Viva La Husbands

I have this friend. She is the coolest girl I know. She happens to be my best friend. Her name is Melissa. And I love her.
Melissa is married to a man named Chase. Chase is a pretty cool guy. He just so happens to be my husbands best friend. So this works out quite well for Melissa and me.

Well Chase is a helicopter pilot and he works in the Gulf of Mexico. His job is pretty cool.. other than the fact that he and Melissa only get to see each other every two weeks. :(

Well Melissa was feeling rather down the other day and posted this about her man. At the end of her post, Melissa asked everyone to post about why their man is the coolest. So like a good friend, I'm joining her revolution and here is my post:

Viva La Husband
I love my husband because...

1. I love that Dustin wore this red hat til it fell apart. I love that he has hats that are "broke in" and refuses to part with them.
{Chase and Dustin celebrating after graduation}
2. I love that Dustin has done things that most people haven't. And I love that he used to wear his hair in a fro. 3. I love that Dustin cooks for me. He totally won me over with his Dutch Oven skills!
4. I love that he used to drive me to seminary in this beast.
5. I love that he lets me wear his flannel shirt.
{That's right, I rock the flannel just like my home girl Bella.}
6. I love that he makes funny faces.
7. see what I mean...
8. I love that he's adventurous.
9. I love that he posed as a Big Horned Sheep once.
10. I love that he loves his kids more than life itself.
and one more for good luck.. and because he just sent it to me...

11. I love it when he writes me sweet text messages and I love it when he calls me darlin'.

Go read Melissa's blog {here} and leave her some love!

And now I tag you...

Write a post about your hubby! It'll make your day a happy one!!

Picture Me (on my bday)

The End.

Christmas Tag

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper. I love to wrap presents. I even wrap the stocking stuffers!

2. Real tree or Artificial? REAL!! We are going to get our Friday. I'm so excited!

3. When do you put up the tree? Day after Thanksgiving

4. When do you take the tree down? The day after Christmas

5. Do you like eggnog? NO

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Umm... my truck!

7. Hardest person to buy for? Dustin

8. Easiest person to buy for?
Allie and Estefan!

I asked them what they wanted for Christmas and Allie said, "Mom I already have lots of stuff!"

Estefan said, "How bout a new card board box!"

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Oh yeah. Tis the reason for the season!

10. Best Christmas gift you ever received?

Allie! But she came late. She was born the day after Christmas. I still consider her my Christmas present!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I love all my presents!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie (s)? Home Alone, A Christmas Story... I like all of em!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? December.. I'm lazy.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No. But I have re-gifted birthday presents

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cookies!

16. Lights on the tree? Yes Yes!

17. Favorite Christmas song? Jingle Bells. It never gets old!

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay at home

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen oh and Rudolph!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? I give everybody new PJ's Christmas Eve but the rest have to wait til Christmas morning!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? I spend lots of money

23. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Steak

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? Pants, a book, a lamp and a cell phone (hint hint hint, to those of you reading!!!)

Thanks for the tag Dove!!!

I tag... Lara K, Ann Marie and Emily T

High School Tag

My Dad, ME, and my Mom after Graduation

1. Did you date someone from your school?
Yes

2. What kind of car did you drive?
The Grizzly Bear - An old brown Ford truck

3. Did you pass your driver's license test on the first try?
No, I couldn't and still can't parallel park ;)

4. Were you a party animal?
No, but I liked to have fun

5. Were you considered a flirt?
I hope not!

6. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?
Band - like all the other cool kids -Jessica!

7. Were you a nerd?
I got good grades

8. Were you on any varsity teams?
The Dance Team!!!

9. Did you get suspended/expelled?
No way Hose-A!

10. Can you still sing the fight song?
We love Moapa High School, dear Gold and Blue. We'll fight for our colors to thee our hearts are true as blue. We love every inch of you!!!...

11. Who were your favorite teachers?
Duh! Jack! Now he's my father in law. How lucky am I?!

12. Where did you sit during lunch?
Outside freshman year.. Wally's, my house, Melissa's house and other friends' houses the rest of the time

13. What is your schools full name?
Moapa Valley High School

14. School mascot and colors?
Pirates - Blue & Gold

15. Did you go to Homecoming and who with?
Too little feshman year, sophomore year it was semi-formal - I went with Ross Stratton. Junior year -stag. Senior year I was a Princess and Cameron Wilson was my escort.

