Nason Clan

Dakota Country Kitchen...

2009-04-30T11:16:00.004-04:00

www.quiltingiowa.com is our new website! Don't forget to come on over and see all the new and exciting things happening over there.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T20:24:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year to all of our family and friends. After a few comments from family members getting tired of seeing marshmellows, I realized it is time to make a new post. Actually, Robert and I have been very busy putting together a new multi-blog site and today we are ready to give the new web address for it. Please update our link if you have us on your list of friends and check out the new blog! We look forward to seeing you all there!

Dakota Country Kitchen

www.dakotacountrykitchen.com

Hot Chocolate With Marshmellows...Mmmm...

2008-12-13T16:04:00.002-05:00

If you saw a little girl at your door that looked this cold, wouldn't you give her a nice cup of hot chocolate loaded with marshmellows? I thought so.

The kids wanted to go outside and play in the snow sooo bad that they didn't care how cold it was. Before long, one after another they filed back inside starting with Katie. Justin was next with really rosy cheeks. His chubby little cheeks were so red and cold that they started to swell up. I was quite worried, but he is fine now. At the time we were fussying over him so much about it that he said, "Great, I'm going to die now."

2008-12-13T16:01:00.000-05:00

Do I really need to say anything about this picture?

2008-12-13T15:57:00.001-05:00

If the kids had their way, this is the kind of picture you would find in your Christmas card.

Christmas Kids....

2008-12-13T15:41:00.002-05:00

The kids look just like stair steps don't they? They are all very excited about Christmas coming soon and have been counting the days. Today, Rebecca and I went to our church to make cookie baskets to give to various people around town. It was a good time of fellowship and of course a few cookies were eaten. The weather has been great, lots of sunshine and 39 degrees today.
It is amazing how quickly that feels warm!

Frosty...

2008-12-09T14:08:00.002-05:00

One of the windows had this pretty frost on it this morning. I am glad that we are nice and warm inside.

One morning we opened the front door and saw these cute little bird tracks on our front porch. Can you see them? I wonder if our cat Daisy saw the bird when it was there?

Justin and Katie..!

2008-12-09T13:57:00.001-05:00

Say Cheese! Aren't they cute. Right now they are outside enjoying the fresh, powdery snow. Perfect for trying out the new sled we bought at Menards.

Dakota Dusk...

2008-12-01T19:18:00.003-05:00

The frontier life is a good life...

Getting Ready for Christmas....Already...

2008-12-01T10:14:00.002-05:00

The day after Thanksgiving we are all set to put away all of the fall decorations and get out the Christmas decorations. Before long we had the whole house decked out with figurines, wall hangings, Christmas tree and presents. This is going to be such a neat place to have Christmas.

The kids saw the snow blowing around outside yesterday and wanted to go out and see what it was like. Katie was the only one dressed appropriately. The boys didn't think that putting on their snow pants was necessary. She was also the only one that wasn't cold. We thought they would be out there for awhile but, they came back right away. I guess Mom does know best after all!

Grandpa and Katie....

2008-12-01T09:53:00.002-05:00

Clyde came for a visit two weeks ago. On the last day of his visit he had a conversation with Katie.

It went a little something like this. "Katie, are you smarter than me?" Katie replied, "Yes."
"Katie are you smarter than your Daddy?" Katie replied, "Yes."
"Katie, what does it mean to be smart?" Katie replied, "I know how to do stuff good."

I thought that was so cute. I am glad that she had this talk with her Grandpa...

A View of South Dakota....

2008-12-01T09:07:00.002-05:00

I love these views out of our windows. The brown grass, distant farm houses and Spirit Mound are all part of this great big land out here.

We haven't had too much snow yet. Right now the only snow is a coating on the drive way. We have such nice weather the last week or so. Alas, that is all about to end. We are in for frosty cold weather and hopefully some heavy snow....

Snow....

2008-11-11T20:53:00.002-05:00

Rebecca is hard at work doing her math. I had just finished knitting her a snow hat and she is modeling it for us. I think she likes it. The kids had a good time playing outside today. The snow was wet and full of leaves, but they managed to make a snow man. The best part of playing outside is coming in for hot chocolate!

You can see the snow out the back window. If you are wondering what is on the wall, there used to be shelves there from the previous owners. We are not sure exactly how to patch it up since the walls are textured like sandpaper. We will have to figure that out soon. We are already used to it and don't notice it until people come over...

Climbing Spirit Mound....

2008-11-08T23:01:00.003-05:00

There is a great big hill not far from our house called Spirit Mound. The other day we finally decided it was time to climb it and see what it was like to stand in the same spot that Lewis and Clark stood 204 years ago.

That's Brendan standing up there at the top. Justin and Brendan both went the long way and still managed to beat us. The girls are giving it their all....

It was quite windy up there. Poor Katie was blown around a bit. We looked around and tried to imagine what it would have been like to see a herd of wild buffalo off in the distance. We did see some horses to give us a little perspective. We all were glad that we went while it was still nice outside. Two days later we had our first snow. It was only a light dusting, nothing at all like the dumping that Rapid City and the Black Hills received. Winter is fast approaching....

