPsiJnlWuU6nd4z3s/s4000/20240302_165041.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xal0aepqp4JH-0hFnimtrq91C43J05CeG5HyhedSSN2f_9KW6ez0rvyXbcNpg-5cgkkFDKuS5i-mrQ_0AdMGxsRFUoIeFBptOQhdGjlqEKouNyoEcBh_yf87V213THWSvXBtDGlrXKMZR6GoIGAsaOjEPlQJoEb6ezMNPsiJnlWuU6nd4z3s/w300-h400/20240302_165041.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">But my favorite part is seeing Gigs light up when he's playing and caring </div><div style="text-align: center;">for them. They genuinely make him deeply happy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiODR6lFN73NCl0acqRV09hqeR5jPHLWGX7vpUrcD9UskLPfn7sEqyjBKdsxoBVc3V91IVKFJ8oagC2fYMRkdoqSWCMMdBbWjeLSJfwz3gGGYSy3cVGIpbmhXzveNR2T8O9U_-bcTERKb3xipEGg74iAZdu58GkVIY0FLi5ahe3L80dQ2tmyy_/s4000/20240302_144328.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiODR6lFN73NCl0acqRV09hqeR5jPHLWGX7vpUrcD9UskLPfn7sEqyjBKdsxoBVc3V91IVKFJ8oagC2fYMRkdoqSWCMMdBbWjeLSJfwz3gGGYSy3cVGIpbmhXzveNR2T8O9U_-bcTERKb3xipEGg74iAZdu58GkVIY0FLi5ahe3L80dQ2tmyy_/w640-h480/20240302_144328.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaY6QJaKtBvNwq_N0iTiYWnDOn898AP55Xx0WhhvRHBI91JOTt7MaZ7xrr1kLpGKXXF2VQsQu-B7pStwZUOOfmM3e2QdcWjy5ucCIxkWzI0CdMGx6I-PUk-m557Ssd2FgzETpRwACzviVES7woH16OwFjzmculScG34VV_CK7epZ4m6sPiYCgQ/s4000/20240302_150450.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaY6QJaKtBvNwq_N0iTiYWnDOn898AP55Xx0WhhvRHBI91JOTt7MaZ7xrr1kLpGKXXF2VQsQu-B7pStwZUOOfmM3e2QdcWjy5ucCIxkWzI0CdMGx6I-PUk-m557Ssd2FgzETpRwACzviVES7woH16OwFjzmculScG34VV_CK7epZ4m6sPiYCgQ/w480-h640/20240302_150450.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We planted our grapes! I am so excited for Stillestead to have a little</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">vineyard! Making grape juice was a favorite pastime when we lived</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">at the <a href="https://www.nieniedialogues.com/2015/09/peaches.html">Briar House!</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-18959255993078342022024-03-05T01:00:00.080-05:002024-03-06T12:11:43.754-05:00I Love My Girls!<div style="text-align: center;">There was no school for us today! <br />Something about early voting...we were very grateful for the break!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Claire was off work, too, so it was such a laid-back, easy day for all!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDiKTkuDVrnq_86tk9j6ppLA_j0jzl7-S6HgW-8-ytKWBh9k7eWXtwSTnpYAG4gK1z9Jb2-HPt2-xL03Ys9c3a3tXpMWP4B72rSVKqBaJBSUDgMniUCdZmj4RoLaL4q6D0LP-SOQB5YvrMXoEe44ls1EbHNgXfeDMQvyd0AoPzdqt6EqxPlrz/s4000/20240229_161211.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDiKTkuDVrnq_86tk9j6ppLA_j0jzl7-S6HgW-8-ytKWBh9k7eWXtwSTnpYAG4gK1z9Jb2-HPt2-xL03Ys9c3a3tXpMWP4B72rSVKqBaJBSUDgMniUCdZmj4RoLaL4q6D0LP-SOQB5YvrMXoEe44ls1EbHNgXfeDMQvyd0AoPzdqt6EqxPlrz/w480-h640/20240229_161211.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">In the morning, Jane and Christian preg-checked the cows, </div><div style="text-align: center;">and only TWO out of the FIVE</div><div style="text-align: center;">are pregnant. It's a little disappointing.</div><div style="text-align: center;">We made arrangements for a bull to roam the sweet green fields</div><div style="text-align: center;">with our ladies so we can produce calves this year!</div><div style="text-align: center;">They won't all come in the summer as we planned, but at least</div><div style="text-align: center;">they will all deliver a baby sometime this year.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEictCbaGmIr8jze-EPiwKIOT39xoIYcron98bor3Tdah_WZj1ZCt07CikrJu2k8z1tm4Su5DINdCv7ZYg1g82AWYX-1gt1Fy2WNwZ3fspLPJfwQT-LmcrZ6wdMMj5C_JqETow11SKTr_T8SfrvAOkpd5pRy3rfvu1NWF-c101Pubn2IF_BUB7jK/s4000/20240301_162134.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEictCbaGmIr8jze-EPiwKIOT39xoIYcron98bor3Tdah_WZj1ZCt07CikrJu2k8z1tm4Su5DINdCv7ZYg1g82AWYX-1gt1Fy2WNwZ3fspLPJfwQT-LmcrZ6wdMMj5C_JqETow11SKTr_T8SfrvAOkpd5pRy3rfvu1NWF-c101Pubn2IF_BUB7jK/w300-h400/20240301_162134.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7SHeTbElFJEsjP-9W-fvcHowKDPhnq9aRbUMRLXrQKDODseliNb7XQ9FdMMguDGUCnZFboQIzcNx5LXkYoBr-Vw966-adeJ27tnhohULH_IiG3VqKo6tiHw9L_EcYPGhN1K-ZTLaiLTNzax3PBpYMgIsgkqKqQygymKUHhNuAka5hQI8CIlB/s4000/20240301_162131.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7SHeTbElFJEsjP-9W-fvcHowKDPhnq9aRbUMRLXrQKDODseliNb7XQ9FdMMguDGUCnZFboQIzcNx5LXkYoBr-Vw966-adeJ27tnhohULH_IiG3VqKo6tiHw9L_EcYPGhN1K-ZTLaiLTNzax3PBpYMgIsgkqKqQygymKUHhNuAka5hQI8CIlB/w300-h400/20240301_162131.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Later, Jane made macaroons. </div><div style="text-align: center;">They were beautiful and delicious.</div><div style="text-align: center;">As you may know, macaroons are super hard to make.</div><div style="text-align: center;">They require skill, patience, and time.</div><div style="text-align: center;">All things Jane possesses!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx9le3ORV3XvGy1csl-_WsfZ-whdWi4EMHBw2NgJKuoVe3AIu0krZZTx3vyHz3-gUpcJBxb_zkiq7VlhnMvtoS_0PBqP9GZuw175hpSurp0RjvZlBxXGGwfgqamhScdNBSeDtFR-DvJDxtVhx6x2DLH2wVVJsVUokqcx7oHasVnCzN-TtgdWj/s4000/20240301_175817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx9le3ORV3XvGy1csl-_WsfZ-whdWi4EMHBw2NgJKuoVe3AIu0krZZTx3vyHz3-gUpcJBxb_zkiq7VlhnMvtoS_0PBqP9GZuw175hpSurp0RjvZlBxXGGwfgqamhScdNBSeDtFR-DvJDxtVhx6x2DLH2wVVJsVUokqcx7oHasVnCzN-TtgdWj/w480-h640/20240301_175817.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">And it was just us gals at dinner tonight as the boys were out.</div><div style="text-align: center;">We made tacos and took all kinds of tests on Claire's phone</div><div style="text-align: center;">to determine everything from the Harry Potter Hogwarts house we belong to </div><div style="text-align: center;">and what animal we resemble, what Lord of The Rings character we are most like,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and what our personalities tell about us.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaONNPIFQMtrZEoxnD78GyeJALo_CFkmHJpx31S3bcQnPAnvhEwJJvMwK6mD5YR2FPrj40mRvOAeXAsiEKX0bc31Cc7ougoQJe3m8ddlHz8MzgY-lgQsDJlfArbLxjrhjOCOIOTHwjX6lPS2HQp5TZ4p922VKVmMQyVtupjj-bpyDPZPQ4vZS/s4000/20240228_190507.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaONNPIFQMtrZEoxnD78GyeJALo_CFkmHJpx31S3bcQnPAnvhEwJJvMwK6mD5YR2FPrj40mRvOAeXAsiEKX0bc31Cc7ougoQJe3m8ddlHz8MzgY-lgQsDJlfArbLxjrhjOCOIOTHwjX6lPS2HQp5TZ4p922VKVmMQyVtupjj-bpyDPZPQ4vZS/w640-h480/20240228_190507.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">My girls live for these things.</div><div style="text-align: center;">We laugh more than anything.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWNpCtV0R8b7ZlpHXxvPdWSuwe75O0osLYubIZEPoAcv-XRaWFwvbMOhzsmI291vRz_tQUzkyuYRWf5SFiXHKIeD1PNpTijFuFOc3N02565iQTGKMuRvgXpn-DNsg-T1fpbFuZ3gnvxUxlQAFoojt9Pdqw2xbuRURRCbZcqZA5D4rLZDUwqB1/s4000/20240228_190527.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWNpCtV0R8b7ZlpHXxvPdWSuwe75O0osLYubIZEPoAcv-XRaWFwvbMOhzsmI291vRz_tQUzkyuYRWf5SFiXHKIeD1PNpTijFuFOc3N02565iQTGKMuRvgXpn-DNsg-T1fpbFuZ3gnvxUxlQAFoojt9Pdqw2xbuRURRCbZcqZA5D4rLZDUwqB1/w640-h480/20240228_190527.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I love my girls!</div><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-62961010787780095472024-03-04T01:00:00.001-05:002024-03-06T11:20:32.542-05:00Sub<div style="text-align: center;"> I came upstairs where my <a href="https://www.nieniedialogues.com/2024/01/stages.html">little "cove"</a> is to do some work </div><div style="text-align: center;">and found Jane and Angus snuggled up asleep on the floor.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZO-1Hi_uEHCVgxToKBsB8q8gi3vVEkNWgnqede9EwlJgowipiA43cgf2yb-h31AqraxMvYUpS7jKtCeKYJMZjnOOUYUrfxAi623K55s2ZaRExcj0QIWNqpX20llawqtsTMOvkg1UBbUMotybiGbiY-cAqDzd_uOOnMbMce9WGLaH_Eet_eWe/s4000/20240223_143504.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZO-1Hi_uEHCVgxToKBsB8q8gi3vVEkNWgnqede9EwlJgowipiA43cgf2yb-h31AqraxMvYUpS7jKtCeKYJMZjnOOUYUrfxAi623K55s2ZaRExcj0QIWNqpX20llawqtsTMOvkg1UBbUMotybiGbiY-cAqDzd_uOOnMbMce9WGLaH_Eet_eWe/w640-h480/20240223_143504.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jane just finished her training to become a substitute teacher </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">in our school district. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">She's not, like, super excited or</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">anything, but it will be a good job with convenient hours</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">until she heads off to school in August.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But Lottie is THRILLED at the thought that Jane </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">could sub for one of her classes.</div><br /><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-45266389439488517892024-03-03T01:00:00.034-05:002024-03-06T11:55:26.889-05:00Mission Possible <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PmX02b1ZmvZZs-0OeB7W1OOLDvGtKskQfBD862K0TbRp2EOQgS-qVzMEQRagqr_HnJ8xIkOAASwLP9NjUoaTuliWH0OUi2SgwA7E2Ts69XZcJtAwoefSRQcHe-9g9MV9WDHYqcIQepYpEfpvA9QhZp6bxieZPD2g2sEMR29RX7yLtmFAddxP/s4000/20240303_195114.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PmX02b1ZmvZZs-0OeB7W1OOLDvGtKskQfBD862K0TbRp2EOQgS-qVzMEQRagqr_HnJ8xIkOAASwLP9NjUoaTuliWH0OUi2SgwA7E2Ts69XZcJtAwoefSRQcHe-9g9MV9WDHYqcIQepYpEfpvA9QhZp6bxieZPD2g2sEMR29RX7yLtmFAddxP/w640-h480/20240303_195114.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This evening, our church stake congregation organized a </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Missionary prep fireside, where they interviewed full-time and service missionaries. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">They also invited Jane to represent the returned missionaries,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> and let me tell you, she was absolutely amazing!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">She has such pose and grace, and anytime she opens her mouth</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">goodness, truth, and love come out. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">During her 18-month mission in Portugal, she attributed her success</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> to being obedient to the mission rules and God's commandments. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">She emphasized that it was not "her" mission but the Lord's mission </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and that she was fortunate enough to serve for Him and His children. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This perspective was refreshing and so well said!