news from the nickle nest

2009 Family Christmas Newsletter:

The Nickle Nest

Wonderful news. Our nest is full again!

Zander returned from the Washington DC South mission on Nov. 13^th. He loved Virginia and all the people he met there. He’s already had hernia surgery since he returned, but is on the mend. We feel very grateful to have him back in the flock.

Melissa is in and out of the nest all the time. She lives 20 minutes away and drops by to visit several times a week. She is finishing school and running her flower business, so she is one busy chick.

Jonathan is back in Salt Lake City. He moved south to CA last winter, but came back to UT in the spring. He’s still doing photography and is also serving in a new trendy restaurant close to his apartment. He’s very busy but also seems very happy. We’re glad he’s come back to UT to roost!

Justin is preparing to leave our nest. He just got called to the Knoxville, TN mission where he will spend the next 2 years starting January 20^th. We are very proud of him and are excited to see him spread his wings and fly.

Braden is a junior this year. He’s still loving football. He’s strong and fast and hopes he’ll be able to keep playing in college. He’s also learned to play the guitar. He’s become quite the songbird.

Bryson is a sophomore. He’s doing great in school. He played football and is now playing basketball. He still loves to sing, but has other interest (girls) as well. He seems to be soaring to new heights all the time.

Steve and Melanie continue to love and nurture this brood. They are our pride and joy and we love being their parents. We are aware our nest is nearing empty soon. Luckily we still like doing things together, so when that time comes we’ll be ok.

They say birds of a feather stick together. We are so grateful for the bonds of family and for knowing even when we are apart, we all have a place in this Nickle Nest. We are very grateful for this year when we are all here, however, and plan to enjoy every minute of it. May each of you enjoy the season and your moments together. We are so thankful to have a Savior who loves each of us and we celebrate His birth.

Merry Christmas,

The Nickles

"through the years we all will be together"

CHRISTMAS EVE:
Every year for Christmas Eve, we do the same things. First, we go out to lunch. This year we went to Five Guys:

Then, we go to a movie. This year, we went to see Avatar. It was great! After the movie, we go home and have our Christmas Eve dinner, which includes things like candy, chips, bagel sandwhiches, cookies, etc. Just snacks and appetizers.

We then have our annual reading of "The Night Before Christmas."

As per usual, the dogs joined in on the family fun. Here are Dudley and Sammy, respectively, listening to storytime:

We then open two presents each - a pair of pajamas and slippers for everyone. After changing into our new pjs, we take a stairstep photo, which is to say, a photo showcasing everyone's current height, from tallest to shortest. The height differences used to be very prominent, but it's getting pretty darn close these days!

CHRISTMAS DAY:
Christmas morning is always fun. First, we get our presents from Santa:

We then have our traditional Christmas breakfast, Christmas Strauda, followed by opening our non-Santa presents. After that, we spend the rest of the afternoon as we please until it's time for Christmas dinner.

This year, Jonathan's dog, Bentley, joined us for Christmas Day. . .

. . . and I don't think Dudley was too pleased with the newcomer! Don't worry, they got used to each other throughout the course of day. :)

When late afternoon rolls around, we have our fancy Christmas Dinner. The turkey this year was scrumptious! Great job, Chef Melanie.

For dessert this year, Mom made a pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream. But, we had a little bit of a problem when she realized that we left the handmixer up at the cabin over Thanksgiving. So, while we pulled out the stand-mixer, Dad was busy coming up with his own solution. He attached a whisk to his drill, and it actually worked! You can see the video at the end of the post. Mom, however, made every attempt to keep him from using it. She succeeded. :)

And finally, enjoy a few video clips from our fun family day:

i need you like a penny needs a wishing well from Melissa Nickle on Vimeo.

makeshift mixer from Melissa Nickle on Vimeo.

Untitled from Melissa Nickle on Vimeo.

thanksgiving: because it comes before christmas.

So it looks like the family blog is in need of a little love! I am the designated family blogger, but when I am swamped with weddings, semester finals, projects, etc, updating the blog de familia is not exactly my top priority. Sorry little blog. I am going to love you now.

Anyway, seeing as Christmas Eve is tomorrow, I thought I'd hurry up and get Thanksgiving posted via slideshow, you know, since Thanksgiving comes before Christmas and all. We all went up to the cabin this year, and good times were had by all. Enjoy!

better together- zander's homecoming

Well, we can't post Thanksgiving until we post Zander's homecoming- we're chronological like that (or at least we try to be...). So, watch for the Thanksgiving post soon, but for now this is all you're getting!

Zander gave an excellent "homecoming" talk, after which we had a bit of an open house for family and friends. Thanks to all the family, extended family, friends, and neighbors who made it out!

The day in pictures:

individuals:

grandmothers:

cousins:

the argyle quadruplets- my favorite photo!

goofing off:

brothers and sister:

aunties:

friends:

family:

and lastly, a movie clip to finish off the post:

It really is always better when we're together.