My Boy Being a Boy...

2008-10-30T14:15:00.006-04:00

I love looking outside and seeing my boy doing boy things. Like climbing trees.

Or running gleefully with a rotten apple to chase his younger brother with.

And his sister following close behind.

It is a good day....

Fall and Food Fun....

2008-10-27T13:37:00.002-04:00

The light was shining on the leaves and looked so pretty. Fall is my favorite time of year, and the trees here are wonderful to watch as they change. It is cool and crisp out, a little cold but dry.

Whenever we get a little carried away with the whipped cream, the kids squeal with delight at the silliness of it all.

They love to get it all over their faces and then pretend that they didn't even know how it got there. I wonder where they get that from....

Apples....

2008-10-21T09:35:00.002-04:00

The kids have a new hobby...Picking apples...It is amazing how many apples they can bring in, and they haven't even put a dent in the trees.

Katie likes to pick them and eat them. We have three trees that have tart apples and one that has sweet apples. Surprisingly, it is the green apple that is sweet.

I learned quickly how to make applesauce and it is sooo good. We have had apple pie, apple crisp, apple muffins, and apple butter. I would like to make more applesauce, but, all of the local stores are out of canning supplies. Next year I will have to be more prepared!

Back in South Dakota...

2008-10-11T12:25:00.003-04:00

Here we are in South Dakota again! It has taken a long time to post, I know, but we are working on getting faster Internet service out in the country. This is our new house on a beautiful fall day.
There is a lot of room for the kids to run around and play, the house is roomy as well.

This is the view of the backyard. We were all taking a walk to the road in the back. There are nice gravel country roads with corn and soy fields to see.

The back view of the house, a nice sun set. We are waiting to see the color of the trees and enjoying the crunch of the leaves on the ground. We miss all of our new friends that we had made in Florida, but we are glad to be back here in South Dakota.

Pumpkinland

2008-10-11T12:20:00.002-04:00

We went to Pumpkinland in Orange City, Iowa last week with our local homeschool group.

The kids had a great time going through the giant corn maze. Here is a picture of the maze, the kids had to find 6 mailboxes to receive a prize of candy.

Justin is standing at the top of the bales of hay. They had lots of time to run around, look at animals and pick pumpkins. After we left Pumpkinland we went to a dairy and I have to say, we were all impressed.

Fun at the Park....

2008-09-24T20:50:00.002-04:00

Robert gave Justin some swinging lessons. Katie listened closely and tried her best too.

Brother and sister, I wonder what they were talking about...

Justin looks out to see if he is still master of his kingdom.

The Proud Parents...

2008-09-24T20:48:00.001-04:00

Aren't we cute? We love to take pictures of our kids and laugh at the ones we take of each other.

Clyde was happy to take a picture of us together, a rare event. Thanks Pappy.

Talking on the Phone....

2008-09-24T20:43:00.001-04:00

Rebecca spoke with her friend Ally while we were at the park. She talked and talked, and walked and walked. By the time she got off the phone, she worked up a good sweat.

Sooo cute....

How to Slide Down the Slide...

2008-09-24T20:39:00.002-04:00

Step one, climb to the top and look really excited.

Step two, glide down with no hands...

Step three, repeat step one...

Father and Son at the Park....

2008-09-24T20:36:00.000-04:00

Pappy's House....

2008-09-22T09:31:00.001-04:00

Don't these boys look happy to see each other? We finally arrived at Pappy's house yesterday afternoon.

Time together after so long apart.

This is the look of a girl that is happy to be out of the car.

2008-09-22T09:29:00.002-04:00

We drove through St. Louis, Mo on Saturday afternoon. There was a good amount of traffic and it was tricky getting a good look at the Arch. On our way to Florida we stayed in O'Fallon, IL and this time we stayed in O'Fallon, Mo.

A pretty tree in the parking lot of our hotel. It definitely looks fallish to me.

Daisy was really looking forward to the end of the trip. I was trying to gather up my things and she dashed out the door. For a little while I thought we weren't going to be able to catch her. Robert caught her rolling around in the grass. She is safe and sound now though and has complete reign of Pappy's house.

Happy Birthday Robert!

2008-09-03T09:24:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday to my dear husband! He is 10 today, according to Katie. The kids were so excited and all get dressed and made their beds right away so that they could watch their daddy open his gifts.

Justin is his buddy and stood by him all the way.

See the boxes in the background, we are getting ready to move soon. I am sure that you are all so surprised to hear that. But, we are. Happy Birthday honey!

Disney World Magic Kingdom!

2008-08-28T15:42:00.002-04:00

Today is the day! We waited patiently on the dock for the green flag ferry to take us to the Magic Kingdom.

The kids were so happy to finally be on their way. You wouldn't know it by their happy faces just how hot and tired and thirsty they soon would be.

Here we are at the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House. We all thought is was a great way to start off and wished that we had one in our back yard. As with most of the attractions at the park, this didn't mean a lot to the kids because they have not seen the movie. But, I think they did appreciate the construction of it and the idea of such a great big tree house.