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Gigs was in the audience with us, and I hope it inspired him.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He's got one more year until it's his turn.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Missions are hard, and it's not like you wake up </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and decide to serve one day because you are bored or need an adventure.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> It's a lifetime of preparation, dedication, and hard work.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's full-time service for the Lord.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Gigs will be such a good missionary.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He's already very compassionate and loving to people.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Unlike the other Nies, who are homebodies and get homesick easily,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> he will thrive living away from home.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He'll miss us but will love being away for a season.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He's always been that way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-53709044931753207422024-03-02T01:00:00.191-05:002024-03-06T11:13:01.756-05:00No Boys Allowed<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakJiHMiiF9LrEA7Rp-a_ucQko1rQk0y0zHw5ABsCTbxDBfM0zZfK3pzxZeIDLn2DhXgCoapE48mtX2-cAR-1YnMsbtjwQiW-govOGSvlnzXuwAkEjnF9FTwLXh6rE1BhWfw9jzXj7ruElbjsq-pDse5fs8NBOmveSTyCWvOCXIeTbL6bgGK4L/s4000/20240224_092431.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakJiHMiiF9LrEA7Rp-a_ucQko1rQk0y0zHw5ABsCTbxDBfM0zZfK3pzxZeIDLn2DhXgCoapE48mtX2-cAR-1YnMsbtjwQiW-govOGSvlnzXuwAkEjnF9FTwLXh6rE1BhWfw9jzXj7ruElbjsq-pDse5fs8NBOmveSTyCWvOCXIeTbL6bgGK4L/w480-h640/20240224_092431.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Early this morning, Christian, Claire, </div><div style="text-align: center;">and I went on a little hike together before Claire's 11:00 shift in the ER.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> There are some cool trails to hike near the hospital.</div><div style="text-align: center;">We discussed her plans, like PA school, work, </div><div style="text-align: center;">moving to Utah with Jane in August, her glorious future, and boys.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She's ready to seriously date.</div><div style="text-align: center;">But only men.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRU8eIYTufcu5AmMmKzHELhTJjXYiPJcI9RsaeU9zNER0GAR1xToxwRlrgAulBjeKJe0BDXWjzLAzBduioWCA2E_T-avcIrjoDB8t_vU7SlGw0nQcamrpQdeIVNTTcbjDrHIjbt7wUrLU-_S9R3I8m2cNwhBRwKIaFleHX-2lSJHZQ1wEv2RVz/s4000/20240224_103357.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRU8eIYTufcu5AmMmKzHELhTJjXYiPJcI9RsaeU9zNER0GAR1xToxwRlrgAulBjeKJe0BDXWjzLAzBduioWCA2E_T-avcIrjoDB8t_vU7SlGw0nQcamrpQdeIVNTTcbjDrHIjbt7wUrLU-_S9R3I8m2cNwhBRwKIaFleHX-2lSJHZQ1wEv2RVz/w640-h480/20240224_103357.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">No more baby boys who aren't serious about life,</div><div style="text-align: center;">marriage, and family.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Arizona dealt her a few tough cards, and she dated some real doozies,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and she's so over that and always was.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Claire has always been 30-something.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Seriously, on her 5th birthday, she actually turned 33.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSMRuof6uICHCZDE6Vyi9X_ONncJVpeUte_SMkJlmULlEONmHWr9CpBuwZKJS2FOFgbFtEV0tBBeUVtZndLKKB-V6ODX-7RewgHLGYB3l4uHWqHZm2ieV4BwGy0aMOAymn7_SX-w2_PH1RbevOiyfMjPzRzfXxB6d5OKZmArkUBSx_XUkrZr8/s640/10-30-06-uath%20024.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSMRuof6uICHCZDE6Vyi9X_ONncJVpeUte_SMkJlmULlEONmHWr9CpBuwZKJS2FOFgbFtEV0tBBeUVtZndLKKB-V6ODX-7RewgHLGYB3l4uHWqHZm2ieV4BwGy0aMOAymn7_SX-w2_PH1RbevOiyfMjPzRzfXxB6d5OKZmArkUBSx_XUkrZr8/w640-h426/10-30-06-uath%20024.0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">She's so mature in every aspect of her life.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She'd be the first to tell you that Arizona was hard,</div><div style="text-align: center;">but at the same time, it was also so therapeutic and healing.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Working at the Arizona Burn Center helped her discover</div><div style="text-align: center;">emotions that inspired her to grow and do hard things.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She experienced feelings she didn't even know she was harboring </div><div style="text-align: center;">specifically about the accident and the aftermath </div><div style="text-align: center;">of that abrupt change almost 15 years ago!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0scYsil2BzX-ZUxkkKoqjEaVAQ9pny2dQycpqCMCTJ_dlbdi1ia1EcyF6BdJFMceYvis_xUf6xRxfjVPFYZ9n43pdJ1Z4DaXMnexk3DR6ppnj4_F1wMOIHHbNwBMVfIfIdvnd-vo9pffK0_0D6MPiUbu3FZQYbh1_XCoYj4sWe5sQKOwKT_S/s4000/20240224_093445.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0scYsil2BzX-ZUxkkKoqjEaVAQ9pny2dQycpqCMCTJ_dlbdi1ia1EcyF6BdJFMceYvis_xUf6xRxfjVPFYZ9n43pdJ1Z4DaXMnexk3DR6ppnj4_F1wMOIHHbNwBMVfIfIdvnd-vo9pffK0_0D6MPiUbu3FZQYbh1_XCoYj4sWe5sQKOwKT_S/w300-h400/20240224_093445.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGREaCnli6GpR6hMYNGG9xO08_tae7mf0xXt-GxphEdYrvzYmix7rA1kJdKOnSTU_fP6r2ies1AYmc3Eg1Mtgsk0q73oJUZ6y0LPpyRNf43GvaRBKK9uQJn8h-Hi752ZP3JDR9gJNCWnZTTC07ha51kN1e7NNd8yAF38a7OBvLoybmECa2xadJ/s4000/20240224_092503.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGREaCnli6GpR6hMYNGG9xO08_tae7mf0xXt-GxphEdYrvzYmix7rA1kJdKOnSTU_fP6r2ies1AYmc3Eg1Mtgsk0q73oJUZ6y0LPpyRNf43GvaRBKK9uQJn8h-Hi752ZP3JDR9gJNCWnZTTC07ha51kN1e7NNd8yAF38a7OBvLoybmECa2xadJ/w300-h400/20240224_092503.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">There is a man somewhere out there who is aspiring to be the best partner </div><div style="text-align: center;">for his future wife and family. <br />Claire will find him, and they will be perfect for each other because</div><div style="text-align: center;">throughout their lives, they have both diligently prepared </div><div style="text-align: center;">for this most important decision.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKR9bVXOTGS4ZfDJBSjowyVh34FK3JjyzdjK_7Jil3_DwciqK1JcU8ALhBDQHtSB_ayY6qYHnH__gMbM-DK-gMh7COnjia4NEntpIQW5KGx3W3TjzxMm9LrVUguZaPBBg-VHcX8iRyet8SsYYJgvn9L29LsfpW_JQ8c9jgD3FV0erj7f9a5OX7/s4000/20240224_092416.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKR9bVXOTGS4ZfDJBSjowyVh34FK3JjyzdjK_7Jil3_DwciqK1JcU8ALhBDQHtSB_ayY6qYHnH__gMbM-DK-gMh7COnjia4NEntpIQW5KGx3W3TjzxMm9LrVUguZaPBBg-VHcX8iRyet8SsYYJgvn9L29LsfpW_JQ8c9jgD3FV0erj7f9a5OX7/w480-h640/20240224_092416.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm grateful for the boy I married who turned into a man</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and never looked back.</div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-54643793789334039042024-03-01T01:00:00.088-05:002024-03-06T10:12:32.645-05:00Mentally And Physically<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBcO7CW2JN7T3Xx6r7tvh1S7Cn1kHxG9ZcZ2i2trv06dcvFB5r6vezwghyNuFB5DbRUrAuR2impqKOQNI1UW315fiRrw-Jjybm0rC8iF3YazE51zhn-bXveWS9WrZv6FsmUg4fjQKYNPvXOGeAegefpCbPqSKcaGQ2zzRD_TEURBVzKvwJa89/s4000/20240226_222848.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBcO7CW2JN7T3Xx6r7tvh1S7Cn1kHxG9ZcZ2i2trv06dcvFB5r6vezwghyNuFB5DbRUrAuR2impqKOQNI1UW315fiRrw-Jjybm0rC8iF3YazE51zhn-bXveWS9WrZv6FsmUg4fjQKYNPvXOGeAegefpCbPqSKcaGQ2zzRD_TEURBVzKvwJa89/w300-h400/20240226_222848.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKX7ZxpPXDVTCElFfMwZOcBw2kKK2f7jY6NlmNknAG-CtWfPqb2Xt5hXe3zyPrLsTWjSGV2-vGWQ0xSm91WCuKxw7capXlPgqw72Y-B3_LvaO5cg9BdceTAxAG0VXOb5Ck9hXgedI6QzNQI87lIF9wp1SNC0UlhdZmBhf25QkXVluiupCSqTW/s4000/20240226_222840.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKX7ZxpPXDVTCElFfMwZOcBw2kKK2f7jY6NlmNknAG-CtWfPqb2Xt5hXe3zyPrLsTWjSGV2-vGWQ0xSm91WCuKxw7capXlPgqw72Y-B3_LvaO5cg9BdceTAxAG0VXOb5Ck9hXgedI6QzNQI87lIF9wp1SNC0UlhdZmBhf25QkXVluiupCSqTW/w300-h400/20240226_222840.jpg" width="300" /></a></div> Tonight, Gigs walked through the door from work at 9:56.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Lottie and Jane were already in bed, and Claire was still at work.</div><div style="text-align: center;">We had veggie burgers for dinner.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Since it's getting warmer, I cooked the burgers on the grill, and we ate</div><div style="text-align: center;">outside on the porch table but didn't stay long out there since</div><div style="text-align: center;">the evenings are still pretty chilly.</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Spring weather is showing off! </div><div style="text-align: center;">Flowers are popping around Stillestead, and everything is greening up.<br />But, back to Gigs.</div><div style="text-align: center;">He wandered through the door after taking off his disgusting-smelling</div><div style="text-align: center;">goat pee-stained overalls and jacket, then he</div><div style="text-align: center;">plopped down at the table where the burger I saved him was waiting for him </div><div style="text-align: center;">(with chocolate milk. He loves chocolate milk).</div><div style="text-align: center;">He took three bites and then fell asleep.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">He took the ACT today, too, poor kid.</div><div style="text-align: center;">It's been a busy day for him, mentally and physically,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and I think he just crashed.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I woke him up, and he looked at me, looked at his food</div><div style="text-align: center;">and with glazed-over blood-shot eyes, said to me,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"Mom, I stink."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">I said, <i>"Yes, son, you really do. Go get in the shower."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy 111th birthday, Nana Aurora, in heaven!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-7494579215706680792024-02-29T01:00:00.040-05:002024-03-06T09:53:41.794-05:00Leaping!<div style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin77n4UHi_6ZbcXmKuDPQah-zh-i4vN1Wi1TjUv7-Ci6XYbFoS48s6wSYNMVmko8YSGfbEFB_oBXL7S2ORCv-Z1x9a2cZsEM696SXWuNW1ok-2ss7AMHfXZnFf89TiYReR9Ou11jxC1BJIUw5y0G-ghVlXKu_GrSbYA8wnLY_iL6KofvlHtreo/s3648/20240227_203857.