Happy Thanksgiving

Life is good, because our family had a fantastic Thanksgiving this year! Although our plans were changed at the last minute, we recovered and put together a fabulous Thanksgiving feast, Christensen style.

Per Madrian tradition, our day began with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from NYC. As a child, I have many memories of watching that parade as my parents prepped food in the kitchen. There was always something so festive and comforting about watching that parade each and every year. This year was no different.

Dale and I prepared roasted turkey with fresh herbed sausage stuffing, sweet potatoes with pecan streusel topping, rolls (I cheated and bought the Hawaiian rolls, which I will do again because they were tasty), homemade cranberry orange sauce, gravy, fresh green beans, salad greens with blackberry vinaigrette, brussel sprouts with browned butter, and homemade pumpkin pie. It was truly a feast and could have fed a large army. My freezer is full of leftovers ready to be eaten on those future lazy Sundays when I don't feel like cooking.

Here I am sitting in front of our festive table with some of the people I love most in this world (one of which is behind the camera lens). Laurel helped me set the table by writing each of our names on the name cards we purchased at Hobby Lobby. Laurel loves to be involved with anything remotely related to crafts or art.

Right in the middle of the day, our family took a much needed break to visit Tetco (our favorite gas station here in town). As you can see, the kids are holding Thanksgiving themed coloring sheets which can be redeemed for a free Icee at Tetco. I was amazed that the kids wanted an Icee, especially considering our Dallas temperatures had dropped into the 40's. Mom and dad enjoyed the trip to Tetco with our usual caffeinated mix du jour and a nice fat copy of the Dallas Morning News, which was stuffed with all of the Black Friday ads. I'm happy to report that even after salivating over several of the large plasma screen televisions that were on sale, as well as other fun toys, we maintained discipline and saved our money.

We are thankful for so many things this year, mainly our family, our health, and the many friends we have. We look forward to a beautiful Christmas season.

7 Years Ago

Seven years ago tonight I was on my way to the hospital to give birth to my first child. At the time, Dale and I lived in San Jose. I remember stopping at Safeway (off of Montague Expressway) on the way to the hospital to buy some Swedish fish and gummy bears to get me through labor. Little did I know that I would be in labor close to 20 hours and that they wouldn't even let me eat.

I remember feeling the anticipation and excitement that comes with new motherhood. I also remember the fear I felt as I was asked to go into the bathroom and change into my hospital gown. The strangest feeling came over me as I realized that there was no turning back. Oh, and the pain . . . it certainly took my breath away, but not as much as when Dr. Hill handed me Laurel for the first time. That moment will forever be embedded in my memory. Such a sweet, sacred moment when you hold your first child for the very first time. Oh, and she was beautiful with a sweet, almost pathetic cry.

Now here we are, seven years and two cities later. So much has happened over these years since Laurel joined our family. So grateful for Laurel and the strength she is in our home. She is a sweet, loving child who loves to have fun, make crafts, and play outside with her brothers. One of her greatest traits is her desire to share everything she has. If she has one piece of gum, she'll either split it in half and share with you, or she'll just give you the entire piece. And the best part about it is that she'll do it with a smile because she loves you and wants nothing more than to show you her love by sharing. Such a wonderful trait will serve her well throughout her years on earth.

Happy 4 Months!

Little Ryan turned 4 months! We are so blessed to have this little boy in our life. For starters, Ryan is the most good natured, sweet little boy. He sleeps through the night most nights. Every now and then he'll wake up around 4:30 or 5:00 because he is hungry, but I don't mind because I'm still getting a good 4-6 hour stretch of sleep. Laurel was waking up every 2-3 hours for the first 18 months of her life. It's a good thing she was my first because I don't think I would have made it if I had had other children at the time. Andrew was a little better in the sleep department, but not much.

Compared to our other two, Ryan is off the charts as far size goes. He weighs 16 lbs 13 oz (90%tile) and measures 26.75 inches (97%tile). Just for perspective, Andrew weighed 14 lbs 1 oz and measured 24 3/4 inches at 4 months. Laurel was 13 lbs 1 ounce and measured 24 3/4 ounces. No wonder I don't feel like I have a newborn anymore!

When he's not asleep, he's often smiling or laughing, babbling, and taking in everything that his brother and sister are doing. He loves to stare at ceiling fans and especially loves listening to mommy play the piano, which she doesn't get to do enough of now that she has three kids keeping her busy. Most of all, Ryan loves to be held and loved every chance he gets. We love having a cuddly, happy baby. Thanks for bringing so much love and joy into our family!

Happy 100th birthday, Great Grandma Christensen!

Today we decided to celebrate Great Grandma Christensen's birthday by going to the park and blowing bubbles. Laurel and her dad will be traveling to Salt Lake City for the big birthday party (to be held at a later date), but Andrew and I will stay in Texas. I'm afraid to fly with pre-term labor concerns, so the two of us will be celebrating by ourselves.
Andrew has really blossomed into a fun, energetic 2 1/2 year old. He loves his sister so much and enjoys playing with her every chance he gets. I cannot believe how much he has grown the past 6 months!
Here is my little girl. This has also been a tremendous year of growth for her as she's started school and gained some independence. I'm so grateful for all she does to help me out at home. She is a good friend to both her brother and myself.