2008-08-28T15:37:00.002-04:00

Eeyore came up behind the boys and they were so thrilled. They were not at all scared by the costume and couldn't wait to hug as many characters as they could find. We went to breakfast at one of the character buffets in the Magic Kingdom. The food was great and the air was cool.

Piglet was definitely a favorite.

Katie really wanted Piglet to come over to her chair, but he couldn't fit between the tables. She wasn't shy at all and bounded over to him and gave him a hug.

The Merry Go-Round...

2008-08-28T15:33:00.002-04:00

Rebecca looks like she is in another land. Far far away....

Every kid must ride the merry go round. Even one as cool as this one.

Robert was such a good Daddy and stood with Katie and Justin.

2008-08-28T15:32:00.000-04:00

2008-08-28T15:26:00.002-04:00

Robert and Justin flew a magic carpet together.

Katie and I rode one together behind them. I have to say this was the scariest ride that I rode on the whole time we were there.

The most important thing to remember about Disney World is: every kid has to have the opportunity to control the ride. Steering is very important.

Orlando Science Center....

2008-08-28T15:22:00.002-04:00

Brendan and Justin are fixing tires and trying to put on a new muffler. This was a neat activity for all of them. They just jumped right in and tried to fix this car.

Katie found a neat music area where a nice young lady played music with her. She pounded away and even made a few neat songs. She left after a while to see what the others were doing. The other kids were building a damn. Katie thought this was not as much fun and said, "I'm going back to my pre-school."

Robert showed the girls how to change a flat tire. What a good daddy.

The Titanic Tour....

2008-08-28T15:18:00.002-04:00

We took the kids to the Titanic Tour Event at the Orlando Science Center on Tuesday. I think Robert and I had more fun than the kids, but it was a good history lesson for them and someday they will understand it all better. There are more pictures uploaded on the Flickr badge.

Tropical Storm Fay...

2008-08-19T18:21:00.005-04:00

For all of our friends and family that may be worried about us here in Florida, let us share with you just how we are doing. We decided that the storm had calmed down considerably and we went out to see what the beach was like. Hope you like the sound of the wind.

The Kids....

2008-08-16T16:41:00.001-04:00

Brendan and Rebecca are having some quality brother-sister time.

Katie is showing us that she knows how to blow up three party favors at a time.

Justin is really enjoying his banana.

Daisy saw an alligator...

2008-08-16T16:36:00.003-04:00

Across the water there is an alligator that we have affectionately named "Qweeze."
Katie came up with this name and it is what we call him. Daisy went out side and she knew he was there...

Notice the bushy tail and the laid back ears.

The low crouch and slow walk. She still didn't want to come inside though.

Florida Skies....

2008-08-14T15:53:00.003-04:00

What a beautiful sunset. Robert is so great at taking sky shots, I appreciate his God given talent so much.

The clouds here amaze me everyday. I never tire of looking outside and seeing them roll in. The contrast of the blue sky on one side and the dark, stormy clouds on the other really make me think about how creative God is in His creation.

Ominous Clouds....

2008-08-14T15:44:00.005-04:00

Robert took this spectacular picture of a particularly dark, cloudy sky. The clouds seem to roll in from the west and move their way really fast towards the ocean. The "rain coming down in sheets as thick as lead." (Have you ever seen the movie Big Trouble in Little China with Kurt Russell?)

Look, we survived! I think this picture is a really good representation of what it is like to live in Florida. Palm trees, green grass, dark clouds. The only thing missing from this picture is a bird or an alligator...

Look! A rainbow!

2008-08-14T15:36:00.002-04:00

There has been some spectacular weather here in Florida lately. After one storm we were rewarded with this pretty rainbow.

Justin with the rainbow...

Brendan and Justin with the rainbow. This popular rainbow was seen all over town. I took the girls to the grocery store at the same time that the boys were having their picture taken with the rainbow. Katie and Rebecca both saw it in the sky and we talked all about how God made the rainbow as a promise and I asked Rebecca to tell Katie about Noah.
While we were waiting in line to pay for our purchases, a nice young lady asked Katie if she had seen the rainbow. Katie's response? She lifted her shirt to show the nice lady her belly button.
Wow, that really made us all laugh.

Mario Kart in Playdoh...

2008-08-14T15:34:00.002-04:00

Rebecca is so talented at making these tiny little creations with Play-doh. We all love the things she makes. I wish there was some way to make them last longer...

Daisy...

2008-08-14T15:30:00.000-04:00

Daisy is such a beautiful cat. I can't resist including her in our family blog.

Happy Birthday Day Justin!

2008-08-09T09:30:00.003-04:00

Today is Justin's birthday and he is now 7 years old. He was up early and ready to open his presents. He has always been excited about his birthday and I guarantee that tomorrow he is going to begin the count down to the next one. He sure makes me smile.

Look how happy he is and he doesn't even know what's inside! Oh, to be that innocent and content with whatever I get...

Justin asked for pancakes for breakfast. He is wearing his new mario costume and holding one of the characters. I don't mind video games so much when they are playing like that!

Justin really likes legos and the new Indiana Jones Lego game for DS and they all gasped with delight when he opened this present up. A game and a lego kit!

2008-08-09T09:28:00.000-04:00

A Day at the beach....