16. Did you go to Prom and who with?
Yup, Doug Burkland and Brandon Staton

17. If you could go back and do it again, would you?
It was fun.. but I'm done!

18. What do you remember most about graduation?
I felt like I was wearing a toilet seat guard around my neck! I was also scared to death I was gonna trip down the stairs. I was excited and glad to not have to speak!

19. Where did you go senior skip day?
I think we went to Wet n Wild

20. Were you in any clubs?
Too many!

21. Have you gained some weight since then?
Oh, yeah and I have two babies to prove it!

22. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion?
Heck YES!

23. Did you have a job while in high school?
Nope..

I tag Kailee Joy and Natalie Staley

Picture Tag

OK here's the rules: Go into your picture files and open your 4th folder and download the 4th picture onto your blog!!! Write your memories of the photo.

This is Allie the day I brought her home from the hospital! December 27, 2005. Red is my favorite color and all Allie's outfits were pink. So I got her a little red "coming home" outfit. It even had little shoes to match but her feet were too big for them!

Bringing her home from the hospital was so scary and exciting. I was so happy to leave the hospital and sleep in my own bed. But I was scared too! I didn't know what to do next. Well we've all survived and now she's almost 3!!!

Thanks for the tag Torrey.

I tag BONZO, Jessica L and Trisha Y!

My UBER-TAG!!!

I've been tagged four times this week! PLUS I've been a huge blog slacker.. or as my friend Carol says I've been a "Slogger!" Anyway I've decided to roll all four tags into one! So here's my one UBER-tag!!!
It's the
8 Facts About My Man/8 Things I'm Passionate About/8 Quirky Habits/8 Things Tag!!

Ready OK!


8 T.V. shows I love to watch:
I don't have TV!! Crazy I know... so these are shows I used to watch
1- That 70's Show (bought all the seasons!)
2- House
3- America's Next Top Model
4- Project Runway
5- According to Jim (It this even on TV anymore??)
6- Friends (always funny!)
7- AHHHH... I'm drawing a blank here....
8- ........ still blank

8 Favorite Places to Eat:
1- My House
2- Chili's
3- Inside Scoop
4- Taco Bell
5- KFC
6- ARBY'S
7- My Mom's House
8- My Mother in Law's House


8 Things I look forward to:
1- Allie being fully potty trained
2- Mark sleeping through the night
3- Every morning
4- Every night
5- The second Dustin walks through the door from work
6- Getting a shower squeezed in between naps
7- Reading a good book
8- The weekends!


8 Things About My Man:
1- He's funny - even when he's teasing me.. I'm secretly laughing on the inside
2- He's fearless
3- He can sew!!
4- He has an awesome farmer's tan
5- He can grow anything- he has two green thumbs!
6- He reads to the kids every night
7- He would do anything for ME!
8- Bestest daddy and honey EVER!!



8 Quirky Habits I Have:
1- I blog at all hours of the night
2- I pop all my knuckled on every finger
3- I can say my ABC's backwards
4- I have to have the dishes in a specific spot in the dishwasher
5- I have to reread my posts about a thousand times before I put it up to make sure I spell everything right!
6- I have to have drawers closed fully, books facing the same direction, things lined up straight or I literally can not think about anything else til its done. Actually my kids have pretty much cured me of this one!
7- Ah... I laugh and giggle at the silliest things when I'm tired
8- I always fall asleep when we watch movies at night!

Things I'm Passionate About:
1- My Kids
2- LOVE - Dustin!!
3- The Gospel
4- Creating (Thank you President Uchtdorf for that talk at Women's Conference!!)
5- Being a good Mommy
6- Food
7- Always striving to be a good person
8- Service

Now I tag....

Everyone who reads this!! That means YOU!

100 Things About ME!

I hope I can do this. Thanks for the tag Lisa!


