Beachin' it up!

We were at the beach Saturday, Sunday and Monday of this weekend. It was so much fun but very exhausting! We went camping Sat-Sun {pics to come} but on Monday we drove back to the beach to be bums before the week really started. It was so nice just relaxing. The beach we normally go to here has a lot of restrictions and it was annoying. Couldn't bring your own chairs or umbrella's. Had to rent theirs. No dogs. And so on. So we found this one. The Free Beach. No chairs to rent. You can bring whatever you like. So on Sunday after noon, after we got back from camping, I went in search of a beach umbrella and some lounge chairs. The base had no more chairs, that I wanted anyhow, but they did have 2 more umbrella's. So I got one, and now Nick wants me to get another, so we have more shade and we're not so confined. Lol.


Oh and the Free Beach is also known as the Dog Beach. So it worked out a lot better! Kodi and Kaci didn't mind the water really, when the waves got a bit bigger they kinda freaked Kodi out. BUT we did get him to swim, and when I say swim, I mean really swim out there. Our friends Josh and Holly and their dog Buddy came along with us and Josh had brought one of those nerf footballs. Kodi wouldn't swim out to get a tennis ball, which is weird cuz he loves them, but he did indeed want that football. So now we know what to buy so he'll swim. {I'll add some of him swimming after I steal them from Holly!}


By the way, he slept the whole 40 min drive home! He was pooped!

This is one of my favorite pictures. So calming.
Monday was a great day to go, not an Italian holiday and not many people there!

Kaci and her blues that match the sky.

Our little set up. Made lounging so much better since the dogs liked to lounge on the towel with you!

Josh & Holly

Buddy. Kodi. Kaci.

Holly and I

Beach Bums we've become!

2 years!

Today is our 2 year wedding anniversary! I can't believe it. Its crazy how time flies. Even though sometimes it feels like we've been married for 10 years already! Most times it doesn't though.
Nick is my best friend. He is the one I go to when I am down. He is the first to hear something exciting. He is the person I want to be with for the rest of my life. He's my man.

It has been a wonderful two years. I am so thankful that I found Mr. Right so young in life. I have always had him it seems and have never felt alone.

We met at in 2004. I just turned 18 and he 17. We both worked at the local movie theatre. Our first job. {I started when I was 17} We started hanging out about 9 months after we started working together. Then after that we were inseperable.

Nick asked me to marry him on December 25th 2005. Yes, we did have quite a long engagement. That was before he decided he was going to join the Air Force. So at the time of engagement we had no clue what we were going to do and how we were going to live. Thats somewhat the reason for our long engagement. Oh and it was nice to have time to plan a wedding rather than rush it.

I can't wait to see what the future holds for us. I am excited for years to come with my Nicholas. I pray that we may have a wonderful life full of laughter, together-ness and love, forever and for always.

Sunday Dinner

So yesterday we had our friends Mike and Emily and Baylie over for dinner. I made Italian Beef in the crock pot. It turned out oh so yummy. Emily made some awesome chocolate chip cookies and I tried, for the first time, this Apple Crisp Dessert thing. Thanks Arlene for for giving me the recipe!!


Only thing that I don't like is its SO yummy that I want to eat it all! Haha. So I gave some of it to my friend Holly just to get some out of the house!


Nick and I are trying to somewhat eat better. Not give up things really, but eat the better things I guess. Not sure if that makes sense. Lol. For instance, instead of getting the regular Peanut Butter we now get the all natural stuff. Thats what I mean as in eating better. Lol. We've been going to Spin Class every day well, M-Th anyhow. Trying to get in shape and healthy!


So yes. I was very proud of how it turned out!! Nick was too! And also Emily and Mike. Baylie wasn't too sure.


Well thats all for now!

Kaci

I looked out the back door to this...she was just chilling in the empty pool. I called her, she did't come just wagged her tail as usual. Maybe I should fill it, but then she will do this and want to come inside and be soaked!

Milano

*Warning: Picture Overload*

Well we did indeed get to go to Milan yesterday. It was so much fun! We went with our friends Mike and Emily and their daughter Baylie[almost 11mo.].

We ended up driving. Saved LOTS of money by doing that instead of taking the train! Its about a 3 to 3 1/2 hour drive. We left a little after 6a and got home a bit before 10p. Long day thats for sure!

There is tons of shopping there! I'm not a shopper but I like looking. They had all the upscale stores, Prada, LV, Chanel, Armani...the list can go on. And just watching people there, there were some very different looking clothes! It was cool to see.

