The Nolden Family

Yeah!!  The Fire Pit is finished.  We had our first cookout at “The Pit” tonight.  We did Hobo Dinners and made dutch oven cobbler (for the first time ever).  The weather was PERFECT and we had a lot of fun!

So, this is what it looked like right after the work was completed.

Another angle after the work was completed....

Frank and I worked feverishly the next day to smooth out the ground around it...and then we went to the recycling center and got a truck load of compost to make the dark path around it and make it look tidy and "finished." We were very proud of how it looked...and we were pretty tired afterward!

Another angle after it was done...

 

 

Looking up at the house from the pit...

Isn't the actual fire pit pretty??

Donovan...he loves the hole for some reason!

Liz helped a little bit with the speading of the compost...this is her tired look...

Sophie got to play outside all day...she was pooped too!

Frank - "I've fallen and I can't get up!" :-)

Yeah!! The work is done...now it's time to have fun!! This was actually the day after we did the mulch around it. Sandi, Larry, Seth and Hannah were there too...but I only got video while they were there...no pictures :-(.

Sophie is SO funny. She thinks she is a lap dog. And she LOVES Frank.

Sophie had been outside ALL day playing while the kids were playing and she was exhausted from running around...she actually fell asleep like this and started snoring!

PJ lounging by the fire...

Mikayla and Megan

Ashley

Donovan got to do a little bit of video-ing. Uhm...yeah...he's a bit on the dirty side :-)....

So, I am a little behind…but here are some of our adventures from Spring 2011:

My niece, Tristan, was married at the end of April. It just happened to be on the same day that Cody and Whitney graduated from BYU. It was a great and busy trip to Utah! So fun to be able to see the family there!

LtoR: Corey, Sam (my sister), Tristan, Steven, Sandra (my mom), and Pard (my dad).

Grandma hanging out with the grandkids: Colton, Heather, Ashton, Grandma, Bronson and Beano.

Grandpa and Grandma Slade looking stylish for the Wedding.

PJ had to have surgery on his nose again. Several years ago he was hit in the face with a fast-pitch baseball...and had to have surgery then. It is all messed up again inside and he had to have it fixed...it didn't really solve the problem though...he still can't breathe well.

Donovan and his buddy, Taki, at church.

These are the beautiful Young Women from our ward (church congregation). Ashley had just come into Young Women at that point and hadn't graduated from High School yet...so I had four of my daughters in the Young Women Program at one time (Liz, Megan, Mikayla & Ashley).

Cody and Whitney had a month in between BYU graduation and when he had to report to his job in Houston. So, they were able to get in a huge road trip in that time. We were so lucky that they came to visit us and stay for a little while before they headed on up the coast. We took them to see the CNN Center in downtown Atlanta.

We also took them out to a Strawberry patch....mmmmmm. (Cody)

Whitney picking strawberries....

Frank and Megan picking strawberries....

This was an awards program at the high school. This is Megan picking up one of her many awards! (first from left).

Above:  Donovan has what we call “Justin Bieber Hair.”  So, we wanted him to lip sync a JB song.  He did it but was too self-conscious to get too animated….but he has a few animated moments throughout (see the end)…LOVE it .  FYI…I cut his hair…thank you, thank you very much .

Above: So…Big Sister Liz stepped in to show him how it is done…as a backup singer….

Above: Liz showing Don how it is done – Justin Bieber style…

Mikayla is the runner of the family. She is one of the unique individuals who likes to push herself to the utter limits of physical exertion. She is amazing.

We knew she had a talent for it, so we encouraged her to go out for Cross Country at the beginning of the 2010-11 School Year. It was her first attempt at anything like that. She improved so much over the season and got an award for Most Improved. Then, last Winter/Spring she did Track for the first time ever – as a distance runner.

Here is a picture and a few videos from her Track Days:

Mikayla in the middle...

Above: Mikayla sprinting in a relay.

Above:  Mikayla doing a longer-distance run.

Through last winter our lawn was having issues…it just seems to not be doing well – and getting worse and worse.  So, we decided to change lawn care companies.  We gave Tru**Green a shot.

A week or so after we established a relationship with the company, I came home and it appeared that they had visited our home for the first time for a treatment.  As I first started down the driveway, I could see that the truck was there…but I was a little distressed by the fact that it was parked in the middle of the front lawn!

I guess he hadn’t wanted to back out of our driveway…that’s the only way out, really.  It CAN be tricky and many a car has gotten off the driveway and messed up our lawn and/or plants at the top of the driveway.  A few have turned around by driving onto the lawn near the house and then backing up so they are facing forward to go out….each time leaving ruts or damaging the fragile grass (we have a lot of shade and it doesn’t do too well).  Well, this guy decided to just make a big swing through the whole yard….and he got STUCK!    Not only did he get stuck, but he proceeded to start digging himself out (messing up the grass even more).  Oh, did I mention we had had torrential rains for days before this…so the ground was saturated.