2008-08-08T13:21:00.002-04:00

Today we went to the beach at 9am and it was so nice. It was quiet, not crowded and the water was a little bit cold. We have been really surprised at how cold the water has been lately.

The kids had a great time. They played in the sand, swam and soaked up the sun.

Justin dug himself a nice little pit and waited for the tide to come in and fill it up. It reached a little bit but not enough to fill it.

2008-08-08T13:19:00.000-04:00

More Traveling Photos...

2008-08-02T07:38:00.002-04:00

We stopped by the Jefferson Davis Memorial, the one and only Confederate President, but it was closed. So this is all we saw.

I gave Rebecca one of the cameras to take pictures with and she had fun. Some of them are too silly to share, but here are some of them. Unfortunetaly I didn't bring the camera's battery charger so when it ran out of batteries she couldn't take any more pictures for us.

2008-08-02T07:36:00.000-04:00

Exploring the South...

2008-07-28T10:50:00.002-04:00

Last week, the Nason Clan went on a road trip. Being the great explorers that we are, we had to see a little more of the South than we were able to enjoy on our way here. We left on Monday and came home on Friday. We visited some friends in Knoxville, TN, drove through lots of neat old towns in Georgia and visited a couple antique stores. On our last day we went down to Andersonville, Georgia to visit the museum there.

Andersonville, if you aren't sure what that is, was a Confederate prisoner of war camp holding Union soldiers that were captured. Robert and I had learned about it watching the PBS Civil War series and also watching the movie that was made, Andersonville. It was a pretty good movie, I recommend it.

This is a staged area of what it may have looked like during 1864. I have to say, being there and seeing the site made me feel sad. I think it is important to have these memorial sites to keep history in perspective, lest we forget and make the same mistakes again.

This is a picture of Justin helping Katie up after he tripped her and made her fall down. I am glad that he tried to make amends, he is tough and sweet all rolled into one lovable boy.

She's a Suds Angel....

2008-07-19T10:51:00.002-04:00

This is a testimony to how much Robert loves his Katers. He took these pictures of her during her bath. He is so funny.

After the bath. Katie is so clean and well groomed.

Another cute face.

There's a smile!

Baking and Kids...

2008-07-18T14:52:00.002-04:00

Justin and Katie have really been great play mates lately. Justin teases her unmercifully and she yells and screams. It is a great sight to behold and hear.

Brendan likes to ride his bike around the block in our neighborhood. It was too hot today to make him go run, so a bike ride was just what he needed for some exercise. Robert and Justin have been running together in the mornings. The girls like to put music on the piano and dance. I think they are a well-rounded bunch.

I went to the grocery store and they were selling blueberries at a price that I couldn't resist. Brendan suggested that we have blueberry pie. I think he had a great idea and we have already eaten more than half of it. I think that Robert and I will have to have a midnight snack.

This little frog was caught by Justin and observed by all. He was really cute and tiny and we watched him in this glass measuring cup for awhile. Of course we let him go. There are lots of little frogs and lizards around. While we were in Ketchikan we never saw any frogs and in South Dakota I don't remember seeing any.

Happy Birthday Day Katie!

2008-07-09T15:20:00.004-04:00

Today is Katie's 4th birthday! I can't believe that she has grown so much. Katie was born in Ketchikan, Alaska and now she is in Florida. Could she get any farther in the USA?

We tried and tried to get a real smile out of Katie. Justin decided tickling was the answer. It looks like he was right!

I found these really cute Gumby and Pokey figures at a local toy store. I thought Katie would really like it.

So far I was right. She couldn't wait to open them.

Oh, well, maybe I should have bought them for Robert....

Happy Birthday Rebecca!

2008-07-08T07:44:00.004-04:00

Rebecca turned 9 yesterday and she had a great birthday. Since we haven't lived here long we only had a family party, but it was still a great time. Rebecca told me at the end of the day that she had a great birthday. She is growing up so fast.

This is an apron that I made for her birthday. It fits her perfectly, and she didn't take it off for a long time. It came in handy when it was time to make the flower pots below.

I found a great website http://thepioneerwoman.com/ that had this recipe on it. Rebecca and I had a great time making them and finding the worms as we ate made for an interesting time.

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful daughter. Thank you Lord.

Kennedy Space Center....

2008-07-04T08:36:00.002-04:00

We went to the Kennedy Space Center yesterday and spent the whole afternoon exploring and learning about NASA's space programs. There were lots of rockets on display in the Rocket Garden, things for the kids to climb on, and space dots to eat. The space center also provides bus tours to the rocket launch pads, but we missed the last one. The Imax theater had a really interesting movie about all of the Apollo missions and the famous astronauts that were the first
to land on the moon.

Katie was so cute trying to eat her space dots. It is a difficult task for one so little.

This is a great picture that Robert took of one of the rockets in the Rocket Garden.

The kids climbed in and got into position to take a ride. Katie kept saying she wanted to ride in a rocket and go to outer space. I wish I could have given her what she wanted, but, alas it wasn't to be.

Recent happenings....

2008-06-28T15:33:00.002-04:00

There is a great hot dog stand in Melbourne, Florida. We have gone there twice now and they have the most tender hot dogs, second only to my own. (So Robert has told me.) They also have pretty good garlic fries.