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="2736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin77n4UHi_6ZbcXmKuDPQah-zh-i4vN1Wi1TjUv7-Ci6XYbFoS48s6wSYNMVmko8YSGfbEFB_oBXL7S2ORCv-Z1x9a2cZsEM696SXWuNW1ok-2ss7AMHfXZnFf89TiYReR9Ou11jxC1BJIUw5y0G-ghVlXKu_GrSbYA8wnLY_iL6KofvlHtreo/w480-h640/20240227_203857.jpg" width="480" /></a></p>It's Leap Day! </div><div style="text-align: center;">I wanted to do something special for today to commemorate</div><div style="text-align: center;">this every-four-years special day, but ALL the Nies were working</div><div style="text-align: center;">late, including Christian, who was at a church meeting.</div><div style="text-align: center;">So, Lottie and I had off-brand Lucky Charm cereal for dinner.</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Which, in my opinion, is better anyway).</div><div style="text-align: center;">We painted nails and watched "A Walk to Remember" in my bed.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I think we sufficiently celebrated Leap Day.</div><div style="text-align: center;">In four years, when the next Leap Day will occur, </div><div style="text-align: center;"> Lottie will almost be SIXTEEN years old! Could that be?</div><div style="text-align: center;">Talk about Leaping! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-21225762544969812982024-02-28T01:00:00.089-05:002024-02-29T16:07:30.633-05:00All In Good Time<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQd74c4MwLNhhbJXqPq__F59vlQWBphodss4FfkTjaqJ1O2IDdKpn-SJ7uE1G1QmVNBUdry2LGHlwwWNy413PGT6uMLHt5KneySAbJx-rrrkzKESvwv2khwDAvB1Nulk7FYI8fsl9O1mPbJ87ahUqbSYTTm21ktDMtqIfbh3Mz3fOp4y97aDGJ/s4000/20240226_161832.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQd74c4MwLNhhbJXqPq__F59vlQWBphodss4FfkTjaqJ1O2IDdKpn-SJ7uE1G1QmVNBUdry2LGHlwwWNy413PGT6uMLHt5KneySAbJx-rrrkzKESvwv2khwDAvB1Nulk7FYI8fsl9O1mPbJ87ahUqbSYTTm21ktDMtqIfbh3Mz3fOp4y97aDGJ/w300-h400/20240226_161832.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YR8LaWGOekoGjqGOo6ZE910cjUm-2r0UKUWrZGJULQxK3ul5nC5oH758PU3uJoeby34aTVaOsi6zbCvLhrJtjofwLKZBgNKER3jdm7MvaLduc8eglBOnAnI_U9a-i5ZPSe7TVd5eibtkDhTQNzix_kpuF_8NCwG69jHLyfhIVfW_Gf1DavtY/s4000/20240226_161841.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YR8LaWGOekoGjqGOo6ZE910cjUm-2r0UKUWrZGJULQxK3ul5nC5oH758PU3uJoeby34aTVaOsi6zbCvLhrJtjofwLKZBgNKER3jdm7MvaLduc8eglBOnAnI_U9a-i5ZPSe7TVd5eibtkDhTQNzix_kpuF_8NCwG69jHLyfhIVfW_Gf1DavtY/w300-h400/20240226_161841.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> This afternoon, Jane and I sat on the front porch in </div><div style="text-align: center;">the glorious Spring weather</div><div style="text-align: center;">and waited for Lottie and Gigs to get home.</div><div style="text-align: center;">My Spring daffodils are popping up everywhere!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Minutes later, the car bumped along the dirt road and into the driveway.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Out of the car popped two happy-to-be-home-from-school kids.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Lottie immediately picked up hen, Muppet, and brought her on the porch,</div><div style="text-align: center;">dropping her backpack and sweater on the lawn.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Typical.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> Then she told us about all the 6th-grade "tea."</div><div style="text-align: center;">It was good.</div><div style="text-align: center;">One of her friends was dared to kiss (on the cheek) a boy.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Lottie was so animated as she told us how her friend actually did it!</div><div style="text-align: center;">She couldn't get over it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"Mom, she actually kissed his cheek, like in front of all of us!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Can you believe it?"</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"I didn't have my first kiss until I was 16,"</i> I told her. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"Can you believe it? That's a lot older than you right now! </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>There's no rush."</i> I said half-teasingly. </div><div style="text-align: center;">She squealed back in response, </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikC2BHUQRpVP7ovdBzTCzvw_LAhG5Bw1Y46vZ0F_jjcrqxUL40_abs3HcVMPYmJqiU2mQ5VfuVVwaJ3409Ata6eyDtBKVzWsQ-LGfjuQLCOmXx3wbntkZ8mocdrvM5ZHb2vi0Zz9-ISWF_ie_2pCLmGpsZSJp-dCxnknPr3BiwqorSSwR46Uf0/s4000/20240226_161834.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikC2BHUQRpVP7ovdBzTCzvw_LAhG5Bw1Y46vZ0F_jjcrqxUL40_abs3HcVMPYmJqiU2mQ5VfuVVwaJ3409Ata6eyDtBKVzWsQ-LGfjuQLCOmXx3wbntkZ8mocdrvM5ZHb2vi0Zz9-ISWF_ie_2pCLmGpsZSJp-dCxnknPr3BiwqorSSwR46Uf0/w300-h400/20240226_161834.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquv3Hix4KmlhpET2OorND41m4N5dK4H9wYuCEVyCtpl-0M8JJk7ZK9We1W65kP_yiBnQjzpFuR-ucay-DbCi4po0aOC_Yalds4JOKW1o8ChbL4bb5JMQa9n4Xr7lpg35tFo49-nyl24wGknmh3qxrUhvxEyulqJVyuhYBY0ZfHYh5jKZhYiIz/s4000/20240226_161738.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquv3Hix4KmlhpET2OorND41m4N5dK4H9wYuCEVyCtpl-0M8JJk7ZK9We1W65kP_yiBnQjzpFuR-ucay-DbCi4po0aOC_Yalds4JOKW1o8ChbL4bb5JMQa9n4Xr7lpg35tFo49-nyl24wGknmh3qxrUhvxEyulqJVyuhYBY0ZfHYh5jKZhYiIz/w300-h400/20240226_161738.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>All in good time!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Right now, she's still a baby, isn't she?</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-27154511795280634782024-02-27T01:00:00.103-05:002024-03-06T10:10:41.917-05:00Snoots And Books<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTp7MfQVsp7_ppUuXYvRebxBTQ963jtlyO2shNhO1eZccTwvrkupygqlQ4TzWq0mpUGcpT4x6N_YobpcDNPzikVf6eBB3lpZFRi_r7qD8O6zcHzPdomtak3568lW8s79cw7Fxn7lKLIRVPo8zmEHudzxA4uToUhAIij4AO4Kixyljldf1wCf0C/s4000/20240220_153747.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTp7MfQVsp7_ppUuXYvRebxBTQ963jtlyO2shNhO1eZccTwvrkupygqlQ4TzWq0mpUGcpT4x6N_YobpcDNPzikVf6eBB3lpZFRi_r7qD8O6zcHzPdomtak3568lW8s79cw7Fxn7lKLIRVPo8zmEHudzxA4uToUhAIij4AO4Kixyljldf1wCf0C/w480-h640/20240220_153747.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> When Lottie came home from school today, </div><div style="text-align: center;">she was holding a little fuzzy creature in her hand</div><div style="text-align: center;">and smiling ear to ear, and she couldn't wait to tell me all about it.</div><div style="text-align: center;">It's basically a fuzzy worm with two googly eyes glued on.</div><div style="text-align: center;">And she's obsessed.</div><div style="text-align: center;">One of her friends gave it to her, which changed her life.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Then she spent 15 dollars of her babysitting money to buy a 40-pack</div><div style="text-align: center;">on Amazon.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I couldn't stop her. I tried.</div><div style="text-align: center;">They come in the mail on Saturday.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Tonight, around dinner, she pulled out some of her dollhouse furniture</div><div style="text-align: center;">for her little snoot (that's what she's calling them).</div><div style="text-align: center;">He, too, enjoyed the homemade ramen and tofu I made for dinner.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBWpfRmNrwJmvTx-Em5irb6Po61jkD9AwsJemUVDXUFNXvOjxnTetg795_9OEHGGD4nuOTB_BDGFPQC1w4scKQd0WzixO2sZ2ntQ5HSObedIXKTW4U0Ut23oK8nQ-WiXMQywdZaSrcbYX3amaYi_Fkup7fjEF8nySXTvMdP7jeOdt4aXVgx6l/s4000/20240220_185402.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBWpfRmNrwJmvTx-Em5irb6Po61jkD9AwsJemUVDXUFNXvOjxnTetg795_9OEHGGD4nuOTB_BDGFPQC1w4scKQd0WzixO2sZ2ntQ5HSObedIXKTW4U0Ut23oK8nQ-WiXMQywdZaSrcbYX3amaYi_Fkup7fjEF8nySXTvMdP7jeOdt4aXVgx6l/w640-h480/20240220_185402.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I love Lottie and the weird little things she loves so deeply.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Speaking of weird...</div><div style="text-align: center;">Earlier today, Jane and I went to our storage unit to retrieve boxes of her stuff</div><div style="text-align: center;">I discovered a book in a box called 'The Jupiter Game.'</div><div style="text-align: center;">It's an older book; I think it was written in 1991</div><div style="text-align: center;">I picked it out at the book fair in 1994 in 7th grade, and my world changed,</div><div style="text-align: center;">which is weird because it's about magical, mythical powers</div><div style="text-align: center;">and could possibly be borderline witchcraft, but as a 7th grader, I was enthralled.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I also think I was into it because it was the first book I ever bought with</div><div style="text-align: center;">my own money and in the library at the book fair.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I felt really grown-up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway, it had been a while since I had seen it, </div><div style="text-align: center;">so I brought it home to read to Lottie.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUctSMJq158o0xs07AZQ6uWciAN2ew7U6aFtzecMMvqh1QJ1MT2mdkDlXMtvcJtpjz65obDKtGvBnuWf0umcAjdrxoWlaLCHtZS3jMlLLaaLTz0E8j8l0UiRMI_PfszT0KoFPtIEo2w6MFjujHE3P__UIOIg-wqH1GATQUOizmNpzPlIrIuC4h/s4000/20240225_145308.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUctSMJq158o0xs07AZQ6uWciAN2ew7U6aFtzecMMvqh1QJ1MT2mdkDlXMtvcJtpjz65obDKtGvBnuWf0umcAjdrxoWlaLCHtZS3jMlLLaaLTz0E8j8l0UiRMI_PfszT0KoFPtIEo2w6MFjujHE3P__UIOIg-wqH1GATQUOizmNpzPlIrIuC4h/w480-h640/20240225_145308.jpg" width="480" /></a></div></div><br /><br /><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-71159781376108864012024-02-26T01:00:00.000-05:002024-02-28T14:44:30.565-05:00Suddenly, There They Were<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdy-DH8jVWSLDTUtfcxLuQSc7gr0Cr-T_J7_jmwUt1WBgczH-1pgg0Xl1AomFAlNh-KnrFuS-uFgSU2n-f1ihtfsNVgA_PqFRqQoclGGyb8wOvvtmpLAcpQextSCPDAhcQqJ_VvXdV1nAMjFWDayg1TRXSIdxdrt571CdyZAGqryjd5WDT4HnT/s4000/20240203_233345.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdy-DH8jVWSLDTUtfcxLuQSc7gr0Cr-T_J7_jmwUt1WBgczH-1pgg0Xl1AomFAlNh-KnrFuS-uFgSU2n-f1ihtfsNVgA_PqFRqQoclGGyb8wOvvtmpLAcpQextSCPDAhcQqJ_VvXdV1nAMjFWDayg1TRXSIdxdrt571CdyZAGqryjd5WDT4HnT/w640-h360/20240203_233345.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This girl.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I love this girl.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">She is faithful and strong and works hard.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So hard!