1. My name is Lauren Jean Nelson
2. My maiden name is Hardy
3. I'm 22 years old
4. I'm a Virgo
5. I've lived in Logandale my whole life, minus three year in Reno
6. I have three kids
7. I'm married to my best friend
8. I have a dog named Butch
9. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
10. I have blond hair
11. I have green eyes
12. I love to blog
13. I was a dancer in high school but I hated going to dances
14. I love to ride horses
15. I am not athletic at all
16. I was born in St. George
17. I love my family. All of them immediate and extended
18. I am the 14 year old Sunday school teacher
19. I'm also a member of the enrichment committee
20. I love Enrichment and Relief Society
21. I love to camp and go out with my family
22. I love Cannonville
23. I love the mountains
24. I went to girls camp for seven years
25. I got married when I was 17
26. Had Allie when I was 19
27. Had Mark at 21
28. I love milk and would buy a cow if I didn't have to be the one to milk it!
29. I love to sew
30. I've made almost every quilt in our house.
31. I had braces for two years
32. I love John Hughes movies... Ferris Bueller a fav!
33. I love the Goonie and the Sand lot
34. I love romantic comedies
35. I hate hate hate scary movies
36. I love the Internet and cell phones. I guess I like to be connected with people all the time
37. Which brings me to.. I hate to be alone
38. I love to rearrange and change my house all the time
39. I love the color red
40. I love being a girl. I like it when Dustin does things for me. Like open a pickle jar or lift something heavy.
41. I love to rock my kids in my favorite chair, my recliner!
42. Sometimes I try Mark's food before I feed it to him. Baby food is yucky, but formula is worse.
43. I hate to travel but I love going places
44. I can't swim and I'm afraid of deep water
45. I love sunglasses
46. I love photography
47. I frugal. Some would say cheap!
48. I love new clothes but I hate shopping
49. I love to spoil my kids and usually spend my birthday money on them
50. I love to read

halfway there...

51. I love grass
52. I love stars
53. I hate liter and it makes me sad to see people littering
54. I have a huge pile of laundry to fold but I'm doing this tag instead!
55. I can name all the Disney princesses and their princes
56. I don't like to cook but I like to eat
57. I love ice cream and cake
58. I love birthdays
59. I hate talking in front of people! Especially sacrament meeting!
60. I hope I live to be 100
61. I'm really shy. Some people don't believe that but I have to force myself to talk to new people and then I'm scared the entire time!
62. I love going out to eat
63. I used to play the bass drum in my high school pep band
64. I like to move it move it! he he he
65. I love watching movies with my kids and hearing them laugh
66. I've been to France
67. I've only had one real job
68. My major in college was elementary education
69. I love pizza
70. I used to show steers at the Clark County Fair
71. I've only driven in Las Vegas one time
72. I could find my way around Reno no problem
73. When I'm really tired I get really giggly and say weird things
74. I love being pregnant
75. I can say my ABC's backwards
76. My first vehicle was an old brown Ford truck I called "The Grizzly Bear"
77. I get car sick very easily
78. Fast food makes me sick but I love it
79. I love to scrapbook
80. I like sketching. I hardly ever draw anything in color
81. I put M&Ms in my popcorn
82. I couldn't drive a stick shift to save my life
83. My nickname is Lulu but I used to cry anytime anyone would call me it
84. I've never broken a bone or had stitches
85. I'm not a night owl or a morning person. I just like to sleep all the time!
86. I think I try on every dress I have every Sunday and usually end up wearing the first one I try on.
87. I always ask Dustin how I look after I get ready and he always says Beautiful (even when I know I don't.)
88. I have this weird fear of falling in front of a lot of people and knocking my front teeth out.
89. When I get nervous I feel like I'm going to throw up.. but I haven't yet.
90. I don't wear perfume
91. I don't take teasing very well at all. Ask Dustin!
92. I bruise very easily. You could poke me and I'd have an instant little blue dot.
93. I avoid contention at all cost, even if it means not talking
94. I love Mark Twain. I've done three reports on him.
95. My favorite band is Metallica
96. I love girl time. But I also love spending time with just Dustin
97. I hate leaving my kids with a babysitter
98. I like to count but I'm terrible at math
99. I love candles
100. I'm done! Holy cow that took forever! But I love to be tagged. So tag away!

I tag whoever wants to do this!

Picture Tag

Felicia tagged me!

Rules: Get a camera and take pictures of the below listed things in your house as they are currently. No cleaning allowed!

I totally didn't clean anything! Isn't my house beautiful!

The Kitchen Sink

My huge master bathroom

Mine and Dustin's walk in closet! Yes, we have a couch in our closet!

My Favorite room! This is my room of mirrors in my house in France!

Laundry room. Yes, I have three washers to do all the washing in a flash!

My fridge. Super cute, huh?!

Ok ok ok... these things are for real..