The boys are such good friends, still. It is always so neat to see Justin sitting on his Big Brother.

Sweet, isn't she?

I don't know what super hero Katie is supposed to be. Whatever she is, she is adorable.

Quilting Buddies....

2008-06-19T19:50:00.002-04:00

Look at my two favorite quilting buddies! Daisy, the cat, loves to lay on whatever quilt I have laying on my table. And Katie wanted to have her picture taken too. In this day and age of immediate ability to look at the picture that was taken, she always asks to see it. And then she laughs. Katie is so darling. And Daisy too, of course....

Play-doh...

2008-06-18T09:42:00.003-04:00

Can you believe what can be made with playdoh? Rebecca asked me what she should make, and every time I suggested something, she was able to do it. She is a master playdoh sculptor. Now if only they could last...
We haven't been doing much lately. I am happy to report that the kids are all well, and so are Robert and I. He is busy working and I am busy playing...er...I mean working too....Sometimes I feel like I get to have all the fun. Taking the kids swimming, the pet store to look at animals, walks on the beach, knitting, quilting, reading books with the kids. I am so blessed to be able to do all of these things. Thank you Lord for Your amazing grace.

Brotherly Love....

2008-06-12T10:49:00.002-04:00

The boys were wrestling together and then Justin decided to hug Brendan instead. This touched Rebecca's heart and she had to get a picture. I am glad that I have this picture so that later in life we can see the proof that they do indeed love each other. Actually, I think later in life they will too. Such good boys we have! And girls too of course.

Quiet Times At Home...

2008-06-06T11:42:00.003-04:00

Today started out sadly with Katie throwing up all over herself and the floor. She started to cry and said "My chin, my chin." I had no idea what that meant, but I sure do now. She seemed to be fine after getting a bath and some clean clothes. The kids are all making sure that they don't catch whatever she has. She seemed better so went to do our monthly household goods shopping. Half way through the outing she said her chin hurt again, so I rushed her to the bathroom. By then she was through it and wanted to make sure that she still got to get some Play-doh before we left. Too cute. We did make it home without any further waves, but as soon as I pulled into the driveway that was it. I am so thankful that it was mostly water since we were in the car. She still hasn't eaten but is resting comfortably. Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for listening. God bless.

Quilts and Cats...

2008-06-03T11:45:00.007-04:00

Clyde gave me a really great quilt kit before we left his house in Iowa in April. I had a lot of fun putting it together, the fabric was just exactly the right amount, and everything worked like it was supposed to. He has been so helpful too in getting me the buttons that get sewn on the sand. I am waiting patiently for them to arrive. Maybe after I sew them on I can hang it up straight!

Daisy is such a great cat. She is so soft and lets me pick her and pet her whenever I want to. She does have an annoying habit of meowing early in the morning for her breakfast. She used to fall for the shake the bowl trick, but now she insists that I pour fresh food for her. Anyway, I felt that she deserved a little praise for being a great cat.

Happy 10th Birthday Brendan!

2008-05-27T12:19:00.003-04:00

Brendan turned 10 today! He is so happy and so grown-up I don't know what to say. He told me last night that he has been waiting for a long time to be 10. We will have his cake tonight after Robert gets home from work. This also is an indication of how mature he is, since he is not upset or complaining that he has to wait. Happy Birthday Brendan, we love you.

Tea Party....

2008-05-20T10:21:00.002-04:00

I found some pictures that Rebecca had taken awhile ago. I thought they were so cute and really showed the mind of a child. She took many pictures of her dolls and they even looked like maybe she was making a movie with still photos. She is so creative. I just had to share.

Fabulous frames....

2008-05-19T18:43:00.003-04:00

Aren't we cute? We love to have our pictures taken together!

There hasn't been an opportunity to get any really wonderful pictures, so I have been slow on blogging. We have been busy though. I took Brendan and Rebecca to a 5k, it was their first time in a race, my 2nd. I had gone to one by myself the weekend before and saw other kids in it. I thought it would be great for them to see what it was like and feel the thrill of finishing a race. It was hard for them, but in the end they were glad that they did. Brendan said it was the most fun he had ever had. I didn't bring a camera sorry to say, but we did get t-shirts and numbers to keep and remember.

We have also been going to the beach alot. I try to take the kids atleast 3x a week so that we get out and try to catch up with all of the realllllly tan people here. I am being careful, don't worry, there is a lot of sunscreen applied.

Well, Robert is working hard at his new job and the kids and I are finishing up with school. It won't be long now! God bless.

Lake Okeechobee....

2008-05-08T20:46:00.002-04:00

Fan boats are the cool thing here at Lake Okeechobee. I don't know who the people are, but the boats are cool...

Justin and Katie thought the lake was neat and especially liked looking at the alligator. Robert said the alligator's name is Roger.

We took a drive down to Lake Okeechobee and it is huge. We weren't able to see much of the actual lake where we were, but we did see this cute little bird looking at his toes. I thought this view of all the palm trees looked really neat.

Wildlife of Florida...

2008-05-08T11:56:00.002-04:00

Settling In...