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"The prettiest flowers I’ve ever seen were among rocks near the tops of mountains. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>That must have been partly because I worked so hard to get there, </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>for something else. And then, suddenly, there they were."</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/henry-b-eyring/law-increasing-returns/">Henry B. Eyring</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Suddenly, Claire, you'll go </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">to the places you've wanted to go, with the people you </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">want to be with, and do what you want to do</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">because you have a pure heart with pure intentions,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and I know the Lord trusts you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You're going to do only good with what He blesses you with</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">because you look ahead, you plan, you prepare, and you </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Wait upon the Lord" with a patient and willing heart.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You deserve a nice long nap!</div><br /><p></p><div><br /></div>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-25043675020593164532024-02-25T01:00:00.159-05:002024-02-28T15:17:00.419-05:00Oliver in Brazil: February 2024<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAJ5lXdG4tN3TeH8TJkA9aY_Dg-qUDlZUf1C69ZB2rWF_TarDf5iSZQDil_WQbA9s1QXNGQ5bhqqU8wAMvAum9WH6k-H1Auu8sqG_-l-WDd7B10o0b3aT9GBMMJH27CkUYisuXoDSB2xM2hS_K2oRJ5WSkgCS9YqLY1MRbH1_Se33oHW-KeOU/s3264/20240220_162702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAJ5lXdG4tN3TeH8TJkA9aY_Dg-qUDlZUf1C69ZB2rWF_TarDf5iSZQDil_WQbA9s1QXNGQ5bhqqU8wAMvAum9WH6k-H1Auu8sqG_-l-WDd7B10o0b3aT9GBMMJH27CkUYisuXoDSB2xM2hS_K2oRJ5WSkgCS9YqLY1MRbH1_Se33oHW-KeOU/w640-h480/20240220_162702.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Elder Nielson is in a new area with new companions, </div><div style="text-align: center;">and teaching new people and families. </div><div style="text-align: center;">He's amazing! </div><div style="text-align: center;">I miss him so much! </div><div style="text-align: center;"> Here is what he's been up to in February:</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Meeting families/people:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrq1grMNPpak5tS6UAaGo0mU33akA7bmH39-DCR7TcmivYNtEptebAGrGiPwqzp0a3hwOVAiApYP8iFOaANjLhvkokTaG_yHONDv5Mn0iTtwF1UABuyUFhmSM-d9SeOE9ab_2yyhETwBs918Sw4Rmwr5Jk_aiC6N-wrZjduPAuRD0TJuKffGi/s3264/20240202_194135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrq1grMNPpak5tS6UAaGo0mU33akA7bmH39-DCR7TcmivYNtEptebAGrGiPwqzp0a3hwOVAiApYP8iFOaANjLhvkokTaG_yHONDv5Mn0iTtwF1UABuyUFhmSM-d9SeOE9ab_2yyhETwBs918Sw4Rmwr5Jk_aiC6N-wrZjduPAuRD0TJuKffGi/w640-h480/20240202_194135.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqpvEgQ4oviWGnR3uFvXpxTcAjKfURlK4gQCsyTnYpkF9zaIlb_R90mJ_oCvqLMQTO4YItP3ZlRUbpUbyPDJT5MX29fr4DUa3gVLpmcn1n8La-Ge28xNuXViQukMIflxyb4e1yrjXCHB6-YsnkYFONrvGfr6yKeQT9p6dBIS38K-1eU5wVr2nu/s3264/20240212_204052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqpvEgQ4oviWGnR3uFvXpxTcAjKfURlK4gQCsyTnYpkF9zaIlb_R90mJ_oCvqLMQTO4YItP3ZlRUbpUbyPDJT5MX29fr4DUa3gVLpmcn1n8La-Ge28xNuXViQukMIflxyb4e1yrjXCHB6-YsnkYFONrvGfr6yKeQT9p6dBIS38K-1eU5wVr2nu/w640-h480/20240212_204052.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26446-k0rIUauIf2XbDJcNim_Se_0jSUyVqnI-_6vBbihGiVay7k-IBjZKZYCovS3-seJWU3BFRQB-zy5JnA9WKBP3QFIFmPgP15SeqrFNKLor_5S0OsCNbPedFjf5_3YQoEBpboJAbS8BQv8yJxWmMTiX2Q6C6qK1K1WL2ru1XOrTAtXHxNe/s1600/IMG-20240215-WA0027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26446-k0rIUauIf2XbDJcNim_Se_0jSUyVqnI-_6vBbihGiVay7k-IBjZKZYCovS3-seJWU3BFRQB-zy5JnA9WKBP3QFIFmPgP15SeqrFNKLor_5S0OsCNbPedFjf5_3YQoEBpboJAbS8BQv8yJxWmMTiX2Q6C6qK1K1WL2ru1XOrTAtXHxNe/w480-h640/IMG-20240215-WA0027.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNt0nRu4Be3vMltYijAhEBdeMa2mPhzDILFq6j6wGYkx_PcPMaBav7XTJD2-XgOAtLcvrBHKMm0Gkp1qA4FFdHf25ybDxnHaHCLoxrRtk8UJuPvuRkCP12Kyz_e6m_2-STjDspO9YSstrOVhi4dZWeH83x5ZIdm1pktqH5lIWqnNAu_HmkwBcv/s1320/IMG-20240207-WA0045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="1320" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNt0nRu4Be3vMltYijAhEBdeMa2mPhzDILFq6j6wGYkx_PcPMaBav7XTJD2-XgOAtLcvrBHKMm0Gkp1qA4FFdHf25ybDxnHaHCLoxrRtk8UJuPvuRkCP12Kyz_e6m_2-STjDspO9YSstrOVhi4dZWeH83x5ZIdm1pktqH5lIWqnNAu_HmkwBcv/w640-h480/IMG-20240207-WA0045.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvE_Fy-WPQ13d0N0FVLwgK7Qac1DwIc27LEUadx53RvI9XNFB2_52sdRCV1yVg7reKHvSIvWqdvYLmQ4Af2iuTn79FjoTg0WFRnsAhaj-_ewlkZWYyJ-y_dyo5TTfKk0ZLQY7_bG4_UKFXJcsAqAt5PkqCAuGjxyUHGR2Gc0lZNbOtE5r8zqu/s1600/IMG-20240212-WA0023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvE_Fy-WPQ13d0N0FVLwgK7Qac1DwIc27LEUadx53RvI9XNFB2_52sdRCV1yVg7reKHvSIvWqdvYLmQ4Af2iuTn79FjoTg0WFRnsAhaj-_ewlkZWYyJ-y_dyo5TTfKk0ZLQY7_bG4_UKFXJcsAqAt5PkqCAuGjxyUHGR2Gc0lZNbOtE5r8zqu/w640-h480/IMG-20240212-WA0023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yrRo_HHVLzgto39C-YciyQlZIhQq8MucpjSeRh7XTP8y9tm5r9g2Wbg8b0R_z9wuT7v4RYgPj0C4nOE-dytxC64RLbuI4EVHVKA49hdo8n3dF20c5N44dS_bDERbUZjsZA14hr8CpecharOYDbRinfc_ABmyzeGVGiUQSpSGlMo4-xxSYhdt/s3264/20240214_200716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yrRo_HHVLzgto39C-YciyQlZIhQq8MucpjSeRh7XTP8y9tm5r9g2Wbg8b0R_z9wuT7v4RYgPj0C4nOE-dytxC64RLbuI4EVHVKA49hdo8n3dF20c5N44dS_bDERbUZjsZA14hr8CpecharOYDbRinfc_ABmyzeGVGiUQSpSGlMo4-xxSYhdt/w640-h480/20240214_200716.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5FwIGWOkD1KvAP9gHWYc6Ftqqbw3MKfTpXVY_s4W0qQGWNxdXjs5TEd9Z512kuCuCj3IGO0NEXpbl1oXHScjROhJoOlKcGKuw1jQx3SJQXxIcMXpvYU9LyFXieiLJxx5ZZ3Bo9cmhbvm9Edn6UkTtgOhGaTW8hB3xrErdBBg8CC-jcnQYCrb/s3264/20240220_211635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5FwIGWOkD1KvAP9gHWYc6Ftqqbw3MKfTpXVY_s4W0qQGWNxdXjs5TEd9Z512kuCuCj3IGO0NEXpbl1oXHScjROhJoOlKcGKuw1jQx3SJQXxIcMXpvYU9LyFXieiLJxx5ZZ3Bo9cmhbvm9Edn6UkTtgOhGaTW8hB3xrErdBBg8CC-jcnQYCrb/w640-h480/20240220_211635.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xB8RQ32DIg8hoSpTyQlIrHOuf7J3vVC_2IcrsizTpIQhZayqA18DOQbOAvjXmKsAJIAQez8-daX3pmk4XtmmavylpO130iZWBiYu8wZIw5MBB8ic_SMW75qhYa546xgz_-L2J_W4QsdT5-nHjWJ2bUTXtUcvQ_QtBwLH0w1HyHARPNSzfOU3/s4080/20240201_103220.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xB8RQ32DIg8hoSpTyQlIrHOuf7J3vVC_2IcrsizTpIQhZayqA18DOQbOAvjXmKsAJIAQez8-daX3pmk4XtmmavylpO130iZWBiYu8wZIw5MBB8ic_SMW75qhYa546xgz_-L2J_W4QsdT5-nHjWJ2bUTXtUcvQ_QtBwLH0w1HyHARPNSzfOU3/w480-h640/20240201_103220.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Working:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9X-KgQZ33bLaH-ErMjolhC9mzaHbbyJSo2YJ0UhhuUXP7bNVZm35_TlPidkZUx6e8WcR9LBEe1843-xJBql2ux4cKUEZOZGrIbqWRy1vfNwSEyb9nZcavI5Ul1UJPmHZhiL6bZl04OOaHXghyphenhyphenV_sPYq2bjGeeJIeF4-oEDTnBVI6GEAkI6qT/s3264/20240206_172021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9X-KgQZ33bLaH-ErMjolhC9mzaHbbyJSo2YJ0UhhuUXP7bNVZm35_TlPidkZUx6e8WcR9LBEe1843-xJBql2ux4cKUEZOZGrIbqWRy1vfNwSEyb9nZcavI5Ul1UJPmHZhiL6bZl04OOaHXghyphenhyphenV_sPYq2bjGeeJIeF4-oEDTnBVI6GEAkI6qT/w640-h480/20240206_172021.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcUN5KpKoz5yOPU6zWi-9w9ST4U8q4_n5a4PvTvDY6w7C9Q3wTBSGInsZruTnwqZn4X6nV8T0NU6DGXDkmh7U08y76h9vBl5vppoTHBubHm2y-Lebum5PFN-c24CxSl4iggLseBhlbb6S_ozY8jYBTweRcawLvesT9Xe0B_QIo1Q1nEYIN8iv/s3264/20240215_170215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcUN5KpKoz5yOPU6zWi-9w9ST4U8q4_n5a4PvTvDY6w7C9Q3wTBSGInsZruTnwqZn4X6nV8T0NU6DGXDkmh7U08y76h9vBl5vppoTHBubHm2y-Lebum5PFN-c24CxSl4iggLseBhlbb6S_ozY8jYBTweRcawLvesT9Xe0B_QIo1Q1nEYIN8iv/w300-h400/20240215_170215.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGvr91Bn0j6KpznX8GHlfcJNpSDwa6o64fNU7b9sDJycw1iUWZWaAcxkIvL-AhfLlZgZvtAb0kBPLWqHPYeeuyc5lc34CDE6CLiY3IZN57fCyV2tVMPaMzAfF4FeYT1VRWiVM-udc8vUltbcaBay_mD8xCuB4-cPHXoH7WpGzlrMLtHBxW7CS/s1599/IMG-20240217-WA0114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="899" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGvr91Bn0j6KpznX8GHlfcJNpSDwa6o64fNU7b9sDJycw1iUWZWaAcxkIvL-AhfLlZgZvtAb0kBPLWqHPYeeuyc5lc34CDE6CLiY3IZN57fCyV2tVMPaMzAfF4FeYT1VRWiVM-udc8vUltbcaBay_mD8xCuB4-cPHXoH7WpGzlrMLtHBxW7CS/w225-h400/IMG-20240217-WA0114.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZ0yaGxWQ5oyRtvTz6csqpkqzu_gcOcJEE1QJNGsy_qXxS6t888XJ5HvxWgKsKbXUYK5BZ0As63WVP7zndyH7d6bFumVlo0VRCbGeEwYtnLZa0BTdjnMYhNyYDI4ugcz5ZoYAbI06FBScGkLxj-kgsiHDugbYQxqij91oGfho8sxCHtxxB6Mm/s1600/IMG-20240130-WA0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZ0yaGxWQ5oyRtvTz6csqpkqzu_gcOcJEE1QJNGsy_qXxS6t888XJ5HvxWgKsKbXUYK5BZ0As63WVP7zndyH7d6bFumVlo0VRCbGeEwYtnLZa0BTdjnMYhNyYDI4ugcz5ZoYAbI06FBScGkLxj-kgsiHDugbYQxqij91oGfho8sxCHtxxB6Mm/w640-h360/IMG-20240130-WA0004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGwHxThHst_lkcWYk661nAas08QaWrWqJYeqMXurIl4RS5nVFEe-BKaIZVuY61kCPRIqkSWS57lTP6_xR1gA8ec3tKoWDv9k38xAIXHZ234hFKhTUaEg0LEBj2ccDZ9NsH-6FKdYIQ0Uq5ptWvAZuVmXfKarVV1Eyu5O4yhHNGGN_iwKjRJB7x/s3264/20240221_082534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGwHxThHst_lkcWYk661nAas08QaWrWqJYeqMXurIl4RS5nVFEe-BKaIZVuY61kCPRIqkSWS57lTP6_xR1gA8ec3tKoWDv9k38xAIXHZ234hFKhTUaEg0LEBj2ccDZ9NsH-6FKdYIQ0Uq5ptWvAZuVmXfKarVV1Eyu5O4yhHNGGN_iwKjRJB7x/w640-h480/20240221_082534.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Baptizing:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8z51txE5e73DK33YmAZGXguFKs70DNBvkTMHjVzCN-LCDwn3UBpmlviVRhbXQKn1W7wilKbl1SXnH55og5B5l8W1gzTHO-r4goA0radQYm1LuiteVavStembwG0MzsXZ2HItcfoGR0xtqgvQYlcMjNXmeyjyBrIjSrMwvcYXC1OwRAPT_Bi4v/s1600/IMG-20240211-WA0011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8z51txE5e73DK33YmAZGXguFKs70DNBvkTMHjVzCN-LCDwn3UBpmlviVRhbXQKn1W7wilKbl1SXnH55og5B5l8W1gzTHO-r4goA0radQYm1LuiteVavStembwG0MzsXZ2HItcfoGR0xtqgvQYlcMjNXmeyjyBrIjSrMwvcYXC1OwRAPT_Bi4v/w480-h640/IMG-20240211-WA0011.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">Flying Kites (this is a big thing in Brazil):</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlHx4ItF5bWRubISO8to9r85OBeKFZprEasRc_t_muC1aDf5UZVXkP6xtxl6RpM466TiByv7VrkOYzQoFeXnMYbclc8F0_tO2O_M2Hcgaos-l0IuSILdGaRTPjBlsMxHoKX_n9fN6-10NckeQmO30NtHkncJd1m-nAXG4BfLt0OkjyFB68vWM/s1600/IMG-20240129-WA0053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlHx4ItF5bWRubISO8to9r85OBeKFZprEasRc_t_muC1aDf5UZVXkP6xtxl6RpM466TiByv7VrkOYzQoFeXnMYbclc8F0_tO2O_M2Hcgaos-l0IuSILdGaRTPjBlsMxHoKX_n9fN6-10NckeQmO30NtHkncJd1m-nAXG4BfLt0OkjyFB68vWM/w300-h400/IMG-20240129-WA0053.