Hello friends and family,
Since we live far away from everyone in Arizona, we wanted to send out a yearly update of all the shenanigans we have been implicated in. Its been an interesting year, as they all are, it seems.
For example, this time last year, Traci and I were both in different jobs. I was working for American Express and Traci was still teaching at a Charter School. I call American Express my “exchange student program” (I was there about nine months). In about March, I was invited to come back to Chase and I accepted. Traci’s school shut down in May and she set forth on two new ventures.
First, she started a children’s Princess Party planning business with one of her best friends,
Angela Hasenberg (some of you old family friends know her as Angela Tidwell) and she also started working at Starbucks. We all have dream jobs … you know … those jobs we’d love to do even though they don’t really make any money? Well, Starbuck’s is Traci’s. She loves it. As for the Party Planning business, it took a more grown up turn and the “party girls” started organizing cocktail parties and other things. They have both had a lot of fun doing it, but its hard work. To date, I still don’t think they have done an actual Princess Party.
During the summer, we came home and stayed in Park City for a week. It was so great, we’ll most likely do it every year. One of our first Nelson family traditions, I guess. It’s a great way to keep in touch with family and everyone and its not 120 degrees in Utah that time of year. For those who ignore Park City in the summer, they do so at their own loss. It’s the best time of year to be there. No crowds, all the cool you’ve come to expect, and beautiful countryside.
For our anniversary (June 4th), we also went to see Madonna in concert. Traci LOVES Madonna, if you didn’t know. It was a lot of fun. In line, we stood behind a guy who has a tattoo of Madonna filling up his entire back. I think some people are a little too into Madonna. Don’t you? Anyway, it was a great concert.
Our next big adventure was
San Diego, where we would love to live, if we had 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 dollars.
Its expensive but absolutely amazing.
My favorite place on the planet is in
San Diego.
Its in
La Jolla technically, but lets not get technical.
It was Traci’s Birthday that weekend so we went to the beach, had a great dinner overlooking the surf and city and just had a fantastic time, all in Traci's honor.
Not too much later, Traci met with her mom and the sisters to head down to Vegas to meet Janet Ivonivich (where they waited in line for hours). If you don’t know who she is, you’re probably a guy. She writes “chick lit” detective novels and is a runaway hit. I detoured from a business trip and met up with them for a night of Vegas fun. We found a Karaoke room and I made a best friend by singing Toby Keith. I mean this guy was INTO Toby Keith. He cheered through the whole song and shook my hand afterwards. We all had a great time.
Halloween was fun. Actually kind of funny, more than fun. Traci and I received an invitation to go to a Halloween party so we had this brilliant plan to make Traci a fantastic Supergirl costume (I was going to go with a nametag that read “Hello, I’m Lex Luthor” and shave my head). So Traci and I hunted hig
h and low for the
right leotard and cape, skirt and boot material. We made a great Supergirl S. We got a terrible blonde wig. After about 20 hours of work on this thing, we were all set to go. And then the party cancelled, the day of. L Oh well, we had a great time making the costume so it ended up being fun anyway. For Halloween at Starbucks, Traci also dressed up as a cat. They didn’t want Supergirl flying around Starbucks, for some reason. Maybe it was the skirt…
Then my birthday came and went. My 40th! Seems very odd that I’m 40. I don’t feel 40. I don’t really look 40. I think its just some sort of mistake, if you want my opinion. Nonetheless, I had a birthday on November 7th and it came and it went. No hoopla. I generally don’t like hoopla, but when you are married to a party planner … well … you expect a little hoopla now and again. I have to admit I was a little disappointed. I forgot all about it and Traci and I planned a Utah trip later in the month for Thanksgiving. Greer and I went to see a show (his treat, as a belated birthday present) and we were going to meet up with the girls afterwards. I walked in the door of the restaurant and, lo and behold, everyone is gathered for a surprise birthday party! I was totally, completely bowled over. 
I had no idea. It was fantastic. We ate, drank, chatted. Then the Karaoke machine came out and people started to leave for some reason. Will and Don led the charge out. All in all, it was a great time and thanks to all of you who came.
And finally, Christmas. This year we decided to spend Christmas at home. But not before we took a trip to New York and had a very merry New York Christmas escapade. New York was awesome. 
We went ice skating in Rockefeller Square. We had this amazing meal at THE
Brazilian Churruscaria in New York. And the main event. Seeing Donny Osmond in the musical Beauty and the Beast. Traci LOVES Donny Osmond. If Donny Osmond and Madonna were in a death match, I don’t know who she’d pick. She loves them both that much.
After our pre-Christmas in New York, we came home and all
Traci really wanted this year was a kitten. While getting our dogs out of doggy jail (another story) I happened to overhear of new white kittens that were six weeks old. Traci's only request for a kitten was that it was white. Perfect! So I brought home little Audrey Hepburn (Traci LOVES Audrey Hepburn ... the kitty and the movie star). With our new Zoo addition, we had a wonderful Rockwellian Christmas at our house.
And that brings us to now. Christmas is over. The New Year is
about to begin. And we want to let everyone know we think about you often and wish you all the
very best for a New year full of fun and excitement. I’m sure we’ll see you all as time rolls by. Until we do, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Hello friends and family, 
Angela Hasenberg (some of you old family friends know her as Angela Tidwell) and she also started working at Starbucks. We all have dream jobs … you know … those jobs we’d love to do even though they don’t really make any money? Well, Starbuck’s is Traci’s. She loves it. As for the Party Planning business, it took a more grown up turn and the “party girls” started organizing cocktail parties and other things. They have both had a lot of fun doing it, but its hard work. To date, I still don’t think they have done an actual Princess Party.
During the summer, we came home and stayed in 
For our anniversary (June 4th), we also went to see Madonna in concert. Traci LOVES Madonna, if you didn’t know. It was a lot of fun. In line, we stood behind a guy who has a tattoo of Madonna filling up his entire back. I think some people are a little too into Madonna. Don’t you? Anyway, it was a great concert.
Our next big adventure was 
Halloween was fun. Actually kind of funny, more than fun. Traci and I received an invitation to go to a Halloween party so we had this brilliant plan to make Traci a fantastic Supergirl costume (I was going to go with a nametag that read “Hello, I’m Lex Luthor” and shave my head). So Traci and I hunted hig
h and low for the
right leotard and cape, skirt and boot material. We made a great Supergirl S. We got a terrible blonde wig. After about 20 hours of work on this thing, we were all set to go. And then the party cancelled, the day of. L Oh well, we had a great time making the costume so it ended up being fun anyway. For Halloween at Starbucks, Traci also dressed up as a cat. They didn’t want Supergirl flying around Starbucks, for some reason. Maybe it was the skirt…
I had no idea. It was fantastic. We ate, drank, chatted. Then the Karaoke machine came out and people started to leave for some reason. Will and Don led the charge out. All in all, it was a great time and thanks to all of you who came.
Traci really wanted this year was a kitten. While getting our dogs out of doggy jail (another story) I happened to overhear of new white kittens that were six weeks old. Traci's only request for a kitten was that it was white. Perfect! So I brought home little Audrey Hepburn (Traci LOVES Audrey Hepburn ... the kitty and the movie star). With our new Zoo addition, we had a wonderful Rockwellian Christmas at our house.
