Beatrix Potter

Since the time I was a little girl I always loved stories by Beatrix Potter. My grandmother introduced them to me at a young age, probably due to my interest in small animals and wildlife, not to mention my artistic knack for drawing little furry creatures. I remember my grandmother showing me the carefully drawn pictures of Tabitha Twitchet, Benjamin Bunny, and of course foolish little Peter Rabbit. Even today I cannot read a Beatrix Potter book without remembering my childhood days.

"But Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away to Mr. McGregor's garden, and squeezed under the gate! First he ate some lettuces and some French beans; and then he ate some radishes."

Beatrix Potter was an excellent artist and children's author; loved and adorned by many. She was a remarkable woman, with a truly original imagination and literary talent. I really enjoyed watching the recent movie of her life titled "Miss Potter," starring Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. The movie did an excellent job portraying Beatrix Potter's love for animals and her brilliant, creative imagination. A very beautiful film which will leave you feeling awed and inspired. I highly recommend it.

~Becky N.

Family Christmas Newsletter

Merry Christmas 2007!

We hope to find you well and happy this holiday season. Our family has prospered much this year, and we are thankful for all the blessings we have received. We have been blessed tremendously, and we thank you all of you for your love and support.

Brad continues to work as the purchasing manager for Del Sol; a company that sells products that change colors in the sun. He loves his job and the people he works with. This past autumn he entered a weight-loss contest for Del Sol employees, and WON! He lost weight by going to the gym every morning (except on Sundays) and eating a very strict, healthy diet.

Becky finally got her driver’s license in June. She also attended her college graduation in May, graduating with an AA Degree in Early Childhood Education from Long Beach City College. Becky loves being a part of the N. family and being a fulltime step-mom. She helps the children do their homework every day, and reads and sings to them every night.

Scott continues to do well in school. He’s one of the top readers in his class and reads at a fifth grade level. He’s currently in fourth grade at Westbrook Elementary School. Scott has developed a new passion for Legos. He constantly builds new things and makes movies with them. Scott also enjoys playing with our new baby rats: Cinnamon, Cocoa, and Checkers. Sadly, we lost our other two rats, Annie and Brenna, earlier this year.

Emma started first grade in September. She made huge improvements with her reading and writing skills since the beginning of the school year and does about an hour’s worth of homework every night with Becky. Emma loves going to school and making new friends. Emma constantly befriends new people everywhere she goes. She enjoyed going to Disneyland with her family for the very first time in February. She and Scott had never been there before, so it was a real treat for them.

Our love to all of you! Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love,
Our Family

Rosie in the Snow

Rosie in the Snow

by Rebecca N.
sung to the tune of "Jingle Bells"

Crashing through the snow,
On a cold and frosty day!
Kicking up her feet,
Slobbering all the way!

She zooms around the street,
In the pale December light.
She puts a smile on those she greets,
Because she's such a sight!

Oh, in the snow!
In the snow!
Watch our Rosie go!
She runs around and sniffs the ground
through the white and fluffy snow, oh!

In the snow!
In the snow!
Watch our Rosie go!
She runs around and sniffs the ground
through the white and fluffy snow!

Family Photos November 2007

At the Jordan River Temple in Utah

Scott and Emma

Halloween 2007

We had a wonderful Halloween! Brad and I dressed up for two Halloween Parties-- one at his work and one with our family. Brad was Ned Flanders, from the Simpsons TV show. He was a perfect Flanders, by the way! It was almost scary the way he would impersonate him, especially when he would start quoting various lines from the movie. I don't know how many times I heard the lines "Hidilly-ho!" and "Okilly-dokilly." My favorite quote was: "I just follow the three C's : clean living, chewing thoroughly, and a daily dose of vitamin church." I would start bursting out laughing every time I heard him say that! He was so good!

As for me, I dressed up as a nun. It was quite fun being a nun, actually. I think what I enjoyed most was Ned Flanders following me around throughout the day saying, "Now Sister Rebecca, I think it is my job to explain the evils of celibacy to you..." Needless to say I think he convinced me that being a nun was not the right path for me. : )

Scott and Emma had a wonderful Halloween as well. Scott dressed up as a storm trooper from Star Wars, and Emma was a vampiress. They went to five different Halloween parties throughout October, and made fine use of their costumes. They had a wonderful time going trick-or-treating with their cousins. Overall, our family had a wonderful Halloween.

~Becky N.

You Are Special

As a small child, I was fascinated by the show Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Every morning, my sisters and I would sprawl out on the living-room floor in our fuzzy pink pajamas and listen to the warm, harmonious voice of Fred Rogers on our 12-inch television set. I remember the way Mr. Rogers would look into the camera as he spoke to us of our individual uniqueness and how special we were because we were different. I believed him and always felt as if he were talking to me when he sang the following words: “There’s only one of you like you, like you my friend, I like you.” Those words still play in my head today as an adult, and it is interesting to see how they affect my self-image and self-worth. As a 27-year-old housewife and mother, I can honestly say that I like who I am and what I have done with my life. I hope I can demonstrate Mr. Roger’s message to my children as they grew up, so they too can feel good about themselves and understand their great potential and worth.

"You are my friend

You are special

You are my friend

You're special to me.

You are the only one like you.

Like you, my friend, I like you."

-- Fred Rogers

Debt Free!

GREAT NEWS! We are now debt free! WHOO HOO! We discovered that our last debt was completely paid off yesterday. For those of you who know Brad's story this is a huge accomplishment for him. He was left with over $45,000 worth of debts from before and during his divorce. He lost so much of his money and his possessions, and was left next to nothing. Now he has things back in control again, and he's much happier with his new life.

Brad is the most financially responsible person I have ever met. The best thing about this experience was that he was able to get rid of the debts himself. It took five years and a lot of self-discipline and sacrifice but he accomplished his goal to become debt free. Now we are looking forward to establishing good credit so that we can buy our first home together.

We are very thankful to Heavenly Father for helping us get through our trials. We know we couldn't have made it this far without His help. Now we can focus more on our future without having the dark cloud of debt overshadow us. I'm very happy about that!

Becky

Love Me Tender

"Love me tender, love me sweet, never let me go. You have made my life complete, and I love you so."

Our New Blog

Hello, friends and family!

Brad and I have decided to create a new blog to share with you. Life has been going well for us in Utah, but we often miss loved ones who live far away. Sharing our new blog with you is our way of letting you get a glimpse of what's been going on in our lives. We love and appreciate all of you.

It's been exactly one year and four months since I moved to Utah to be with Brad. I can honestly say that it was the best decision I ever made. I couldn't have found a more wonderful husband or a more worthy man to be married to. Brad and I get along spectaculary. We click on all levels: romantically, spiritually, physcially, emotionally, and intellectually. Our marriage is filled with happiness and security. I love being married to Brad and living in Utah. Life is going great!

My love to all of you! Take care!

Becky