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1VDVMpps5F69g9RTdNgeYNdXYOeWmK8IUbOh3TJ7FwTQkOPr0193YPg41Z56cSO_CMh5nQGdhhVTo-nZZvQ400P4_0J8LTD6WBOBmfyRppCrL0RppWS-F7_ESfwEjRgQZg0vkvG3tyD-JET-d8CH0WlvAWlkIxJaM0pB2RbvxBDJmSaT8Uqq/s1600/IMG-20240129-WA0041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1VDVMpps5F69g9RTdNgeYNdXYOeWmK8IUbOh3TJ7FwTQkOPr0193YPg41Z56cSO_CMh5nQGdhhVTo-nZZvQ400P4_0J8LTD6WBOBmfyRppCrL0RppWS-F7_ESfwEjRgQZg0vkvG3tyD-JET-d8CH0WlvAWlkIxJaM0pB2RbvxBDJmSaT8Uqq/w300-h400/IMG-20240129-WA0041.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Food:</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJy8A_TawxVreYuFiU0oagU_bDeVO8VZxwgqpQXQnhdORhbQwbNDG5yfuZF-Ev-B6oflmzKzE7kgxXXjNjoxDUFVIoXawvoAHGao6tXUeLEx5jfWZtfqo8f28MFcZEkxkJPhWgAby9CCMGJyDrL-0AJVV7BZTupRShggXSxA39HNlFrg-iQ68T/s4080/20240213_171944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJy8A_TawxVreYuFiU0oagU_bDeVO8VZxwgqpQXQnhdORhbQwbNDG5yfuZF-Ev-B6oflmzKzE7kgxXXjNjoxDUFVIoXawvoAHGao6tXUeLEx5jfWZtfqo8f28MFcZEkxkJPhWgAby9CCMGJyDrL-0AJVV7BZTupRShggXSxA39HNlFrg-iQ68T/w300-h400/20240213_171944.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdsGQCKFw0JRFb0VKrj66A6mAj6DreqjdwsZa3kFx5fMvshF7PIfgMvNx-QbdIAvE94Y8WJ680n5_B4tFXBa_5HfWt9YgfHbaCKqsqfjYIORUCvVV43-7i84bVmOw9xUNwvYtePOXH6ml2FHISm6Nrn30oVz33dLWEDZME3dJTTVus8edf3Lg/s4080/20240213_173142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdsGQCKFw0JRFb0VKrj66A6mAj6DreqjdwsZa3kFx5fMvshF7PIfgMvNx-QbdIAvE94Y8WJ680n5_B4tFXBa_5HfWt9YgfHbaCKqsqfjYIORUCvVV43-7i84bVmOw9xUNwvYtePOXH6ml2FHISm6Nrn30oVz33dLWEDZME3dJTTVus8edf3Lg/w300-h400/20240213_173142.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34kxib0xXhCNU1YaKYGtr38d-hF3iM0zqDRnnmJakqUoIJ8abl8wzAt99Gjab8P0zcbY6GgF6jp0U3IKqJhe6rRzqWL3n32W0aIDQhsp5gJK2aMtrMGBVEzAs33FHYydGKZfxmGe-GdXnsJ5O-p_mQHaA1CvQA-5xTaefh0zsxtTV1h2R9wjM/s1920/received_2485094211672893.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="941" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34kxib0xXhCNU1YaKYGtr38d-hF3iM0zqDRnnmJakqUoIJ8abl8wzAt99Gjab8P0zcbY6GgF6jp0U3IKqJhe6rRzqWL3n32W0aIDQhsp5gJK2aMtrMGBVEzAs33FHYydGKZfxmGe-GdXnsJ5O-p_mQHaA1CvQA-5xTaefh0zsxtTV1h2R9wjM/w314-h640/received_2485094211672893.jpg" width="314" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">On the move:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSqqnOVrsIJEQJV3F5pTyb0NVd-8z3U9ajXD9G-Nxps7DZP6eiaZ01Eo71Qx8WraQDUf_2wfrFqhoryO-Kp8W7O0RdpTG2Aw3Xq5EFTrCyrAb3pXiOVh06yhp63Vm1T_pSts9x2hyaaUpzt3WQ-xhsT8r1WC480lsntZTm9kUWQho6GhCAGX4J/s1600/IMG-20240211-WA0026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSqqnOVrsIJEQJV3F5pTyb0NVd-8z3U9ajXD9G-Nxps7DZP6eiaZ01Eo71Qx8WraQDUf_2wfrFqhoryO-Kp8W7O0RdpTG2Aw3Xq5EFTrCyrAb3pXiOVh06yhp63Vm1T_pSts9x2hyaaUpzt3WQ-xhsT8r1WC480lsntZTm9kUWQho6GhCAGX4J/w640-h360/IMG-20240211-WA0026.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99AS32-tPrs8LNejRbmmTCTOEbCS056ZQiDHsBaGC9DWPe-DCPko1V23k39Kzq5ejfuW32ntmtrr_pH1oAzham785qlYSQTuSBCtH3e9Fz91QGbDqyePQV-WfPrtNfh6xtKMyZDpdA3SWR48Fwk9zqYFyz0znCuefZ90zSoyszqGFU9uT1Yva/s4080/20231222_200635.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99AS32-tPrs8LNejRbmmTCTOEbCS056ZQiDHsBaGC9DWPe-DCPko1V23k39Kzq5ejfuW32ntmtrr_pH1oAzham785qlYSQTuSBCtH3e9Fz91QGbDqyePQV-WfPrtNfh6xtKMyZDpdA3SWR48Fwk9zqYFyz0znCuefZ90zSoyszqGFU9uT1Yva/w480-h640/20231222_200635.jpg" width="480" /></a><br /><br />Randoms:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEemwZ9zFHwFH5PxNkMzP8hbkjb2YegkdIIjRORa49tNvc7ky8pHKhS7DlbO5rt9WF2TveAIUrJRavAOgcdEUi68NWytNgltfST2bHPxPtqq4Y4YrxcH0g3QOyZSWIilaF5NDrmD250ImVMhPpt3MKTTWL9Lh8gegrUhafA7x2u6NVhJiDNK_q/s4080/20240216_122957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEemwZ9zFHwFH5PxNkMzP8hbkjb2YegkdIIjRORa49tNvc7ky8pHKhS7DlbO5rt9WF2TveAIUrJRavAOgcdEUi68NWytNgltfST2bHPxPtqq4Y4YrxcH0g3QOyZSWIilaF5NDrmD250ImVMhPpt3MKTTWL9Lh8gegrUhafA7x2u6NVhJiDNK_q/w300-h400/20240216_122957.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGHgaCZBKrA1LvnSYWl941uVDv_rvRCG9r23VE6oNw6UyXla32Jm1cYC8DoLQX0RA5NLvFitiewMP3GwS06lNYE8NA0Le8YJrJxqVSwib4jH-1uEA1vqVltXjmhhgOPs6ZxVf9Z4i-wEEqjH5tbbtboMh2YFYfEFg8Fpu0yJGGylTEaqM32mV/s1599/IMG-20240214-WA0028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="899" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGHgaCZBKrA1LvnSYWl941uVDv_rvRCG9r23VE6oNw6UyXla32Jm1cYC8DoLQX0RA5NLvFitiewMP3GwS06lNYE8NA0Le8YJrJxqVSwib4jH-1uEA1vqVltXjmhhgOPs6ZxVf9Z4i-wEEqjH5tbbtboMh2YFYfEFg8Fpu0yJGGylTEaqM32mV/w225-h400/IMG-20240214-WA0028.jpg" width="225" /></a><br /><br />His area in Brazil:</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfuVqHYBZ3CD503eCOnFZG_pLyClXIR9bpAGXWuNEvVKAr93l4YCaZlEBLdr2T5tzmEB-FoW6_RJgg9JwtOd6mDyP6sES2MV941oQrjvWLbm_pWXPNVqnupyw3PltQ_bBEBXWQGH_exBGNWR9yEK2Zio7rkdPDtttjD5fZyIcsWqzkamSjn1p/s4080/20240203_163810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfuVqHYBZ3CD503eCOnFZG_pLyClXIR9bpAGXWuNEvVKAr93l4YCaZlEBLdr2T5tzmEB-FoW6_RJgg9JwtOd6mDyP6sES2MV941oQrjvWLbm_pWXPNVqnupyw3PltQ_bBEBXWQGH_exBGNWR9yEK2Zio7rkdPDtttjD5fZyIcsWqzkamSjn1p/w300-h400/20240203_163810.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1_oIqut9pyhJtTcLaeccWp13u1S2C0PCiUwJBy-9w66r2PpknbNJmGKdlshoDQAoasgsRp4vfOBnajSAVgu_ECSUw9LlM4JWmFiiwx6l2ZpksBkRctp0RTenah87XevJwVTUZT10nq_kIVzc01O9twGdWTz6NDxyMPe3rJ5Z_ONsjiK60cqO/s4080/20240203_181423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1_oIqut9pyhJtTcLaeccWp13u1S2C0PCiUwJBy-9w66r2PpknbNJmGKdlshoDQAoasgsRp4vfOBnajSAVgu_ECSUw9LlM4JWmFiiwx6l2ZpksBkRctp0RTenah87XevJwVTUZT10nq_kIVzc01O9twGdWTz6NDxyMPe3rJ5Z_ONsjiK60cqO/w300-h400/20240203_181423.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLh9SLhlwSazti925TlZqweGLgZVWy6flp_VtU9973YY8aw1zYZzP36QM58ydgGahQWieC8n-nPF-2C4ZHS_uIwO745G_ZDSOyB5Lr_f6XLb2-yRHMcdYBHpXQZrY5n2i7Su79fIjAz9DIVLoDqdgYKujr8T-zyUQiduHOP02QhK5AQvYaZoQ/s4080/20240219_203434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLh9SLhlwSazti925TlZqweGLgZVWy6flp_VtU9973YY8aw1zYZzP36QM58ydgGahQWieC8n-nPF-2C4ZHS_uIwO745G_ZDSOyB5Lr_f6XLb2-yRHMcdYBHpXQZrY5n2i7Su79fIjAz9DIVLoDqdgYKujr8T-zyUQiduHOP02QhK5AQvYaZoQ/w480-h640/20240219_203434.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j7ZqoLjygBlbFkvyls4sXuQ_2cPkEYWbdMYIh-PAiwon3l8cya3j9XM3ouvsmMx2ATCaoCUikuOG94hsxuR8j50UodNlCaK5ACXgtjlg33BrHG8Xoizf_zi1unpIBeQ89AoVKfOac_dOq4-oci9jZShSYtdgPSc9oTF42jWFvOBova0OgSZH/s4080/20240206_172617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j7ZqoLjygBlbFkvyls4sXuQ_2cPkEYWbdMYIh-PAiwon3l8cya3j9XM3ouvsmMx2ATCaoCUikuOG94hsxuR8j50UodNlCaK5ACXgtjlg33BrHG8Xoizf_zi1unpIBeQ89AoVKfOac_dOq4-oci9jZShSYtdgPSc9oTF42jWFvOBova0OgSZH/w300-h400/20240206_172617.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpOGWqd7E9WMFC0jo2Kkm1B3B3SRZKIdFgs2HNB9TSGWwIa4IiQqCLcCXpFLT1SX7AIuwuoQLd0nXWmJbwGcj9WJH9DcPmLR0vq08HLBQYMN-D07ORY1Q4n_klAEEtJ3a0tysgmML_yq33JjNhtkkdwEeFQ4yRE-IXK-c4xYtFto3Bj4iBkZ-/s4080/20240206_172626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpOGWqd7E9WMFC0jo2Kkm1B3B3SRZKIdFgs2HNB9TSGWwIa4IiQqCLcCXpFLT1SX7AIuwuoQLd0nXWmJbwGcj9WJH9DcPmLR0vq08HLBQYMN-D07ORY1Q4n_klAEEtJ3a0tysgmML_yq33JjNhtkkdwEeFQ4yRE-IXK-c4xYtFto3Bj4iBkZ-/w300-h400/20240206_172626.jpg" width="300" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-49863818351383697202024-02-24T01:00:00.006-05:002024-02-28T14:24:37.821-05:00One Lucky Lady<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsISUejqzzZFpQpl-bhjpHm_yeV_mP4_GvObRteB_hJLcfhfZqQr-2VU4w7aBRqn0_lFlsdK6XKuvPJ08kKjLq3OBGWEizJfwjOLcR_F40JMOGhYaVleHXIuB83-Wn4JNyniCDmOX0Vn4Ye9XBo7hVvy8dn8__2aJJShOPSHj_XgsceuWmyvN/s4000/20240218_213128.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsISUejqzzZFpQpl-bhjpHm_yeV_mP4_GvObRteB_hJLcfhfZqQr-2VU4w7aBRqn0_lFlsdK6XKuvPJ08kKjLq3OBGWEizJfwjOLcR_F40JMOGhYaVleHXIuB83-Wn4JNyniCDmOX0Vn4Ye9XBo7hVvy8dn8__2aJJShOPSHj_XgsceuWmyvN/w480-h640/20240218_213128.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Once, I saw a really cool photo of a super long ivy plant draping<br /> down from the top of a kitchen cupboard.<br />I showed Gigs, my personal horticulturist, this photo and my hope to copy it.</div><div style="text-align: center;">THAT NIGHT, he gathered the same ivy plant at the photo</div><div style="text-align: center;">(that he just happened to have growing in his personal garden in his room), </div><div style="text-align: center;">and planted it in my planter; then, he </div><div style="text-align: center;">placed it at the very top of my floating shelf in the kitchen</div><div style="text-align: center;">and said to me,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"It should take a few months to get growing and flowing over the edge,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> but there you go, Mom."</i><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdJhemj3OiWN1kUVBKDdOIx4-EXU0s8c43owczkKqNEkpK7WSQT2n2PufcjvUrxPB_WZYQFEvP7dvvsDHnULXfdneLdW9hQgfenK2baYSyijgR11EY7SjTq42ftLoTmQ5an5dPrJZ27mJWW1D4u57qlBdmP52tq1bO8PUgmoEOQ4_f7ouAV2b/s4000/20240218_213058.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdJhemj3OiWN1kUVBKDdOIx4-EXU0s8c43owczkKqNEkpK7WSQT2n2PufcjvUrxPB_WZYQFEvP7dvvsDHnULXfdneLdW9hQgfenK2baYSyijgR11EY7SjTq42ftLoTmQ5an5dPrJZ27mJWW1D4u57qlBdmP52tq1bO8PUgmoEOQ4_f7ouAV2b/w480-h640/20240218_213058.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You are going to make a lady very happy one day, Gigs!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-69119230807601301132024-02-23T01:00:00.214-05:002024-02-28T13:53:17.582-05:00Mandy<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoZ0Amt8N9iCBznqcHkI6-XP5FBRMQ_E7aKI7rPam2WGAhvz2t0ku0geVD_c79CJQtNpNNevguQpgqn0DfXl1rW3MSrZaqRvwS6kqV9fgCmzciKR4o183jl0OX25Py0YtAyJgtOUcvgl2XMDjBJxmIvBWPj31lEwcLd0X0CWjPd2weEH9DK_t/s4000/20240219_165950.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoZ0Amt8N9iCBznqcHkI6-XP5FBRMQ_E7aKI7rPam2WGAhvz2t0ku0geVD_c79CJQtNpNNevguQpgqn0DfXl1rW3MSrZaqRvwS6kqV9fgCmzciKR4o183jl0OX25Py0YtAyJgtOUcvgl2XMDjBJxmIvBWPj31lEwcLd0X0CWjPd2weEH9DK_t/w300-h400/20240219_165950.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnykjj1pYBQi7M8wZa58ZMQVpPzjOQCsX1zMTkYjVJFFudLLQiNmdC-lcHSyzdAE-GvCsvJS3dB2FggqB45b2Ri-IrhER2_WhaKBlsrmjgHjvab3EeKXvR5iJopPC9N591qbmsgU9KjHE4TvOBM6vbI1RRSMulM8-Ugw1XF4-5E0tRFYNOyUkS/s4000/20240219_165939.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnykjj1pYBQi7M8wZa58ZMQVpPzjOQCsX1zMTkYjVJFFudLLQiNmdC-lcHSyzdAE-GvCsvJS3dB2FggqB45b2Ri-IrhER2_WhaKBlsrmjgHjvab3EeKXvR5iJopPC9N591qbmsgU9KjHE4TvOBM6vbI1RRSMulM8-Ugw1XF4-5E0tRFYNOyUkS/w300-h400/20240219_165939.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sometimes, after school, Lottie goes to an old, fallen-down barn that sits</div><div style="text-align: center;">hidden in the woods on the Stillestead property.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> You'd never see it if you weren't exploring.</div><div style="text-align: center;">The old owner said it was a mining barn from the 1940s.