Bill & Sara Nielson

Pima Air and Space Museum

2008-03-07T10:31:00.003-07:00

Bill and I have lived in Tucson for over 2 years and have talked of going to this museum many times. We finally got around to going the other day and had a wonderful time. Most of the employees are retired pilots from either the Navy or Air Force. They shared some intriguing stories of the wars they fought in.

Tucson Rodeo 2008

2008-03-07T10:03:00.004-07:00

Donna R and I went to the Tucson Rodeo on a day Bill was scheduled to work. Funny thing was, he got to watch the rodeo for free from better seats than we could buy. Lucky guy got assigned rodeo detail for the same day we were there. Since he was there specifically as a paramedic for the contestents, he sat right behind the chutes. Rough job!

Brina's Grown

2008-01-31T17:23:00.000-07:00

Brina is now 3 1/2 months old. When we got her she was smaller than Riley. As you can see, things have changed. She is aroung 50lbs and is now our big lug. So our guess of about 80-100lbs looks to be coming true, maybe closer to that upper mark. We started her training, thankfully, because she can already pull me around. She is an absolute sweetheart.

Petroglyph Hike

2008-01-31T17:00:00.001-07:00

Donna and I went to see some Hohokom petroglyphs the other day after I got off of work. The two sites are only about 20 minutes from the house. Brina came along to begin her leash and hiking training.

A Christmas Story

2008-01-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this letter with all of you since so many have had to put up with my grumpy moods and odd availability due to my job. This one experience makes everything I put up with at work worth it. I handled a 911 call around midnight on December 7/8 from a grandmother who had found her 8 year old grandson unconsious and not breathing. This is the note I received at work just before Christmas.

This is the letter:

Dear Sara,

Thank you! Ian is alive and well - back to being an active 8 year old. He woke up that night with no prior symptoms, coughed and struggled for breath. Within a few minutes he dropped to the floor and stopped breathing. I had been trying to help him and when I got through to you I thought we had lost him. You told me to give him mouth to mouth (CPR) which I did and he was breathing again, albeit very laborously when the paramedics arrived.

Were it not for your clear and calm instructions he would not be here. He spent several days on breathing treatments at UMC. Within a week he was home and back to normal.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Ian's Grandma Marcia

To the 911 operator (Sara) who responded to a call from a frantic grandmother. Thank you more than words can say from:
Ian's Grandmother
Ian's Mom and Dad who were out of town,
Ian's 3 brothers,
the rest of Ian's large and grateful family,
and of course, Ian himself.

New Addition to the Family

2007-12-03T16:20:00.000-07:00

We finally got the big dog we have been wanting. This is Brina, which means protector. She is a 7 week old Lab-Bull Mastiff puppy. Her father is a Yellow Lab that weighs over 110 lbs. Her mother is a Bull Mastiff weighing in around 80 lbs. Should grow to be a good size dog! Riley has loved having someone to keep him company. Sam on the other hand isn't so sure!

Latest Knitting Project

2007-09-26T16:21:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the little baby blanket I started about 8 months ago. I've only worked on it during quiet times at work. Thankfully they allow us to do crafts, read books, etc. as long as it doesn't interfere with work. I am now done with training so crafts are on full force!

Bill Graduated!

2007-09-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

Bill finished Medic Class!! He is now a Paramedic Firefighter. He got his dress uniform just in time for the graduation. With the full hat and gloves he looks something like the old time train conductors. I must say I think him very handsome and am very proud of the hard work he put in to complete the course!

Bill's Choice of Painting

2007-09-26T16:13:00.001-07:00

This is my most recent oil painting at the request of Bill. My first attempt at characters, Yoda. Bill says my next project is Darth Vader. We'll see how that one goes. :)

Just some fun

2007-09-26T16:06:00.001-07:00

Just a couple small oil paintings I've done. I am definitely enjoying playing around with the paint.

Picacho Peak Hike

2007-04-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

Picacho Peak Hike

2007-04-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

At the TOP!!!

Picacho Peak Hike

2007-04-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

This is the hike Donna R and I took up Picacho Peak. You start at the front and weave back and forth until you get to the saddle. At that point you scoot over to the back and climb up the rocky back side. There are cables to help you climb up the rocks. It is pretty safe as on the extra dangerous areas they have fences and boards to climb on. I must say this is the best hike ever. A great workout and beautiful views.

