Pineview

Pineview is our favorite lake. The scenery is beautiful and there are sandy beaches all around it. Yesterday we went with my parents. Here are a few of the cute pictures we took.

Camryn's first visit from the Toothfairy!

Camryn was playing in the pool last month with her little "boyfriend" when he accidentally nailed Camryn in the mouth with his shoulder...which resulted in Camryn's FIRST loose tooth. It probably wasn't ready, but oh well. The other day she was eating salt water taffy and WHAT DO YOU KNOW!? Her tooth came out! There's NO sign of a new tooth coming up, so she'll probably be toothless for a while, but it's pretty cute. Nic and I went to "Batman" that night, so the kids got to sleep at Grandma & Grandpa's house. Well the toothfairy found her and brought her a gold $1 coin! She's a pretty excited little girl. Brooklyn even told Camryn that she'd give her all her money so Camryn would have enough to buy something out of the American Doll catalogue. Haha....she'll have to lose about 60 more teeth to be able to afford anything from that catalogue. So cute though :)

Makeovers!!

Nic and I get bored really easily. We were bored of our red kitchen, so we painted it blue. ( I actually painted it blue while he was out of town....Surprise! Don't worry, the paint had been purchased 2 months prior). And please don't judge the model in the first picture. It was the best "before" kitchen picture I could find ;)

The next makeover started as a $5 purchase at a yard sale of Grandma Clark's neighbors. I got made fun of, but Nic and I were pumped to restore this gem. I forgot to take a before picture, but this one looks exactly like it....just imagine a rusted out tray, bent foot rest and ripped upholstery. We even put a seatbelt on it. Nixon loves it and in all honesty, it's much better than the giant red high chair we've used with all the other kids!

Stanley Orvin Nicolaysen

I am so lucky and so blessed to have the most amazing grandpa ever. I know I'll see him again someday, and that brings so much comfort. I'll never forget reading "Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb" with him when I was little. That was our special book and he NEVER failed to quote a few lines every time I saw him. My children felt comfortable around him and he was so kind to them. He sealed Nic and I together in the Bountiful Temple when we got married in 2003, it was so wonderful to have him perform the ceremony. I know that he and my Grandma are much of the reason my mom is such a fabulous, selfless, good person. I didn't get to see my grandpa much since we moved from Oregon when I was 6, but it just made our visits that much more special. I will miss him so much. It feels weird to have 3 of my 4 grandparents gone. I just pray that I'll always be able to remember each of them. I also pray that my dear Grandma will have the comfort and care she needs without her sweet husband who took SUCH great care of her. He was among the finest. And Grandpa, I just want you to know that my little family ate at one of your Es-O-En Taco Bells yesterday and we thought of you! Thanks for the burritos!!! We Love You Forever!!!

Stanley Orvin Nicolaysen November 14, 1926 - July 16, 2012 SALEM - Stanley Orvin Nicolaysen, of Salem, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 16, 2012, from complications following a stroke. He was born November 14, 1926 in Modesto, California, to Theodore Laurie and Mary Jane Davis Nicolaysen. He married Edith Melvina Pope, of Turlock, California, on June 18, 1947. After managing the family dairy in Ripon, California, he joined the California Highway Patrol in 1954 and served there until 1964. He left to seek other employment more compatible with his new LDS Church assignment as Bishop in Manteca, California. A visit to a Taco Bell restaurant in 1968 resulted in a new career as a Taco Bell Franchisee. He and Edith moved their family of eight children to Salem, and have lived there until the present time. He formally retired in 1992. An active Scouter, he served on the boards of the Cascade Area and Cascade Pacific Councils, and as president of the Cascade Area Council. The service center on South Liberty in Salem is named for him and Edith. Affectionately known as 'Grandpa Stan", he enjoyed reading with first graders at Faye Wright Elementary School for the past 10 years. He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served as a Bishop and in many other leadership positions, a temple worker in the Seattle and Portland Temples, and as a full-time missionary with his wife, Edith in England. Over the years he was a faithful home teacher. He is survived by his wife Edith, his children Timothy (Sally) of Draper, Utah; Carl (Pam) of Nampa, Idaho; Marian Sellers (Dan) of Bountiful, Utah; Barbara Sabin (Brian) of Safford, Arizona; Geraldine Roberts (Bob) of Salem, Oregon; Elaine Miles (Roger) of Gilbert, Arizona; Duane (Tammy) of Salem, Oregon; and Karen Baxter (Greg) of Baker City, Oregon; his older brother Donald Nicolaysen, of Jenny Lind, California; sister Kathleen Haack of Grants Pass, Oregon; 31 grandchildren and 57 great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 3154 Eola Drive, NW, Salem Oregon, at 11:00 AM, Thursday, July 19, 2012. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to your local Boy Scouts of America Council. Arrangements are by Virgil T. Golden Funeral Service. My grandpa's funeral was fabulous. Such beautiful things were said about him. All 30 cousins were there, with the exception of Eric Miles, who is serving a mission in DC. It was a wonderful reunion and so good to see cousins I haven't seen in years. We were also able to visit my Sellers Grandpa/ma's graves which are in the same cemetery as my Grandpa Nicolaysen. The Sellers and the Nicolaysens have been close family friends since my parents were 15 (yep, that's how long my parents have been in love...cute).

It was also nice to hang out with my siblings for a couple days. We ate at "Los Baez" with the Nicolaysens (my Grandpa's FAVORITE restaurant). We also went to my Grandparents (Sellers) ranch and played in their 17 acre back yard. The 6-wheeler was a lot of fun. If only they could get that place sold! We also hung out with Shawnee, Dave, Shayla, Cole and Daisha. I just love those guys! A big thank you to Shawnee and Dave for letting all of us stay at your house! That house brings back the best memories of my childhood :) And Holly, shopping in Portland and RACING to the airport was a blast! Last, but not least. Thank you to Ashley, Ryan, Kate and Matt for helping Nic take such good care of our kids while I was away. Love you guys so much!

Elder Clark goes to the MTC

Elder Clark entered the MTC one week ago, July 18th, 2012. So bittersweet! He'll be one of the best missionaries there has ever been and we're so excited to start receiving letters from him! We were all able to go to his setting apart at the MTC that morning. Grandma and I were the scribes....hard. Then we ate lunch at a pizza place. That was where we said our goodbyes. We'll miss our little brother/uncle Sean!!!

Here are some of the fun things we all did the week before Seano left for the MTC. The girls were in the "Festival Parade" in Farmington with Flips Gymnastics. They sat on the bed of a truck & threw candy. It was cute and they were so excited :) (Not to worry, Nana and I collected plenty of candy for them).

Papa and the girls "blew" giant bubbles! We went boating at Pineview one day. The babies played in the sand. All the kids skied. Matt busted out some back flips. Ash, Ryan, Sean and I wakeboarded and Nic & Papa skied. I might also add that I wakeboarded right past a GIANT Tiger Musky. Mark my words, I won't be getting back in that water for a LONG time. The water was perfect since most of the boats on the lake left during a giant storm earlier in the day. We waited it out....at Huntsville BBQ.

We went to the pool by Ashley's house one day.

And the kids got to ride/play with the horses that are vacationing in Ashley's backyard. Brooklyn was especially smitten by the horses. She led the horses around and around the pasture and they obeyed her every command. So cute.

We also had the missionaries over for dinner one night. Had a BBQ with LOTS of Schenks at Ashley's one night. Went to Ice Age 4 one night. And I'm sure plenty more that I can't think of!