When I got there he had been stuck for about 2 hours…gauging by the time written on the receipt they leave.  He hadn’t called anyone to come help him out.  After an evaluation of the situation, I called the company.  A supervisor came out to assess and they ended up having to have a tow truck come pull him out.  The towtruck went off the driveway getting out too and messed up some rocks and ground cover up by the road.

So, they did end up sending someone out to patch up the lawn and put some sod down (after a few weeks and several phone calls).  It took all summer, however, for it to totally blend in and look like nothing had happened.  Our lawn, I am happy to say, is looking quite good these days.  Not so much due to Tru** Green…although we did get a free aeration out of it too…but because we have taken many steps to get it back to healthy.  One thing we did was scatter river sand all over the front lawn in late Spring.  We were told that that would give the Bermuda a chance to lay roots as it sends its shoots out across the lawn – it is a forgiving variety of grass and will heal itself if given the proper environment.  We also did some reseeding and had to sod several areas that were too far gone.  But it’s looking pretty good now .

Yeah...let's turn around in their yard.

 

 

 

After the fact...showing off the holes.

Ashley showing us how deep the holes were...

The tow truck FINALLY arrived...

Moving slowly across the grass that had been untouched...

See ya...

In April of 2011 we had several bad storms move through our area. In a weeks time we had 3 storms that woke us up at night because of the intense thunder. On the last storm we were awoken around midnight to a big boom. We didn’t know what had happened until the next morning. When we went outside, we found that 3 trees had fallen in our yard…one had hit our house and damaged our (new-ish) Gutter-Guard Gutters (Ughhh!).

The three trees (middle one is just the top of a tree - not much fell in the yard).

Don and PJ came out to check the damage with me.

Donovan sitting on one of the downed trees.

The trailer was hit by one of the trees...the gate will have to be fixed.

PJ and Don...

PJ

PJ and Don checking out the damage.

Once again our ward members saved us from disaster with their handy-dandy chain saws and open hearts. This is Brother Ingram helping Liz learn how to run the chain saw...

Liz and Bro. Ingram...

Liz running the chain saw on her own.

Above: Damage Video #1

Above: Damage Video #2

We were able to get out of town for the 4th of July Weekend!!  It was so good to leave town and see something new – none of us had ever been there before.  Everyone but Liz went – she was on a road trip with her 2 friends in Gatlinburg, TN.  It was very strange to only have 5 kids with us….I kept counting and it just didn’t seem right.

We went to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.  It is just over the Georgia/SC border…about 30 minutes from Savannah.  It was a last minute thing…so we didn’t much planned, just some beach time and site-seeing…but it was still a LOT of fun.

The beach was beautiful and we even got some decent waves for our boogie-boards. 

We went to church there on Sunday.  It was like a mini meetinghouse.  They had one of the meetinghouse styles where the chapel and gym are in the middle and all of the offices and classrooms, etc. are in a ring on the outside of that.  The only thing was that the chapel and the gym were one and the same…they set up chairs every Sunday.  We sat down…we were really early (thanks, Frank ).and no one really talked to us.  We were a little surprised until we found out that the majority of the attendees were visitors just like us.  I guess it happens to them every summer…tourist town…and most of the regular ward members were out of town for the 4th of July weekend.  Everyone ended up being very nice and it was a great visit.

This was a baby alligator that lived in a small pond behind our hotel where we parked.

There were tons of sand dollars...Ashley gathered about 20 of them..

A for Ashley

Ashley and Mikayla with their treasures...

We found starfish too...

Ashley, Don & Mikayla on the beach.

PJ and I had a hole digging contest. His was deeper, but mine was cooler :-).

Ashley with the hole that I dug and the creation she made out of the dirt.

My hole...it was cavernous!

All Don thinks about is Baseball...he brought his glove and Frank played catch with him for a while.

PJ - "I am THE man!"

We drove from Hilton Head Island down to Savannah, GA (about a 30 minute drive),for a quick tour. Savannah is beautiful!

On the Riverfront in Savannah...

PJ

PJ

Donovan

Ashley

Mikayla

Megan

 

 

We thought Ebay street was cool...

There were a lot of old buildings like this...

Walking along the riverfront

Ghost tours in a hearse...perfect...

We stopped at the Harbor Town Lighthouse for a quick tour. First...we had to climb on the trees...

 

L to R: Ashley, Mikayla, Donovan, Megan and PJ

L to R: Ashley, Mikayla, Donovan, Megan and PJ

Mikayla

Megan

PJ & Ashley

 

Donovan

PJ

Mikayla

Don needed a picture posing by the yacht.

Harbor Town...

Frank patiently waiting while we shopped in the gift shop...

Can you see the parasailing going on behind us?

I don't know these people...I just thought it was a good picture.

Don and Ashley throwing seashells back into the water...

Don, Mikayla & Ashley

Ashley

Frank

Don and Mikayla had to get a little play out of their systems...

Above:  Check out the bull at this petting zoo next to a C-store in rural Georgia…he knows how to get the goodies.  This was on our drive to Hilton Head Island.

Mikayla loves animals…and especially horses. So, for her birthday present she got some horse riding lessons. We found a place just minutes from our home where they board & train horses…and give lessons. It was her first time on an English saddle…it took a little getting used to. But she did really well.