2008-04-29T21:30:00.003-04:00

We have internet now in our house that we are renting, so I can be more up to date with blogging again. Our stuff arrived safely on Sunday and we have been busy unpacking only the things that we absolutely need for the next seven months. That is trickier than it sounds.

As for the white legs seen above, we did break out the sunscreen! On Saturday we went to the beach and had so much fun watching the kids run away from the waves, fall down and generally get filled with sand. Unfortunately, I didn't cover myself very well with the sunscreen and I am still in pain on my back and the backs of my legs. Next time I will enlist the help of Robert. Poor Brendan too suffered from sunburn, but he is already healed. He had so much fun trying out the boogie board and seeing how far out he could go. Robert and I both agreed that this was a new side of Brendan we had never seen and we really enjoyed it.
We have been driving around, getting familiar with Vero Beach and found a great park on the barrier island called Riverside Park. They have great trails and a great view of the Indian River. So far, I would say that we are very glad to be here!

Florida!

2008-04-25T21:41:00.002-04:00

We arrived in Florida this morning and went to the welcome center. We were warmly welcomed and asked if we would like some orange juice. Who doesn't want some orange juice? Then they told us if we would have our picture taken, we would be entered in a drawing for a year supply of orange juice. That sounded like fun to us, so we all had our picture taken of me serving o.j. to the whole family. I also got to keep the apron, what a deal, huh...

After we checked in to our hotel, we went straight to the beach. We were all like kids jumping, and screaming in the waves. The sand felt so good between our toes, and Katie kept stopping to play in the sand. The waves were really neat.

This is our new buddy here in Florida. We will be seeing lots of buddies like him in the future.

Traveling Day 3 and 4

2008-04-25T21:34:00.002-04:00

We made our way out of Iowa on Wednesday. The car was fixed and ready to go at 2pm. We were so thankful that we were able to get on our way. Our day ended in Illinois at about 8:30pm. As we drove through St. Louis, MO, we saw the Arch and we were all really excited. I was unable to get a close up picture as I was driving, but this turned out pretty well! It was a nice drive.

Driving through Atlanta, GA was not as much fun. We happened to be coming through when it was rush hour traffic and there was an Atlanta Braves baseball game that night as well. I realized that my stomach was hurting because I was so tense from the drive through there. I am not used to driving through such congested areas. We made it out safely and spent the night outside of Macon. The rest of the drive through Georgia was quiet and pleasant. We saw lots of signs about Civil War sights that we will have to come back and see.

Traveling Day 2....

2008-04-22T18:35:00.005-04:00

We left our house in Vermillion, SD on Monday at about 4pm. The movers were really fast and cleaning went really well too. We made it to Clyde's house (Robert's Dad) in Ames, IA at about a quarter to nine that night. The kids had fun playing with their grandpa's things and went to bed pretty tired from the driving. I was amazed at how fast I got tired of sitting in the car myself! We left Clyde's this morning at about 9am. I am sorry to say that we did not make it very far though. We made it only as far as Grinnell, Iowa not too far to the east of Des Moines when the Suburban stopped working. We waited about an hour for the tow truck and now we are safely ensconced in a hotel. The SUV was taken to the Chevy dealership where it was discovered that our fuel pump was broken. They will have it tomorrow morning, so we will be on our way some time after lunch I am hoping. Robert and I both felt very calm and peaceful about it. Robert said, "Either you believe that God is Sovereign, or you don't." I like that. That is exactly how I feel about it.
We have already been swimming and now the troops are hungry. I hope to have some exciting pictures to share later. Hope all is well with all of you!

2008-04-19T20:07:00.003-04:00

Brendan, Katie and Becca enjoyed being outside today. The park was full of people, soccer players, families, and kids playing. I think we were all a little bit sad that this was our last time to come and watch the boys play soccer. Since we are leaving on Monday, there will be no more soccer or ballet or homeschool group. I am content to know that the Lord will bring us new friends and activities in Vero Beach. We will miss our South Dakota friends and family in Iowa and Minnesota. We did not get to visit with them as much as we would have liked. Tomorrow is our last time going to Grace Baptist Church as well, so yet another goodbye is needed to made. I am hoping though, that many of our new friends here will find some excuse to come to Florida, like say, Walt Disney World?!

Katie is attacking her Daddy with gusto...

Rebecca looked like she was having some deep thoughts...

Last Soccer Game...

2008-04-19T20:00:00.002-04:00

Justin had his last soccer game today. It was a beautiful morning at the park and a great day for soccer. Justin played soccer for the first time last fall, and when it started back up again in the spring, Justin was ready to get back to the game. He was so much better and bigger, he just jumped right back into the game as if he didn't have a 5 month break. The boys are both eager to start trying more sports, which I am personally glad to hear.

We are Moving....

2008-04-16T09:25:00.002-04:00

Yes, it is true, we are moving and this time we are moving to Vero Beach, Florida. We will load up our stuff on Monday and drive to Florida. Robert has a job there teaching flying and we are all excited about it, as you can imagine. The Nasons are great explorers, and we look forward to this new adventure. We plan to blog this trip just like last time. Wish us well!