Favorite shoes

Dream vacation. One of the many!

Bestest kids EVER!!!

And my self-portait!

I tag.. Lara H, Heather, Torrey and Meliss!

The Five Tag

Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you've answered the questions on your blog.

Ok... this is called the FIVE tag. So I'm changing what I did ten years ago to what I did five years ago! Mainly because I can't remember yesterday clearly, let alone ten years ago!!! So here goes.. my FIVE tag.

5 years ago I was:

1. 17 years old
2. a junior in high school
3. able to wear size 5! wranglers!!!
4. had long long long hair! (why did I cut it off?!!)
5. My only worry was not to fall or mess up while dancing during half time shows!

5 things on today's "to do" list:

1. Feed the hungry (Mark)
2. Cloth the naked (Allie)
3. Administer to the sick and afflicted (Myself)
4. Solve world hunger (Keep Estefan's stomach full for two hours straight!)
5. Create world peace (Love my family unconditionally!)


5 snacks I enjoy:

1. anything chocolate
2. Nibs
3. Lollipops
4. chips and salsa
5. ICECREAM!!!

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:

1. Buy my house and fix it up
2. Buy a truck for Dus
3. Buy a gas saving, kid hauling, fast driving, hot mama automobile
4. Give to charity
5. Spoil my kids and my honey

5 places I have lived:

1. Logandale, NV
2. Reno, NV
3. Logandale again
4. Sometimes I feel like we live in Cannonville!
5. Umm... that's all...

5 jobs I have had:

1. Teacher
2. Wife
3. Mother
4. Cook
5. Taxi Driver

Thanks for the tag Andrea! I tag anyone who hasn't done this and Jessica Leavitt, Liz Maile and Nicole Andrus!! Have fun girls!!

5 Random Facts

Rules: Name 5 random things about yourself, then tag 5 people. Make sure you comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged!

Plus - If you want, add a random picture.. kinda makes it more fun!

*My Random Picture

Dus and Me at Virginia City. We're riding a camel!

* 5 Random Facts

1. I don't like the movies Snow White or Pinocchio. Dustin has informed me that I am odd because they are classics. I however think they are scary.

2. I hate doing my hair and make up. If I were rich I'd hire someone (probably Ashley) to get me ready every morning.

3. I also don't like dressing fancy - white cotton t-shirts and blue jeans are all I need.

4. I love, love, love cake and homemade icecream!

5. I love having babies and I secretly want to have ten more!

I tag - Heather, Amy, Vicki, Lisa and Roby

ABC Tag

I'm gone for a week and don't post at all. Now you get two posts in one day! Luck you! Thanks for the tag Carol :)

A. ATTACHED OR SINGLE? Attached and love it


B. BEST FRIEND? My Chuck Butt Farm Boy


C. CAKE OR PIE? If you know me you already know the answer to this! Duh! CAKE!


D. DAY OF THE WEEK? I love every other Monday when Dustin doesn't have work. Its like getting another Saturday after Sunday. Its an awesome day for family stuff or making him work in the yard.


E. ESSENTIAL ITEMS? right now... diapers, diapers, diapers!


F. FAVORITE COLOR? RED

G. GUMMY BEARS OR WORMS? I like both. Bears so you can bite their heads of and worms so I can tie them in knots. When you bite on the worm knot it feels so cool against your cheek. Try it you'll never eat gummy worms the same again!

H. HOMETOWN? The Village or sometimes its known as Happy Valley


I. INDULGENCE? Cake, chocolate, chocolate cake.. whichever I can get my hands on ;)


J. JANUARY OR JULY? July! Love the 4th and we have lots of July birthdays so that means lots of presents, fun and of course cake! And mine and Dustin's anniversary!

K. KIDS? 3! I'm only 21, should I slow down? No, I didn't think so either.


L. LIFE ISN'T COMPLETE WITHOUT? Dustin My Love, Bud, Little Miss and Markie Mark and the Funky Bunch

M. MARRIAGE DATE? July 2004


N. NUMBER OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS? 1 big bro and 2 little sisters


O. ORANGES OR APPLES? Umm... crisp apples and juicy oranges - just not at the same time!


P. PHOBIAS OR FEARS? Loosing one of my kids, snakes, Black Widows.. I could go on and on, I'm kind of a weenie.


Q. QUOTE? I have two! There on my blog sidelines -- "Great spirits have always encountered violent oppostion from mediocre minds." -Albert Einstein
"When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it you surely will." -Abe Lincoln