Here are some pictures.

The Duomo.

Sorry the pics are a tiny bit out of order.

Us 4 in the Galleria

Nick and I outside of Castello Sforzesco

Again.

This is inside the big duomo. SO PRETTY

They won't let you in if you have shorts on or tank tops or flipflops, so I brought a sweater.

I love the Duomo

Haha. Yes we ate there. We don't go to McDonalds ever, unless we are out far. Its easy and probably cheaper and I know I will like it. Haha.

Inside the Galleria. Where lots of shops were.

Walking into it.

In front of Leonardo di Vinci's Statue.

This is just neat. It was the Train Station.

Heck yes. Had to snap a shot.

I just liked it.

Right at the begining. When we were trying to figure out where were and where we were going. { They look like they are in a movie}

I might add more later! You know I have TONS more!

Ciao!

The Noose.

Here is a lovely video of our babies. Yes, thats a noose. I am hoping that is how you spell it. When we first got here, Nick's squad was moving from the old building to the new one, and this noose was there so he took it since they were throwing it out. No clue what it was for, lol. We've just had it in the closet doing absolutely nothing! Well tonight, for who knows what reason, Nicholas decides to get it out. He started playing with Kodi with it and he is loving it, well he decied to tie it to the stair banister, and voila a lazy person dog toy! Haha. It was just funny to watch Kodi trying to pull this and its obviously not budging. Then of course, Kaci had to get in a little action too. She isn't much of a tug-o-war'er but hey, she wanted something!

Hope you enjoy!

The Big 22.

Today was Nick's 22nd birthday. So we get to share our age for roughly a month, as I will be turning 23 on the 10th of June. He doesn't let me live it down that I am almost a year older than him! Its gonna be a rough one when I'm 30 and he's still in his 20s! Haha.


Here is a pic of his cookie cake I made him. I had to shave the sides a bit because they were hanging and fallin off the edges! I put too much cookie on there!


Thank goodness we had a couple people come over and help eat it, we only have a few pieces left!

It was yummy! We had Vanilla Bean ice cream with it!

Just a little update....

I tend to post more pictures then actually updates, so here is one for the books.


Nick and I are great. Finally the weather is getting nice outside minus the rain we get almost every week. As long as the weekends are bright and sunny I'm good! We are suppose to go to Milan this Saturday. We were looking into taking the train but now we're looking into driving. Plans might change, but I really hope they don't! If they do, we are doing something, just aren't sure what just yet.


Then we are also suppose to go camping Memorial Day weekend. We made those plans about a month ago, I should probably bring them back up to see if everyone is still up to it. I would love to go. I haven't been camping in quite sometime. I mean we don't have to go Memorial Day just sometime! I was looking up camping and there is awesome camping near a lake called Lake Bled in Slovenia about 2 1/2 hours away. Sounds fun and neat!


The base has ITT trips and we are going to try and go on one on the 30th of May. Croatia by Boat. Not too expensive. I need to go to the office and see if any seats are left and so on. I think it would be real cool and different to do that.


Nicks 22nd birthday is Thursday {the 7th}. We aren't doing anything out of the ordinary. But our anniversary is coming up too on the 19th. 2 years! I can't believe it. I mean I know 2 years isn't a long time but hey, its a work in progress! Lol. We really haven't thought much about what we want to do for our anniversary. Probably something simple.


The "kids" are doing good also. Same ole same ole. They go lots of places with us, the back of the car can attest to that. { I have to vacuum the car frequently so its not horrid!} We are planning a trip back stateside late summer time frame and Nick is reluctant to leave them. Of course we would love to take them with us, but it would be pointless really. Stressful on us and them. If we were stateside thats totally different. Oh and not to mention expensive. They aren't light weight dogs!


Nick, as of tomorrow, is off the line. He is going to Phase.{those of you who don't know what phase is: he is switching squadrons, going to be pretty much working on one jet each week sorta speak and taking it all the way apart, fixing it, and putting it all back to together, where as if he was on the line he'd be fixing little easy things and launching them out and catching them and such} Where he'll be probably the rest of our tour here. He wasn't happy at first, but his attitude has made me proud. He just says he will learn so much more about the jet and be an outstanding Ssgt. So again, I am proud of him and his attitude!


I think that is really all I have to say. I will try to do this more often. But if you are like me, pictures and pictures and more are just fine too!


Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

My New Favorite Picture!

Like the title. This is my new fave picture!


We went walking, as usual. And I was like 'hey try to get a pic of our backs....'...then Nick called them both and it was perfect!

Toby Keith

So I heard on the radio on Wednesday that Toby Keith was going to be performing at Camp Darby. I wanted to go but its like a 3-4 hour drive that way. So I was like oh well. Then I went online and looked up his tour and found out he was going to be at Vicenza Army Base Thursday night. Thats only and hour to and hour and a half away. So I was like ROADTRIP!


It was just me, Holly and Mandee. I am so glad we ventured out and made it. It was a pretty good concert. Very nice day too. Considering it was outside. Nick was a little upset he couldn't make it but he was fine. And our good friend Emily wanted to go very bad too but her daughter Baylie is cutting 4 teeth at once and didn't want to get there and have a crabby baby!


Here are a couple pics from the evening!


P.S. I wish my rounded corner pictures didn't have the white on here like it does! Oh well imagine its not there!

Just editing.

Sunny Saturday

We went hiking on Saturday morning, {4/25}...Just Nick and I and the fur babies. We had a blast. It was such a gorgeous day! We hiked so high, that it started to get really cold....when we got down and noticed how high we were, we were like, "No wonder it was gettin cold, the snow was right there"....Needless to say, if we would have kept going up a little bit more, we definatly would have needed snow boots! Hehe.

I love us!
Taking a breather.

Where's Kodi?!

Pretty Girl cooling off.

Rock Diving! Lol

Frecce Tricolori

The Italian Air Force aerobatic team practiced over the skies of Aviano today. It was pretty neat. I was going to go to base this morning to see it closer and such, but I didn't. Luckily I could see them very well from our front patio. Granted, when I saw them landing {couldn't really, trees and buildings in the way from our house} I really wished I would have gone to base because they had all the colored smoke and stuff. Still I got some good pictures.


They are officially known as, the 313 Gruppo Addestramento Acrobatico. They are from Rivolto Air Base Italy, about an 1-2hrs away from Aviano AB. The team includes 9 MB-339 PAN two-seater fighter training aircraft. They have been wowing crowds since 1961 with a performance of 18 high-speed, acrobatic manuvers which includes the Italian green, white and red smoke filled finale.


They were practicing for their airshow at their home base in Udine on May 1 2009. I am going to try and talk Nick into driving up there, I would love to see them in full play! My mom and dad have said that the European air shows are so much better then the ones stateside. I guess they say that the Europeans are more daring. So hopefully we'll get to go to this one coming up!


Enjoy the pics!


P.S. I got a new lens to my camera, a 75mm-300mm. So I got to test it out today with the jets!

**I just noticed that there was only 8 flying today! Weird! I can count, but the article says there are actually 9, so thats why I said that! Hehe.

Happy Easter!

We hope everyone has a wonderful Easter!


After church we had a potluck with lots of yummy food and great people! The sun was shining and we couldn't ask for a better day to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior!


Then after that we came home and hung out with our good friends Mike and Emily and Baylie. The boys played softball while Em and I just hung out and talked and I did gymnastics. Hehe.


The dogs of course got to be in on this. Ours and theirs! They had a blast too! We actually were able to let Kodi and Kaci run without a leash and they were so good! Only once did we get a little nervous that they were heading for the road, thank goodness it wasn't a busy busy one or I would have really freaked! That was the first time we let Kaci off the leash so she proved she is somewhat trustworthy now. Lol.


Anyways, again, hope this finds you all well and have had a great Easter! Don't forget its not all about cute bunnies and yummy chocolate eggs!


Love,


The Nelson's

Yay for spring days!

I am still in a little awe that it has been so nice outside. I am definatly anticipating the rain to come soon though....but thats ok....thats why its so green here right!?


Here are some snap shots while we went on a 2 hr walk in the country yesterday. It was so nice and pretty.

Deena with Elvis and Nick with Kaci and Kodi.
Nick with his rigged double leash thing.

So very pretty. There is still snow!

I actually think these are weeds, but hey, it made for a good picture still!

Here is Mike and Kodi, we all thought Kodi would pull him down, but he did great!

Time Change

For all those who keep tabs on us by calling and such-hehe, we are now one more hour ahead. So for all you Arizonians, we are now 9 hours ahead of you! Just thought I'd let ya know. We changed yesterday, not sure why we don't have the same daylight savings dates as the states, but we don't. Oh well.