Mikayla and her cake...yummy double chocolate!

Presents!!!

That's Marc Anthony...He, Uncle Marc, Aunt Lynn and Jesse got there just in time for the party.

 

 

Nail polish...woohoo!

Mikayla with her riding instructor.

Mikayla and her horse...

 

 

She was teaching her to ride "English" Style...

They had 4 dogs hanging out on the ranch. This one is a Great Dane...it is deaf.

 

 

 

Mikayla loves horses...but she was a little leary of this one nibbling on her.

 

This was at the end of the lesson...Mikayla with 3 of the 4 dogs. This is what Mikayla's heaven looks like...lots of horses and lots of dogs. I was happy that she was able to have a heavenly birthday!



Donovan played Little League baseball this Spring. It is only the second season he has played…he played Fall Ball last year. I guess he did play T-ball once, back when he was 5…but I’m not sure that really counts.

Anyway…it was a really fun season because Frank volunteered as his coach (9/10 League) and I was the team mom. The other kids came to most of the games and cheered us on…so it was a family affair.

During the Fall season last year, Donovan really wanted to be a catcher…and he still enjoys that…but now he really wants to pitch. His pitching skills improved a LOT during the Spring season and he is getting to be quite a good pitcher. He is determined to practice during the summer so that when he enters the 11/12 league in the Fall he will be ready for the big boys.

Here are some pictures of our fun season:

The Team Photo...we were missing 2 players.

Coach Frank

Coach Frank talking to the boys.

Frank helping the boys in the dugout...

Donovan up to bat...

Donovan on his way to 1st base after hitting the ball.

Donovan Pitching

Donovan Pitching

Donovan on 3rd Base and Frank being 3rd base coach...

Coach Frank

Donovan and Frank

Donovan Pitching

Donovan ready to swing at the ball...

Donovan is on deck and Frank is 3rd base coach.

Donovan up to bat. This was in the middle of May and it was freezing!

This is Donovan with our (church) friend, Timothy, who was also on the team...and one of our other pitchers.

Some of Donovan's teammates: Khadry and Timothy

Some of Donovan's teammates: Nico, Brandon & Jeremy

Some of Donovan's teammates: Timothy, Cameron & Khadry

We had a great cheering section: Xan (friend from Church), Betsy (mother of Timothy), Megan, PJ, Liz & Jordan.

Cheering Section again: Jordan, Liz, Megan, & PJ

PJ playing on his iPad...instead of watching the game.

Megan - freezing at one of the mid-May games

Above: Donovan pitching a strike

Above: The team after their first win

Above: Donovan gets a catcher’s mitt. Donovan likes to play pitcher and catcher. He is a lefty though…and it’s hard to find a lefty catcher’s mitt. So, we finally ordered him one online…and this is when he finally saw it for the first time.

Above: Donovan pitching a strike

Above: Donovan throws 2 strikes

We recently took an AmAzInG family trip to Tennessee.

We visited the Gatlinburg area of Tennessee, which is 5 hours from our Georgia home. None of us had ever been there, so it was a great adventure for us. We discovered that it is a mecca for family vacations…there is sooo much to do there!

On the drive up to Gatlinburg, we stopped to see Tallulah Falls in Georgia. We walked all the way to the bottom of the gorge to see the bottom of the falls. I think it was 300+ steps down into the canyon. The trip back up was a bear…VERY steep…my calves were sore for a few days. But it was very worth it! We had a great time there.

The crew before we headed down to the Falls.

A suspension bridge across the gorge as we were working our way down to the bottom of the falls.

...looking off of the suspension bridge...

Liz on the bridge

Megan on the bridge

PJ on the bridge (what kind of look is that?)

Mikayla on the bridge

Frank on the bridge

At the bottom of the Falls...looking down the river...

Everyone at the bottom of the falls...

...part of the falls...

...the stairs going down to the bottom of the falls....

Frank, "Check out that gorge!"

 

Mikayla and Liz

PJ and Megan

Don & Ashley

We recently took an AmAzInG family trip to Tennessee. We visited the Gatlinburg area of Tennessee, which is 5 hours from our Georgia home. None of us had ever been there, so it was a great adventure for us. We discovered that it is a mecca for family vacations…there is sooo much to do there!

We actually stayed in Pigeon Forge (I think the adress was actually Sevierville), which is just a few miles outside of Gatlinburg. We rented a cabin there…and that was one of the funnest parts of the trip!

Pigeon Forge was full of places that would entertain a family. This was an upside down house full of exhibits (I can't remember what kind though...we didn't go there). The video below will show a lot more.

This is a buffet we had lunch at.

I thought my dad would like this one. They call Dove Creek, Colorado, "Pigeon River." So, this is for you, Dad.

This sign is for LISA B!!!

Above: “PJ sees a Smart Car” – This was taken while we were driving around Pigeon Forge.

Above: The family driving around Pigeon Forge…checking out what they have to offer…

Above: More driving around Pigeon Forge….