Rocket Launch Successful....

2008-04-12T19:57:00.003-04:00

Brendan was able to make a rocket in our homeschool co-op group this semester.
The class was supposed to launch them on Friday, but due to weather, he was unable
to do so. Today Brendan's grandpa, uncle John and cousin Adelaide came over and we
thought it would be a great idea to make our launch today.

First there must be an untangling of the wires...

Robert successfully places the rocket on the launch pad.

Cousin Adelaide is very cheerful and not at all afraid of the weather...

This time I was able to actually able to catch the rocket, as there was an official countdown.
We were able to track this rocket, but the parachute took it very far away. We launched a smaller rocket from earlier in the year also. We didn't see where it went, but as we were walking home I spotted it in the grass, firmly planted. It looks as though we may get another launch.
We had a great time, I think rocketry is a very worthy endeavor. I am glad that Robert knows what he is doing...

A Spring Day in South Dakota

2008-04-12T19:54:00.002-04:00

Notice the heavy coats, (excluding Justin) shivering hands in the pockets as we go outdoors this fine April day. We watched snow fall all morning, all has melted. I would like to know when spring will really arrive...

Chemistry Experiment...

2008-03-27T14:02:00.003-04:00

Today in Chemistry class we had an experiment to see what reaction would take place when we add vinegar to baking soda. Brendan was so excited, he said that he always wanted to try doing this experiment. I am glad that I didn't try to get out of doing this one, because their reactions were fantastic. It is days like this one that make homeschooling so rewarding.

Dinner with Virgil, Patsy and Becky....

2008-03-27T09:15:00.003-04:00

Virgil and Justin duel with swords.

Virgil plays the piano with a little help from Katie...

Virgil, Patsy and Becky came to our house last night for dinner on their way to Pennsylvania. We had such a wonderful visit with them. The kids were so well behaved and even though they hadn't seen them since last May, they quickly warmed up. It was nice to see them climb all over Becky, who didn't seem to mind. Virgil and Justin are still good wrestling buddies, although now they have added swords to it. All in all, it was a great evening, good food and good friends.
This morning we all got up really early to meet with them at their hotel for breakfast and have a little more time to visit. When we woke up there was snow on the ground and a blizzard. Katie said that was because we ate a Blizzard at Dairy Queen. She has a great way of thinking about things. Hopefully the snow will not stick and will melt quickly. We hope that our buddies have a safe drive and make it to their next destination on time...

A Bright and Sunny Day.....

2008-03-19T12:09:00.002-04:00

I guess we haven't been taking many pictures around here, thus no new posts. I still don't have any pictures. We are all fine, enjoying some sunlight. While the temperature is still cool, 41 right now, atleast the snow has melted. I know from past experience that we will probably have more snow and cooler temps, but I am still optimistically awaiting spring! I hope that all of our friends all over the country have some sunlight and hints of spring. We miss you all, it is a great comfort to know that you are all there.

I have started a new blog, more of a devotional sight to share bible readings that the Lord has been using in our lives. I hope that it can be helpful, I have been feeling like I need to do this for my own accountability and as a way to share more of my faith. If you are interested it is:
http://www.nasonclan.wordpress.com
Hope you are all well, and that all your plans are blessed.

One down, two to go....

2008-02-23T14:16:00.002-05:00

I finished the cabled baglet! Yeah, I really enjoyed
the challenge of this pattern so much. Now all I have
to do is make a lining for inside of the bag. Now, on to
work on the poncho.....

Saturday Eats....

2008-02-23T14:12:00.002-05:00

Robert and I found this great magazine at Barnes & Noble
filled with soup and sides. Yesterday we had a great mushroom soup
with cheddar biscuits. So today I made red chili.

This recipe called for a whole tbsp. of chili powder,
so, being that I have children that need to eat too, I only
added 1tsp. It was still too hot but with a little sour
cream it was edible for them. I also made fry bread,
which is actually pretty good. The texture on the inside
reminds me of an english muffin. I think this is a good chili
recipe.

Curled up Kitty....

2008-02-23T14:11:00.000-05:00

Current knitting projects....

2008-02-18T14:15:00.003-05:00

Cabled baglet in progress. This is going to be so cute...

Beginning stages of a poncho. Right now it looks like a giant triangle.
But I promise that it will look different very soon.

Palendrome scarf half way there. It is a very nice
pattern and now that I get it, very easy. I need to
be working on atleast three different things
in order to break up the monotony of life...right.
Things are okay here! Lots of colds and coughs
but every moment that we feel good is a blessing
from the Lord.

Before the snow was deep....

2008-02-15T17:43:00.002-05:00

The snow here in Vermillion never ends. It keeps getting deeper. Once again, maybe we should have just moved to Fairbanks.....

Justin looses first tooth!

2008-02-15T17:36:00.002-05:00

My sweet boy has lost his first tooth! He wasn't so sure about his daddy's method of getting it out, but now he is so happy! We all did a victory dance and took pictures to commemorate this momentus occasion!

Cat with scarf....

2008-02-15T17:34:00.002-05:00

This is Daisy's favorite spot to lay down. The bookshelf is right next to a heating vent. Now there is an added bonus to her favorite spot. A soft fuzzy scarf to lay on...Life is good....