</div><div style="text-align: center;">It's pretty cool.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_eKuftuZAamcfOgXtEeJrD8mwX2CdKpkoXoHcjAEyep5qanOVm0hJmvlvW4UWC6KzyCrqrF0Q5I8iiCLEDddZJrFI3oCJNhg5FTAWJr_QrvMdD8gYoZxtu_4Yl1xYSS4A9pUgnpuC3nYlBb7dzUhgiV50QBG5YNQAx6dPOkDor5iiYmktctOt/s4000/20240219_170253.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_eKuftuZAamcfOgXtEeJrD8mwX2CdKpkoXoHcjAEyep5qanOVm0hJmvlvW4UWC6KzyCrqrF0Q5I8iiCLEDddZJrFI3oCJNhg5FTAWJr_QrvMdD8gYoZxtu_4Yl1xYSS4A9pUgnpuC3nYlBb7dzUhgiV50QBG5YNQAx6dPOkDor5iiYmktctOt/w640-h480/20240219_170253.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lottie has been spending months cleaning up the</div><div style="text-align: center;"> dirt floor and adding some blankets along with a stash of Coke </div><div style="text-align: center;">in cans for when visitors stop by.</div><div style="text-align: center;">It reminds me of the book '<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mandy-Julie-Andrews-Collection-Edwards/dp/0061207071">Mandy' by Julie Andrews, </a></div><div style="text-align: center;">which tells the story of a little girl who discovers an abandoned</div><div style="text-align: center;"> cottage and restores it, turning it into her own special place.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I've read it a few times to my girls; it's one of our favorites.</div><div style="text-align: center;">(I read it as a little girl!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJlmkWqLDXcJfs5gZdImCDVkkNy3DLtGsg3fsVX10QlkI9ehsikhZlvcI1hBX2mdg_6XAVUIAoZK-OAkRYMf52ggK0biHypeOgwMUhe3JqOfiAFKS1rFgLGxyY_U73hO94xvHqCUhSouw-GGUY25MoaPokA2n_ouSp_drdG6_E1x2_4phCto4/s4000/20240219_165934.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJlmkWqLDXcJfs5gZdImCDVkkNy3DLtGsg3fsVX10QlkI9ehsikhZlvcI1hBX2mdg_6XAVUIAoZK-OAkRYMf52ggK0biHypeOgwMUhe3JqOfiAFKS1rFgLGxyY_U73hO94xvHqCUhSouw-GGUY25MoaPokA2n_ouSp_drdG6_E1x2_4phCto4/w640-h480/20240219_165934.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">In the last few weeks, Lod's recruited Gigs to help her gather</div><div style="text-align: center;">logs from nearby fallen trees to enclose the exposed area.</div><div style="text-align: center;">On the days Gigs doesn't have to work, he goes outside after school</div><div style="text-align: center;">with Lottie, and they spend hours together fixing it up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wrrq5OD5XQBGKPZC21HGQKZSRQae88iEKdbNcP-sfGkWkbyBR40wGCjtlTXTEdLMpdgpRtXJu3VuTSmSqTj61qU1yWNezpg2B7zg7qSkXHa2_0Mwv5qq-SuimwT8tn0hKAwfm7znYWALSBGbIEz8lBK7ifae9lcLk91ITl7GM8eChmICRQAF/s4000/20240219_170008.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wrrq5OD5XQBGKPZC21HGQKZSRQae88iEKdbNcP-sfGkWkbyBR40wGCjtlTXTEdLMpdgpRtXJu3VuTSmSqTj61qU1yWNezpg2B7zg7qSkXHa2_0Mwv5qq-SuimwT8tn0hKAwfm7znYWALSBGbIEz8lBK7ifae9lcLk91ITl7GM8eChmICRQAF/w480-h640/20240219_170008.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Today, Christian visited the hidden barn and </div><div style="text-align: center;">couldn't help himself, so he helped them with some construction.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Yay for Dads!</div><div style="text-align: center;">At dinnertime, I rang our bell, and everyone came home.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I know I've talked about this several times throughout the years </div><div style="text-align: center;">in my blog, but here I go again,</div><div style="text-align: center;">I used to have a playhouse on Fir Avenue in the backyard of my childhood home.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> I painted, cleaned, and decorated it.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I spent almost my entire childhood inside it.</div><div style="text-align: center;">When I got older, my cousin Katie and I renamed it</div><div style="text-align: center;">"The Flower Pit". We'd pick flowers and dry them by hanging them inside</div><div style="text-align: center;">the playhouse. Dried flower bouquets were really hot stuff in the 90's</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">I even ran an extension cord from the one window it had</div><div style="text-align: center;">to the nearest plug on the outside of the main house, about 25 yards away</div><div style="text-align: center;">with a little lamp so I could be there at night.</div><div style="text-align: center;">It was the best at night.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Looking back, it's kind of a miracle the house didn't burn down.</div><div style="text-align: center;">It was such a sketchy set-up.</div><div style="text-align: center;">But nothing bad happened in the 80s.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I didn't know what Hygge was in 1986, </div><div style="text-align: center;">but I was definitely living it.</div><div style="text-align: center;">When I was in school, I used to daydream about going home </div><div style="text-align: center;">so I could escape to my playhouse. It was my special spot where</div><div style="text-align: center;"> I could dream and imagine anything I wanted. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I loved being able to close the door to the playhouse because</div><div style="text-align: center;"> it allowed me to enter my own world where I could use my imagination </div><div style="text-align: center;">and become anything I wanted.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is such an essential feeling for all kids.</div><div style="text-align: center;">They need a place, a retreat, somewhere in their lives</div><div style="text-align: center;">to escape, relax, think, and create in.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Well, at least my introverted self needed this,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and Lottie does, too.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-41381218133547454802024-02-22T01:00:00.111-05:002024-02-22T21:02:39.811-05:00Love Thy Neighbor<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ExkcYUFzqpi8iZpsuB_SEBn65yNBFNzdpdAfnJFQ6OKooD7U5Y4alaXDsIweCwY1l_FUOW21hlKNQoc_JXYcUhS8EgHrtaPADnxqCYBtFvnVqs-DyeK9251TYH8ubhE32EKPT5-kzrkdgUo_k3XryBfniTRqahVaUHrUCnIFpxKDyWN1cRNm/s4000/20240218_140525.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ExkcYUFzqpi8iZpsuB_SEBn65yNBFNzdpdAfnJFQ6OKooD7U5Y4alaXDsIweCwY1l_FUOW21hlKNQoc_JXYcUhS8EgHrtaPADnxqCYBtFvnVqs-DyeK9251TYH8ubhE32EKPT5-kzrkdgUo_k3XryBfniTRqahVaUHrUCnIFpxKDyWN1cRNm/w640-h480/20240218_140525.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Last Sunday, Claire, Jane, and Gigs all</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">spoke in church. I was brimming with pride throughout their talks as</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">they shared their love for Christ and how He changes lives.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are some gems from their talks:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Claire:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">One of my favorite stories of Jesus is found in the Book of Mormon. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It is a well-loved story. After Christ’s resurrection, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">He came to minister to and teach His faithful disciples </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">living on the American continent. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">After spending some time with them, sharing truths and praying, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">He told the people He was to leave but that He’d be back the next day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">As He looked back on the people around him, Jesus saw that they were in tears. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">They wanted Him to stay with them a little longer. Jesus said: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>“Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>my bowels are filled with mercy.”</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And we read later that Jesus healed everyone. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Jesus heals broken hearts, broken families, broken bodies. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">There is no wound beyond the healing power of Jesus Christ. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">There is no person beyond the saving grace of Jesus Christ.</div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKt0_W986fhqxmwUR4uhAfufcQBYVunAb1IcBwlPWgsBRhuWQHmLcwnqBRL786t9mD2g5A2Qa3iCI7_TFRfAFbTf2H4mYcjNYRDcj2kbYHoh5zMTbThmGXMzpe0cvypqUwT8vEHUsKRzIOPEy90SvW2zd2Uk2Csbnq5XMtmxnLm5k5JX-qvAz/s4000/20240218_140541.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKt0_W986fhqxmwUR4uhAfufcQBYVunAb1IcBwlPWgsBRhuWQHmLcwnqBRL786t9mD2g5A2Qa3iCI7_TFRfAFbTf2H4mYcjNYRDcj2kbYHoh5zMTbThmGXMzpe0cvypqUwT8vEHUsKRzIOPEy90SvW2zd2Uk2Csbnq5XMtmxnLm5k5JX-qvAz/w480-h640/20240218_140541.jpg" width="480" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jane:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"On my last day as a full-time, set-apart representative</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> of Jesus Christ and missionary </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">for His church, my companion and I were knocking an </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">apartment building with an open stairwell. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We went up to the very top and stood on the balcony; </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">it was a beautiful sunny day and surprisingly warm for January!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We looked out over Queluz, which is the name of the city </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">where we were serving and we just quietly stood there. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">My heart filled up with an overwhelming love. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Love for God's children in Portugal, and not just Portugal,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">but also Angola, Capo Verde, Brazil, Guinea Bissau, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Mozambique and Sao Tome - the people </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I had the privilege to meet, teach, and testify with. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Love for my Savior, Jesus Christ. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Love for His restored gospel and for the great privilege I had to share it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylD9RR4_PG38l5JMvOQDyjt6xvFFBpNMT5_USZ3MIbH3krqtcVA8H8JneMYhhaS-qjEScd-Et_bQibR7ZGTe3vr3OAJ816GR2DQVceQUVUeJPtP7xqCujjSTx0TSD5DNeUnM_DQ9mQDeH9-LMPCoMtz708wXqj7D5dDFhVF_BZjDqmKBwVyDh/s4000/20240218_140552.