August Rush

I normally don't reccomend movies. Everyone has their own opinions and why should mine matter to you? Well, this movie, which didn't get great reviews, nor was it in the theaters very long, really touched me and my family. August Rush. A movie about music, life and love. Especially music, and the wonderful emotional impact it can have in one's life. I loved it, and would love for you to love it too. So go rent it, and enjoy!

The Nienhuis' Winter - 2008

So this is what we have been doing all winter long. We have been downhill skiing! And it has been a fun, wonderful, and growing experience for our entire family. We had a pool at our old house that we loved. We miss it already and it isn't even summer yet. But taking up downhill skiing has turned into our new family sport, our new family bonding time, it is our new "pool". And it has made this long northern winter a whole lot more tolerable, and yes, even fun!

The kids and I all started out on the bunny hill back in the end of November. There wasn't even snow on the ground yet, but man-made snow already covered the mountain. Not one child of mine knew how to snow plow, turn or, most importantly, stop. But the kids were troopers, and kept trying, and had willing enough hearts to learn to keep coming out and practicing. The first time I watched them "clunk" along the parking lot in their heavy ski boots, I thought "here comes the whining". But they never whined about the heavy boots, they barely cried when they fell, and they took instruction to heart and learned from their mistakes. They were truly amazing.

That was back in November. It is now Easter Sunday, almost April, and in 4 months time, they are all 3 skiing from the top of the mountain, on any run we want to take them. To include black diamonds! We have skiied 21 times. (Dean has kept a matrix of how often we skiied, for how long, who went skiing, and the weather on that day. I married a Nerd. I know this.) Sam is almost as fast as his older cousins who have been skiing for many years. Elle is right behind Sam, and can fair any run he can. Jack is a natural. He goes from the top with the harness on, with daddy holding on to him, following 6 feet behind. We call it "Jack's leash". Once they get past the steep part, Dean lets him go on his own. He can turn without snowplowing and parallel skiis already. When he stops, it is almost a hockey stop. He's just a little too young to do the steep part of the runs alone, but as long as he has daddy along, he can do anything.

We live on the south side of the mountain, which means it is easier for us to park at the top of the ski runs, and ski right down the mountain. Now that the kids can ski from the top, we never have to lug through the parking wearing our boots while holding 20 pairs of skiis. We just park, put our skiis on, and ski down. It's really that easy!

So, if you didn't get a Christmas card (which you didn't), and I haven't been blogging much (which I haven't) and you haven't gotten a call from me lately (which is probably true), you now know why. If I haven't been sick, I've been skiing.

So please come visit. We'll take you skiing and it will be great fun! This picture was taken just 7 minutes from our house!!

29

Today is the first day of spring and we still have 2 feet of snow on the ground with more in the forecast. The high temp in March was a whopping 42 degrees. But that is for another blog.

I turned 29 again this month and I missed it. Instead of going out to lunch, hanging with my family, eating birthday cake, and going out to dinner, I spent the day in bed and at the walk-in clinic. Being diagnosed with influenza A on your birthday is NOT the way you want to celebrate. (As I sit down with the receptionist at the walk-in to register, she asks me when my birthday is. I reply through a cough and a moan "today", she says "oh, I'm sooo sorry") My fever spiked that night to a mere 103 degrees. Elle made me the cutest "pop-out" birthday card and it was the highlight of my day. I cried. The other small highlight for me was the small box of Godiva chocolates I recieved from a friend. I laid in my bed upstairs and ate most of them (one is not nauseous with the influenza, thank goodness).

This wonderful flu lasted a good 4-5 days with fever, lovingly spread to Sam and Elle, and then most graciously turned into pneumonia. I have literally been sick the entire month of March. As I mentioned earlier, I missed it.

If I have learned anything from this experience, it is this. Get the Flu Shot.

And now for you, Spring. It is time to COME UP THIS WAY! If you need directions, Dean has a GPS. I'm sure he'd share it with you, although it's his favorite toy, so he'd need it back. Just COME, Spring. Please....we need you!!!!