The Remodeled Master Bedroom

2007-01-27T15:21:00.001-07:00

The Remodeled Master Bedroom

2007-01-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

FINALLY!! After 2 months of work the master bedroom is now finished. Except for the decorative finishes we are moved in. Bill did some amazing work here and it looks beautiful. A few mishaps and not so happy days but all in all it was worth it. I'm not sure if you should ask Bill that yet, just give him a few weeks. :)

Snow Day!

2007-01-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

Amazingly, we had a snow day in Tucson!! I got a call from Bill around 7pm (after I was already asleep) to tell me it was snowing. Hate to say it but I just wasn't too interested at the time. As I was getting ready for work around 1:30am, work called to let me know that all the bridges and overpasses were closed due to ice. When trying to get into my car I found 4 out of 5 of my doors were frozen shut. My drivers side wasn't. Talk about luck. I than had to scrape off a couple of inches of ice off all of my windows. Thankfully my way to work on the freeway wasn't affected. Other than a few slides here and there it was uneventful. These pictures were taken about 9am on one of my breaks at work. It was actually very beautiful. I think we got about 4-5 inches of snow. Fun while it lasted but glad it isn't common here. :)

Update on Remodel - the Flooring

2007-01-21T16:51:00.000-07:00

The new flooring and wall colors. Can't wait to finish and have a room to live in. Good job Bill!!

My Ride Along

2006-12-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

As part of my beginning training for my job, I was required to do a ride along. So I got to spend an entire 10 hours hanging out with Bill at the station. I went along to the calls - very few of them - and just hung out. It was a lot of fun to see him working. No good calls though. Oh well. The guy in the middle picture is Leroy Brown, the engineer for the ladder truck and he can sure drive that thing. He is the funny guy of the group always throwing in jokes here or there. Leroy's son, an exact replica of Leroy, is my supervisor at work.

Current Project

2006-12-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

Bill started right in on the Master so we are now living out of the newest improved guest room. He is adding a closet and sitting area to the big room and has done all the framing himself. Impressive!

The animals

2006-12-03T17:11:00.000-07:00

We have plenty of beds and yet they always choose to sleep together. If Sam gets in bed first Riley will sit and bark at him so we have to get out of bed, kick Sam out so Riley can get in. Sam always comes back later to squash Riley. Pretty cute though.

Thanksgiving

2006-12-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful thanksgiving this year. Bill got off Thanksgiving morning so we actually got to spend a holiday together. Dad and Mom also came down and we had a wonderful time. I even had a 5 day weekend!! That probably won't happen again anytime soon. :)

Recent Remodel

2006-12-03T17:01:00.000-07:00

Bill finished the second guest room. This is the firefighter room. The hat in the center is the actual helmet his great grandfather wore during his years on the department back east. We have some really cool firefighter pictures we will be adding to the room at a later date. Bill even built the closet system as well.

Finished Product

2006-10-14T14:20:00.000-07:00

So the finished product is a bit different than we started with. We chose to stain the closet doors a dark color to match the windowsill Bill made. We will be doing each room one at a time.

Remodel Project

2006-10-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

We forgot to take pictures before we started but this is a picture of the guest room after Bill retextured the walls and ceiling. Still a huge work in progress.

The Flood

2006-10-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

This is the Rillito Wash that runs through most of Tucson. The water here is about 15-20 feet deep! We definitely didn't expect this much rain. The other picture is a closeup of this one showing the firefighters, including Bill, on the bridge.

On the Job

2006-10-11T18:04:00.000-07:00

Only a few months on the job and Bill is already making the news! With all of the late summer rains, many of the roads like this one here were closed for fear of the bridge caving in. Bill is suited up and all ready for rescue!

The New House

2006-07-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

The new casa in Tucson should be ready for us to move in around mid August. It needs some work, but with Bill's new work schedule he will have a lot of extra time for projects.

The Proud Firefighters Mom

2006-07-24T22:16:00.000-07:00

More dragon pics

2006-07-24T22:12:00.000-07:00

2006-07-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

Some more pics of the dragon!

Fighting The Dragon!

2006-07-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

During the academy we practiced our skills fighting fire by fighting the dragon.

Graduation Day!

2006-07-24T17:56:00.000-07:00

A day at the academy always started and ended with the RED, WHITE and BLUE!

2006-07-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

Graduation Day!!! June 23rd, A happy fireman and his wife

The Nielson Family Firehouse

2006-07-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

Here is our new website where Sara and I can relay some of lifes great experiences as we take them one step at a time together..