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylD9RR4_PG38l5JMvOQDyjt6xvFFBpNMT5_USZ3MIbH3krqtcVA8H8JneMYhhaS-qjEScd-Et_bQibR7ZGTe3vr3OAJ816GR2DQVceQUVUeJPtP7xqCujjSTx0TSD5DNeUnM_DQ9mQDeH9-LMPCoMtz708wXqj7D5dDFhVF_BZjDqmKBwVyDh/w480-h640/20240218_140552.jpg" width="480" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Gigs:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"In Matthew, we read, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>This is the first and great commandment.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Am I a good neighbor? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Sometimes, I drive too fast on the dirt road on my street, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">which makes a dust cloud behind me for miles, dusting the houses along the way. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I could probably slow down. Am I a good neighbor to my friends? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I could invite them to youth activities, invite them to know the Savior as I do, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">and elevate my conversations and actions. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I can stand up and be different.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Am I a good neighbor to my siblings? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I can’t imagine having a roommate with a snake and a </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Tupperware full of hissing cockroaches, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">among other critters that make noises and smell funny </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">and occasionally get lost in the house.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> Why is “love thy neighbor” the second great commandment? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It must be pretty important to the Lord, so it's important to me."</div><div><br /></div></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*Mom, yes, I sent their talks to you! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Check your e-mail!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-61291403832804856792024-02-21T01:00:00.071-05:002024-02-22T20:43:52.881-05:00Cotton Candy <div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxdCPFXuRnU8x2V-iBF_SDhR9iPeWb5cxKV9ZgXdBcJNDEUqKuSqazigJj_CE0XIoPKOQTGzLrw6i_vHafwpF3THddie44RQrTGuuWsJKU2kGe9ZkxNWMlX9HZcYKc9mWbPdYR3wP1YeMhhl8fUKo3Ln8S8od7wYv89gVgAM2sZ7utN3SOuYh/s4000/20240218_181917.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxdCPFXuRnU8x2V-iBF_SDhR9iPeWb5cxKV9ZgXdBcJNDEUqKuSqazigJj_CE0XIoPKOQTGzLrw6i_vHafwpF3THddie44RQrTGuuWsJKU2kGe9ZkxNWMlX9HZcYKc9mWbPdYR3wP1YeMhhl8fUKo3Ln8S8od7wYv89gVgAM2sZ7utN3SOuYh/w640-h480/20240218_181917.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This evening, Claire, Jane, and I (with Angus) walked to meet up</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">with Christian and Lottie, who rode the motorcycle out to the </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">pastures to check on the cows.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAtvm49mQrSikJREv-TnU6jPkP13BjrocvZaCUX7JUqim75vliLeSBm3JZCedQ5Zi8xU4jWKp9m2UC9LA8YPNLHRDOskKMwn1RL3HZc-b6lnQWyj_vCTFwSqm50PxwbgegGr1r7ndDqB0Zt9ut9GFXmRKlK4ejYdNprCYUtCEcTgdt8TQyiti/s4000/20240218_181627.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAtvm49mQrSikJREv-TnU6jPkP13BjrocvZaCUX7JUqim75vliLeSBm3JZCedQ5Zi8xU4jWKp9m2UC9LA8YPNLHRDOskKMwn1RL3HZc-b6lnQWyj_vCTFwSqm50PxwbgegGr1r7ndDqB0Zt9ut9GFXmRKlK4ejYdNprCYUtCEcTgdt8TQyiti/w480-h640/20240218_181627.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>It was so brisk out that it made our noses turn rosy red.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The cotton candy sunset was stunning, and I wondered if I had </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ever seen a prettier sunset.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It blew my mind.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKUukBaZGTk04JemlGNxGB_U0g0w8NPjeQe6jn0MM3fgx95FVFBIlDEoWfYLyB7AAaBMab_QsYyRThfwg4NCJCi3CFSJS6ehIOnrdI12xpC-L-Ui6kE_FYKk9z7SEYrd9zYbO-oasrLOZIbgCS_vsNOjiWHyBqbagTgHSTLiIXWiXC3131uvV/s4000/20240218_181330.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKUukBaZGTk04JemlGNxGB_U0g0w8NPjeQe6jn0MM3fgx95FVFBIlDEoWfYLyB7AAaBMab_QsYyRThfwg4NCJCi3CFSJS6ehIOnrdI12xpC-L-Ui6kE_FYKk9z7SEYrd9zYbO-oasrLOZIbgCS_vsNOjiWHyBqbagTgHSTLiIXWiXC3131uvV/w640-h480/20240218_181330.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-24662759519278406152024-02-20T01:00:00.051-05:002024-02-22T20:22:43.080-05:00Cindy's Nails<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-YZBOiCJDU4gD7xIj4VAYi1uXkAqgvf0lBNHec4FD9_5ZynzlnVzj1kfNdfn3EufikRtlaajxfViQ2UMPmUz7Wf5E20zm7QHYgluwtQ3Js2EaVx1WE6gMG0h2vStJahauK1TLo5YMDbyQOUOu4EF4hARsZ6VrnS3iQDke2tyRyafaidQLWvW/s4000/20240218_155349.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-YZBOiCJDU4gD7xIj4VAYi1uXkAqgvf0lBNHec4FD9_5ZynzlnVzj1kfNdfn3EufikRtlaajxfViQ2UMPmUz7Wf5E20zm7QHYgluwtQ3Js2EaVx1WE6gMG0h2vStJahauK1TLo5YMDbyQOUOu4EF4hARsZ6VrnS3iQDke2tyRyafaidQLWvW/w480-h640/20240218_155349.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Today, I walked into the kitchen to find Gigs holding hen Cindy</div><div style="text-align: center;"> while Claire was applying bright red fingernail polish to her nails.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She looks so cute strutting around Stillestead!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The hens are so adorable, and I love them, but they drive me crazy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">at the same time. They poop on the walkway and porch</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and dig up my spring bulbs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I know, I know, I should put them in a pen or something,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">but I also love that they are free-range and </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">eat all the bugs around my house.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Help me!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUqY3GCXojqMwZ1rpVTI01gx3y1XWIwWk8_8cTt4c4U6phGr5BcLBN-ONaTLT16htrkkhwQL8ztEnnyMk4ov2I7BRnjghyphenhyphenYAwh935m2MG-3LpVpFlsGAadW_OViVCU_SbejNHcD3ZPYy4YFUTziOjtJnGU9GHOhrt-_3pu-W5oeUC-7_gt8CG/s4000/20240218_155401.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUqY3GCXojqMwZ1rpVTI01gx3y1XWIwWk8_8cTt4c4U6phGr5BcLBN-ONaTLT16htrkkhwQL8ztEnnyMk4ov2I7BRnjghyphenhyphenYAwh935m2MG-3LpVpFlsGAadW_OViVCU_SbejNHcD3ZPYy4YFUTziOjtJnGU9GHOhrt-_3pu-W5oeUC-7_gt8CG/w300-h400/20240218_155401.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzUgQ5760pkloogjNLUAU6ghLAQ2j-_2G3MRxQ4xM7XXiVt6LOFHJkH8HqM1QuFMr_hvVQq9HWgQcB-plNX2V5tvH_-J3wQGRIU-QDK2XYl9TvNsAt4vFC3QD7oJtezg8FXvmjn8pYYaxhg3-nGmD25P5PvIq82NXVDIuml8uHEZVYzwVZJ6lL/s4000/20240218_155406.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzUgQ5760pkloogjNLUAU6ghLAQ2j-_2G3MRxQ4xM7XXiVt6LOFHJkH8HqM1QuFMr_hvVQq9HWgQcB-plNX2V5tvH_-J3wQGRIU-QDK2XYl9TvNsAt4vFC3QD7oJtezg8FXvmjn8pYYaxhg3-nGmD25P5PvIq82NXVDIuml8uHEZVYzwVZJ6lL/w300-h400/20240218_155406.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I love this poem by Jack Prelutsky</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(This is so accurate!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>"Last night I dreamed of chickens,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>there were chickens everywhere,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>they were standing on my stomach,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>they were nesting in my hair,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>they were pecking at my pillow,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>they were hopping on my head,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>they were ruffling up their feathers</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>as they raced about my bed.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>They were on the chairs and tables,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>they were on the chandeliers,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>they were roosting in the corners,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>they were clucking in my ears,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>there were chickens, chickens, chickens</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">for as far as I could see...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">when I woke today, I noticed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">there were eggs on top of me."</div></i></div></div><i><br /></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-78816148943348411532024-02-19T01:00:00.078-05:002024-02-22T20:13:03.048-05:00Presidents Day Hike<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4owlr_65GFETd9huwMQwgQqN3tUk2Vdinulgh7yPaJlWQ648VR6QxXThUOX61pcMTGUTxjVbYtboxkYfjSWvP9zc61Sfg4wMF4FCvXZwihm1AzfDQqmzFzIYjjWZwIZTCllhX2J7UWKIUMwhuKXNEJoYcwLjCjXqvEk6JWzUdrfptiiLkqkFO/s4000/20240217_165920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4owlr_65GFETd9huwMQwgQqN3tUk2Vdinulgh7yPaJlWQ648VR6QxXThUOX61pcMTGUTxjVbYtboxkYfjSWvP9zc61Sfg4wMF4FCvXZwihm1AzfDQqmzFzIYjjWZwIZTCllhX2J7UWKIUMwhuKXNEJoYcwLjCjXqvEk6JWzUdrfptiiLkqkFO/w480-h640/20240217_165920.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Since today was a holiday and we had no school, we explored </div><div style="text-align: center;">a fantastic hiking trail minus Gigs who was NOT into hiking.</div><div style="text-align: center;">He was pretty vocal about letting us know, too.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sometimes, he's so moody and grouchy!</div><div style="text-align: center;">I mean, I can't blame him; he's the only boy with a three</div><div style="text-align: center;">sisters, but still, sometimes his moods kill me!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Whenever he acts like this, I ask Christian if he was like that</div><div style="text-align: center;">when he was 17 and he always closes his eyes and nods.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Is that karma?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLdeIZbGK7LFJOcYJh-UWXqrSZwuEDNDQQAiAIUbMkJfUYpqlH4_LMAA8bEpyWA0NSPan8Qy6CnzTZOoDE2YlBfmKnIkmfRmw-SSfMwMvjz81EnUXbSoccWmltMEAtRUzY0AlVFONAQzqUkIW6-S99Q3ycfq2qMcfTSWSItyJYATae8Kck1lm/s4000/20240217_171806.