R. REASONS TO SMILE? When my kids say funny things, when Mark flashes me a toothless smile, when Dustin cooks or cleans

S. SUPERMAN OR WONDER WOMAN? How 'bout Batman! I love Batman!

T. TAG 5 PEOPLE? Melissa, Bonnie, Raegan, Jessica Taylor and Jessica Leavitt

U. UNKNOWN FACT ABOUT ME? Maybe I want to keep this to myself but whatever - I count everything. The sides of shapes, lines on the highway, random things, books, stars, pencils. Its kind of annoying to myself and I think I may have OCD. There now ya know!

V. VEGETABLES? Yes please! Especially if they come from Dustin's garden!

W. WORST HABIT? putting off doing the dishes, putting of my Sunday school leason, biting my finger nails... I'm sure there is more


X. X-RAY OR ULTRASOUND? Ultrasound! I love to see my babies inside my buldging belly!

Y. YOUR FAVORITE FOOD? Lasagna, Chicken Fried Steak and mashed potatoes with lots of gravy, and of course Cake!

Z. ZODIAC SIGN? Virgo

Mommy Tag

Allie got tagged but Estefan is here today so I couldn't resist asking him too! They came up with some funny things! I sure love my kids :)

1. What is something mom always says to me?

Estefan - Eat my food

Allie - Use my words

2. What makes mom happy?
Estefan - When I tell funny jokes

Allie - ME

3. What makes mom sad?

Estefan - When I hide and you can't find me

Allie - Run away

4. How does mom make me laugh?
Estefan - When you tickle me

Allie - tickle me too

5. What was mom like as a child?

Estefan - I don't know

Allie - I don't know

6. How old is mommy?

Estefan - 5 and a half

Allie - 2 and a half

7. How tall is mommy?

Estefan - I'm almost as tall as you

Allie - I don't know

8. What is mommy's favorite thing to do?

Estefan - Clean

Allie - Cake

9. What does mom do when I'm not around?

Estefan - Clean and play

Allie - With Daddy

10. If mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Estefan - Making yummy food that everybody likes. And dancing.

Allie - Um I don't know

11. What is mom really good at?

Estefan - Cleaning my boots, making everything shiny

Allie - Good like me

12. What is mom not really good at?

Estefan - I can't think of anything

Allie - I don't know

13. What does mom do for her job?

Estefan - Taking good care of baby Mark and feeding us all the time

Allie - Baby Mark and me and Dad and Bud

14. What is moms favorite food?

Estefan - Macaroni

Allie - Cake

15. What makes me proud of my mom?

Estefan - When you do nice things to us

Allie - Nice to me too

16. If mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be?

Estefan - Yellow Power Ranger

Allie - I'm Beauty, you Snow White

17. What do mommy and I do together?

Estefan - Swim in the pool

Allie - Watch a movie

18. How are mommy and I the same?

Estefan - We all a Nelson

Allie - You a girl and I a girl

19. How are mommy and I different?

Estefan - Your hair is yellow

Allie - You mommy, I Allie

20. How do I know mommy loves me?

Estefan - You have a heart

Allie - Love me

I tag Liz and Evie

Jami and Annacy

and Jami and Alaina

Husband Tag

1. What is his name? Dustin William Nelson
2. Who eats more? Me
3. Who said I love you first? Dustin

4. Who is taller? Dus
5. Who is smarter? Definetly Dustin
6. Who is more sensitive? Me
7. Who does the laundry? Ah ME!

8. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does

9. Who pays the bills? He makes the money but I mail it off

10. Who cooks more? I do on the week days - he takes over on the weekends
11. There was no 11....
12. Who is more stubborn? Dustin!

13. Who is first to admit they are wrong? Me- see #12
14. Who is more clean? Me - Dustin calls me "Monica" (from "Friends")

15. Who has more siblings? Me

16. Who wears the pants in the relationship? I wear one leg and he has the other

17. What do you like to do together? Everything and Anything
18. Who eats more sweets? Me me me

19. Guilty pleasures? Diet Coke
20. How did you meet? Well - I was like 2 so I don't remember.

22. Who proposed? Dus

23. His best feature? His farmer tan

24. What is his greatest quality? He's the best daddy ever

I tag Liz, Carol, Dove and Kortney