How to Entertain Kids....

2008-01-23T12:44:00.000-05:00

We have discovered that the trick to getting brothers and sisters to sit really close to each other without fighting, is to give them an iPhone to play with... Hmmm. I wonder how long this will last...

Kids at School....

2008-01-23T12:39:00.000-05:00

I thought it might be time to post a couple pictures of the kids busy at school. I remember when we first started three years ago, I took pictures of them doing their math. They have changed quite a bit. Justin is an expert at counting by 10's starting from any number. Rebecca is learning about measurement, multiplication and fractions. Brendan is reviewing alot of things in his math book from adding money, geometry, graphing to division and multiplication. Katie plays so nicely with her bucket of dogs that she got for Christmas.

Blast Off!

2008-01-23T12:37:00.000-05:00

Robert and Justin have been busy building rockets. The first one was sent off into outerspace, never to be seen again. The second rocket will be launched sometime in the near future, after the snow subsides a little.

Some Crafty Time....

2008-01-09T16:22:00.001-05:00

For obvious reasons, 4 to be specific, I have not had much time for quilting. I did manage to make three quilted charm totes. I kept one for myself and gave the other two to Rebecca and her friend Ally. I also thought I would try knitting a hat and just finished that this week. It isn't that good, but I did learn some new things and now there is another hat in the basket at the front door. Other than that, it is pretty quiet around here. The kids are doing well in school, I have been enjoying learning along with them at times. I especially enjoy history, I hope that they do too.

The Year in Review.....

2007-12-31T15:17:00.000-05:00

I don't know if I ever posted our house after we got all settled in. I was looking back at pictures from a year ago, and we had a picture in a folder of our house in Ketchikan. In contrast here is our house now, one year later. I wonder, what house we will live in next year?

Happy New Year's Eve....

2007-12-31T15:15:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year's Eve from Vermillion, South Dakota. These pictures were taken by Robert. He says that if we are going to have this much snow all the time, we might as well live in Fairbanks. What do you think?

2007-12-24T12:22:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas Eve! At the Nason house we get started early. The kids are so filled with excitement to open their Christmas Eve gift that the adults can hardly wait too. We let the kids open one gift and they are happily playing with their new treasure.
As I was driving home from the grocery store with some last minute food items, I thought about how blessed we are. Were it not for the grace of God, His everlasting mercy and kindness to us, I am sure that we could find some way to be unsatisfied. But, He is grace, love, merciful and kind, ever patient with us. I am so grateful for the day and night that we, as a family of Christians, have the blessed time to share the gift of Christ Jesus. I hope that you all are blessed this Christmas Eve and tomorrow, Christmas day.

2007-12-24T11:51:00.000-05:00

2007-12-24T11:50:00.000-05:00

2007-12-08T21:43:00.000-05:00

Christmas pictures....

2007-12-08T21:00:00.000-05:00

Well, it is that time of year again! The yearly Christmas pictures were taken tonight. We drove home this evening from Sioux City, Iowa and it was a real blizzard out there. We drove really slow and the highway was crazy. We were grateful when we made it to our exit and made it all the way home. Praise the Lord! I just kept praying that He would light our path, and He did.
When we got home I made everyone dress up so that I could get some pictures done. Of course, it wasn't easy. The seperate pictures were much easier than the full family shot. So, I don't know how this years Christmas cards are going to turn out, but all of our family and friends will get to see how we have all changed since last year. The kids have really changed, and I think Robert and I have too. Alas, we all must get older.... Hope you all are having a good month. Lots of baking and eating and being merry.
The kids were able to go caroling at the local nursing home with our homeschool group. They all sounded great, especially since we only practiced once all together. We were all told to practice at home, and from the sound we made, I would say that everyone did their home work! It was a real blessing to put a smile on someones face and share the miracle of the birth of Christ Jesus.

2007-12-08T20:59:00.000-05:00

2007-12-06T09:59:00.000-05:00

In honor of Clyde, Robert's Dad, I am updating our blog with this sticker.

Alpaca Farm....

2007-10-23T12:57:00.000-04:00

We went to an Alpaca farm just south of Sioux Falls yesterday. It was really neat, they are so cute you instantly like them. The woman that showed us around told the kids if they stood still the younger ones would come over to sniff them. Brendan very patiently waited for them to come and inspect him. Several did, and we were even able to pet one while the owner held him.

Katie's favorite animal there was this small pug dog. She followed it everywhere and called to him and yelled to him. The alpacas didn't interest her in the slightest bit. Oh well, we all loved them and enjoyed our visit. We will go back in a couple weeks to see the new babies that are due any day now.

Soccer Heads....

2007-10-23T12:53:00.000-04:00

Brendan and Katie put their soccer balls in the hoods of the jackets and stumbled around the field. They were so cute and weird looking at the same time. Soccer is now over but will start back up in the spring. Now, what sport shall we learn through the winter?

Boyhood...

2007-10-11T14:39:00.000-04:00

Justin is always so curious and happy. He explores with great gusto and joy. We found him poking at this algae near the water's edge.