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLdeIZbGK7LFJOcYJh-UWXqrSZwuEDNDQQAiAIUbMkJfUYpqlH4_LMAA8bEpyWA0NSPan8Qy6CnzTZOoDE2YlBfmKnIkmfRmw-SSfMwMvjz81EnUXbSoccWmltMEAtRUzY0AlVFONAQzqUkIW6-S99Q3ycfq2qMcfTSWSItyJYATae8Kck1lm/w300-h400/20240217_171806.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhN3Y-N7srOGS17NffDE4JtezeZ-QNj_HDBulNIbzSbL-7g7gZZLEms1PiTojwC5Ba1SrN65-b8JEjdK855Zzd0EcmcxMSrlu_HOwPRfZE8a8mDhUIVg3ZdsNGzKHtzWWQBF36foDF4_1GGcJ-bXyeZHSw1O0VefY6Nmr58EsmcJyA9DFmRo3/s4000/20240217_171802.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhN3Y-N7srOGS17NffDE4JtezeZ-QNj_HDBulNIbzSbL-7g7gZZLEms1PiTojwC5Ba1SrN65-b8JEjdK855Zzd0EcmcxMSrlu_HOwPRfZE8a8mDhUIVg3ZdsNGzKHtzWWQBF36foDF4_1GGcJ-bXyeZHSw1O0VefY6Nmr58EsmcJyA9DFmRo3/w300-h400/20240217_171802.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcmeT1K36o4hhS6Pi2Y3vOUGDm5XF6xDGU-PhFdRNwZOH1NY8oOMjFUaDMJZElWRm9I3uskfLfRLDk70s8JVS4BS5ZwLqUrCcblRc7suzvWpPWMQ_6jpSlIVc_zwUHEiOE2m0M3WBFQXTbF2z-En6CjppcA8SbQ_4FOYn0NfsmICJALkwVwt_/s4000/20240217_171412.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcmeT1K36o4hhS6Pi2Y3vOUGDm5XF6xDGU-PhFdRNwZOH1NY8oOMjFUaDMJZElWRm9I3uskfLfRLDk70s8JVS4BS5ZwLqUrCcblRc7suzvWpPWMQ_6jpSlIVc_zwUHEiOE2m0M3WBFQXTbF2z-En6CjppcA8SbQ_4FOYn0NfsmICJALkwVwt_/w300-h400/20240217_171412.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIHr8T9OTiV6tFJxgsKEE8IQGsh6pw1WI4HDWz2eg79HUtS_aAX32rZZgrlTv0D4tcsjMIGQNqxIYiXnB7VyjmlnNLxdV3BHMusm55K43nv31pLe7BJWzRmjwXyuPM-0-AoZIxFrseQ1d_Fv5StZiE534dyZXRz4jhxrK0oA6KqtpNeIwMlxn/s4000/20240217_171406.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIHr8T9OTiV6tFJxgsKEE8IQGsh6pw1WI4HDWz2eg79HUtS_aAX32rZZgrlTv0D4tcsjMIGQNqxIYiXnB7VyjmlnNLxdV3BHMusm55K43nv31pLe7BJWzRmjwXyuPM-0-AoZIxFrseQ1d_Fv5StZiE534dyZXRz4jhxrK0oA6KqtpNeIwMlxn/w300-h400/20240217_171406.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">North Carolina! You are beautiful! </div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm excited for Summer when you green up!</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">But I also LOVE the season we are in, so, no rush!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p></div>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-27078338215133755332024-02-18T01:00:00.084-05:002024-02-22T19:57:39.106-05:00Happy 21 Birthday, Jane!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZgR452baIhMrfNdCrh_MrstOF3IXm3hJQMT8dZQLr_bGxJxRNzRCn5LuAx6YiBEBSz6QvGzH_u4Kk5QHC8oN1mcprWUKqyZ0DmRJwQzMem4NiqCiMVdpCVw887dsVAaxZOS1a4t1bOsjOJ4MExcAHwysA4w64v7skdczWZXqCxVQqFqfl4eq/s4000/20240218_201602.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZgR452baIhMrfNdCrh_MrstOF3IXm3hJQMT8dZQLr_bGxJxRNzRCn5LuAx6YiBEBSz6QvGzH_u4Kk5QHC8oN1mcprWUKqyZ0DmRJwQzMem4NiqCiMVdpCVw887dsVAaxZOS1a4t1bOsjOJ4MExcAHwysA4w64v7skdczWZXqCxVQqFqfl4eq/w480-h640/20240218_201602.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Today, my little Jane Bug turned 21!!</div><div style="text-align: center;">I am LOVING having her and Claire home for a few </div><div style="text-align: center;">months until they turn the chapters in their life stories and move </div><div style="text-align: center;">to Utah for school and work.</div><div style="text-align: center;">This is truly a unique time for our family.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NaUgGQ4KtcSbeiKiRvvy48yll3Z67EkjBnM0CXG-gzpnsBVOWfpmuoTVUZ9IGDwwLwOmghj6tgp6SbhlPCC1O-2JaRe0CgeC08ZO83RmdBzQ4M0LruFm8xeEuBvSaCMV8-NHkZg3NPJBLco7m5LqPnf_Q4OKSP8LLoxqZEbODEf41d0gmCnm/s4000/20240218_201607.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NaUgGQ4KtcSbeiKiRvvy48yll3Z67EkjBnM0CXG-gzpnsBVOWfpmuoTVUZ9IGDwwLwOmghj6tgp6SbhlPCC1O-2JaRe0CgeC08ZO83RmdBzQ4M0LruFm8xeEuBvSaCMV8-NHkZg3NPJBLco7m5LqPnf_Q4OKSP8LLoxqZEbODEf41d0gmCnm/w300-h400/20240218_201607.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iVbD5VmSLYfXYNAveGcARItgjLg-UZqidMATIsT9TRwWIccmzEujJpUnU3P6eB_rXjBhE2DmRnZdhhUx2ea_Fo6I1t112OA3Pj5xDFB4ul5rl3gPCNOuZHHCUqhD3Y6KA0m48daJungg8kNmInEcp6e2zdBnY3gw9hlC4lIlrCOMI9S_z7Y6/s4000/20240218_201522.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iVbD5VmSLYfXYNAveGcARItgjLg-UZqidMATIsT9TRwWIccmzEujJpUnU3P6eB_rXjBhE2DmRnZdhhUx2ea_Fo6I1t112OA3Pj5xDFB4ul5rl3gPCNOuZHHCUqhD3Y6KA0m48daJungg8kNmInEcp6e2zdBnY3gw9hlC4lIlrCOMI9S_z7Y6/w300-h400/20240218_201522.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKHjOtS_v36RSBk1V5sUg94UPKXxP9A7AThZH-sNWMLIQhs-6W5kpmxLEQkvuLlJKfOuIyj1qO_2ld12W1Uz28qGoXDR3Yo8V0Xz79PwgLTEB1dbFba1IxnhblrCASVVQIpebcW5pT7hIsqYCoXTp5uJ9kwkikWnPkus_SxYBsZBkd0M1v3nb/s4000/20240218_201517.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKHjOtS_v36RSBk1V5sUg94UPKXxP9A7AThZH-sNWMLIQhs-6W5kpmxLEQkvuLlJKfOuIyj1qO_2ld12W1Uz28qGoXDR3Yo8V0Xz79PwgLTEB1dbFba1IxnhblrCASVVQIpebcW5pT7hIsqYCoXTp5uJ9kwkikWnPkus_SxYBsZBkd0M1v3nb/w300-h400/20240218_201517.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2gW1oHMFjpoEOm12V-sgsduNJyGp-N9grlNeDS2AYgk3UgFHrBS_T6prvFj7S3ysiFrcUTalbbpbEUEw3NGOogg5TiL44VLVMNTY-As8ssnrMxB3X-eRhYk38J4tdnnpjoD39mNwymem91Ku_SHO-xuthAoxRDo7plc2IEy8lbgbE2CMNa09/s4000/20240218_201507.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2gW1oHMFjpoEOm12V-sgsduNJyGp-N9grlNeDS2AYgk3UgFHrBS_T6prvFj7S3ysiFrcUTalbbpbEUEw3NGOogg5TiL44VLVMNTY-As8ssnrMxB3X-eRhYk38J4tdnnpjoD39mNwymem91Ku_SHO-xuthAoxRDo7plc2IEy8lbgbE2CMNa09/w300-h400/20240218_201507.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I made Jane a vanilla sprinkle cake </div><div style="text-align: center;">and tortilla soup for dinner (per her request).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Also, today, Jane, Claire, and Gigs ALL SPOKE IN CHURCH!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Jane shared with the congregation about her mission, telling beautiful</div><div style="text-align: center;">faith-filled stories about her 18 months in Portugal.</div><div style="text-align: center;">(And <a href="https://www.nieniedialogues.com/2021/01/he-always-keeps-his-word.html">Hope and her family </a>came to listen!!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2d7SFUNM9c87zN-ReD-2R2uw9NoUXSudphONUSRbbTijY58qh9AAh8xbIz0qVTSwncyKTMCCpTCL6zZb7JJyU_ATFNHA5shuelPeCcJxCy-6_zkCiQM0qqs3ov1lSYx2nw1dWp8UT_ECriMCWU7Cl_dgeUOL4uhzmsHdsHKruO7_BjH_FDrh/s4000/20240218_194944.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2d7SFUNM9c87zN-ReD-2R2uw9NoUXSudphONUSRbbTijY58qh9AAh8xbIz0qVTSwncyKTMCCpTCL6zZb7JJyU_ATFNHA5shuelPeCcJxCy-6_zkCiQM0qqs3ov1lSYx2nw1dWp8UT_ECriMCWU7Cl_dgeUOL4uhzmsHdsHKruO7_BjH_FDrh/w300-h400/20240218_194944.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcgP33mqJ35lhcJXTTdJMApJ0DPhlYYuWNebZYIKHsHiQIwU4WlGPBe-2E3ltt6AWlLp-wmAGR4U3jT94vEcaDFCmO4xwzVMOSO_xkYc9ttQdOP8jKJ6AWygzxuMb5LGUnEOedZqDw9Mcww3MhZ2T0R8L_5W-t6UNM5iqujhlTpdkeYp11GjC/s913/nSvUbT_IS--xppfa7ANHow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="913" data-original-width="685" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcgP33mqJ35lhcJXTTdJMApJ0DPhlYYuWNebZYIKHsHiQIwU4WlGPBe-2E3ltt6AWlLp-wmAGR4U3jT94vEcaDFCmO4xwzVMOSO_xkYc9ttQdOP8jKJ6AWygzxuMb5LGUnEOedZqDw9Mcww3MhZ2T0R8L_5W-t6UNM5iqujhlTpdkeYp11GjC/w300-h400/nSvUbT_IS--xppfa7ANHow.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Her favorite gift was the heart flower vase </div><div style="text-align: center;">since she's a little goth-y at "heart."</div><div style="text-align: center;">Get it?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eJYcd7tNdr8c6lCuEMSoEzw00sflV2hQKIvbVvpKQyYOEZTNYf1vqu0dfxCKC0zlsmBjN_h8l25UB-ePE35dFMLuZvvMAarwNPfK64p-O2oPItRif8lz9p-vEKu48ub9aX6ed0S3ib7yeaK1QhgConf5jgouo8MyFqBiLuJH9t0K7HsFtwwE/s4000/20240218_140447.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eJYcd7tNdr8c6lCuEMSoEzw00sflV2hQKIvbVvpKQyYOEZTNYf1vqu0dfxCKC0zlsmBjN_h8l25UB-ePE35dFMLuZvvMAarwNPfK64p-O2oPItRif8lz9p-vEKu48ub9aX6ed0S3ib7yeaK1QhgConf5jgouo8MyFqBiLuJH9t0K7HsFtwwE/w640-h480/20240218_140447.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I am beyond proud of Jane.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She has magnified her life by serving.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She is truly inspiring!</div><div style="text-align: center;">I can't wait to see what this 21st year brings!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16611152.post-77943564132176778722024-02-17T01:00:00.003-05:002024-02-22T19:41:44.209-05:00So Ripe<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryj9Q5oFR4nE31ajGCS12sQTbAsHQ7-xzyRZoPaPBQu7zqpxHfN5M5vc9eYd-gk_IC8S03vvIes62WyNkMB59bJsCVm6P3jpUnoPT3lsje_e4fIKjytEPr_VduUV4YWAD92myuib863SKNjcwiSs0gCrjjhpNB1ENLpCm3-EaEMoWoyLXyvH3/s4000/20240216_115505.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryj9Q5oFR4nE31ajGCS12sQTbAsHQ7-xzyRZoPaPBQu7zqpxHfN5M5vc9eYd-gk_IC8S03vvIes62WyNkMB59bJsCVm6P3jpUnoPT3lsje_e4fIKjytEPr_VduUV4YWAD92myuib863SKNjcwiSs0gCrjjhpNB1ENLpCm3-EaEMoWoyLXyvH3/w640-h360/20240216_115505.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> Today was wash Angus day,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and Claire was the lucky one who was brave enough to do it!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Bless you, Claire!</div><div style="text-align: center;">This was a much-needed wash since he had rolled in something</div><div style="text-align: center;">earlier that day that was so ripe and gross that at night,</div><div style="text-align: center;"> I kicked him out of my room</div><div style="text-align: center;">where he sleeps on his special pillow next to my side of the bed</div><div style="text-align: center;">and onto the porch, and I never do that!</div><div style="text-align: center;">It was that bad.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9Qh9sbh9FK-GJKxs-ikHi7Yv0lzpVS4bfjtcz4LKaK_HHcFKsvpCXKDG5eEvpSjTfRei11eKuF60le8tXDiTasXVd8NxwflZDzjpz3AGrh_FEaxig60bPS-cZs1uHBdl4N22bHFu-GDlGaVJ6E2FYb2dfQ8cb4A1voQ3vSJvx0moe5Ijwst4/s4000/20240216_115456.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9Qh9sbh9FK-GJKxs-ikHi7Yv0lzpVS4bfjtcz4LKaK_HHcFKsvpCXKDG5eEvpSjTfRei11eKuF60le8tXDiTasXVd8NxwflZDzjpz3AGrh_FEaxig60bPS-cZs1uHBdl4N22bHFu-GDlGaVJ6E2FYb2dfQ8cb4A1voQ3vSJvx0moe5Ijwst4/w225-h400/20240216_115456.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_kw9O1eZMfVBQhebbMYtIt02BdB_9Z-X0ghGQyOK6NSBwt708mQ8hQHUw4uSX4QLavyO0mp87YZ5lQd5aBqzhLJT_LtddbXqObh2NiVD_xoTuLZsLvts8QluoAOAjSm0-Povv5nNg3yTk_Ggycm80WLzjSZQXuriZvxfuiEMO1zwvRqLBMA5L/s4000/20240216_115444.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_kw9O1eZMfVBQhebbMYtIt02BdB_9Z-X0ghGQyOK6NSBwt708mQ8hQHUw4uSX4QLavyO0mp87YZ5lQd5aBqzhLJT_LtddbXqObh2NiVD_xoTuLZsLvts8QluoAOAjSm0-Povv5nNg3yTk_Ggycm80WLzjSZQXuriZvxfuiEMO1zwvRqLBMA5L/w225-h400/20240216_115444.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173163776699395960noreply@blogger.com