As for this blog, I'm not sure how much longer I'll be doing it. I'm sure nobody is even reading it anyway, especially with how sporadic posts are. I'm also trying to adjust to my new iMac computer, which I love, but still have so much to learn. For some reason I can't delete the first picture, so I apologize for the double. I'm really looking forward to learning everything I can do with my photos - so exciting!

Wedding bells for David and Logann . . .

Dale's little brother, David, married Logann Roner on August 10, 2009. I thought it would be fun to share a few fun pictures. First of all, Laurel was a flower girl for her Uncle David's wedding and truly enjoyed the experience as evidenced above. Laurel was the most deliberate and careful flower girl that any of us had ever seen. Rather than grab handfuls of petals to throw, she picked one up at a time and dropped each petal with preciseness and delicate care. It was so cute!

Andrew's job at the wedding was just to be as cute as he could be, and I think he achieved that quite well. What do you think? I'm sorry, but there is nothing much cuter than a little man in a little man suit! If he stays as cute as he is now, watch out ladies . . .

Here is the beautiful couple. We wish them all of the happiness in the world. Thanks for letting this Christensen family be a part of such a beautiful evening.

Relationships

Relationships have always been an integral part of my life. When I get down, feel frustrated, or just need a little lift, I think about the people who have meant the most to me in my life.

Several weeks ago I had the wonderful opportunity to browse through my old missionary scrapbooks in search of the perfect pictures to share at my mission reunion which was held on October 1st. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend President and Sister Stewart's reunion, but I felt like I was there in spirit. As I looked for the perfect pictures, I was overwhelmed with the number of pictures I wanted to share. Unfortunately, I was limited to 3. I thought it would be fun to share just a few that I was able to scan.

First off, this wonderful person to the left is my Sister Casperson. I can't write or speak about Sister Casperson without shedding tears. She passed away 3 years ago this month from Ewings sarcoma cancer. Sister Casperson and I served in Saarbruecken, Germany back in the fall of 1997. Sister Casperson was such a joy to serve with. Nothing could get her down and her optimism rubbed off on me during those difficult months. After a day of slammed doors, "nein, keine Interesse," insults, etc, we would come home and decompress. This picture above is only one example of many when she tried to make us all laugh after a hard day. In this particular picture, Sister Casperson is dressed up as a potential investigator we might find as we street contacted. I remember role playing with her that night and trying to practice not only our German, but the various ways we could approach people. She sure knew how to make lemonade out of lemons. How could anyone tell her no? I know that Heavenly Father placed her in my life for many, many reasons, one of which was to witness firsthand what it is like to have no guile and to be full of charity and love for others. Have you ever just come across people in your life who are just so, so good? I have, and Sister Casperson is one of those special people in my life.


Here is another trip down memory lane. This particular picture is from a rehearsal we held prior to a musical fireside we held in Offenbach, Germany. I was fortunate to participate in the traveling group of missionaries that toured the mission, teaching the gospel to members and non-members at these special musical firesides. It was an awesome experience and it reconfirmed to me the power of music. It was a wonderful tool for sharing the gospel with many people in the Frankfurt region.

Here is another special group of people that I loved. Here is my Saarbruecken district back in October of 1997. I'm in the front row along with Sister Casperson. Sister Baxter is the third member of our "Dritt" or threesome. We served with some great Elders as well. I'd like to point out that the blonde Elder next to Sister Baxter was our district leader. Elder Bellmann was a wonderful missionary and friend. About three years ago, this great Elder passed away in a motorcycle accident back in Germany. I'm still shocked that two of my friends from this time of my life are no longer alive, but I'm so thankful for the positive memories I have to remember them.

Finally, here are just a handful of the awesome sister missionaries from the Frankfurt Germany mission. So grateful for this time in my life. I loved these women and felt it a great privilege to serve and work with them. Good times!

One of my greatest hopes is that my children will fill their lives with positive role models that will surround them and buoy them up when needed. Good friends are a blessing and can help keep us on the correct path through life. As I contemplate my life, I recognize that there are so many people, like those above, who have been so good to me. I'm thankful and grateful for those who have helped me along through my life. Furthermore, I sincerely hope that my children will also lift up others along the way, just as Sister Casperson lifted me up when I needed it most.

Fun picture from the past . . .

I have been absent from this blog for a long, long time. I'm sure nobody is even reading this thing anymore, but just in case, here is a fun picture I'd like to share. This is a picture of my parents back in the 1960's boarding a plane. My mom was pregnant with one of my brothers. I love the glasses and the outfits. Another thing I noticed was the rust on the bottom of the plane. I am not sure I would have boarded that plane!

As for an update on the Christensens, we are busy with life and everything that goes with it. If I get around to posting pictures, I'll do so. In the meantime, here is a quick update on the past few months:

* enjoyed our fun trip to California where I celebrated my 33rd at Lake Tahoe - not a bad place to be on your birthday!
* Dale's little brother got married and we enjoyed getting to see family, even if it was just for a short time.
* Laurel started kindergarten.
*Andrew turned 2 and now we get the privilege of purchasing him an airline ticket next time we fly :-) He also got ear tubes and has started to speak a lot more.
* Dale turned 33 in September. He continues to be busy at work and enjoys working with the people he works with.
* fun trip to San Antonio with the Nuttalls - just like old times!
* we are currently getting over what our doctor thinks is the swine flu. Who knows for sure. Whatever it is, it has been rough. Can't wait until my kids are back to normal.

That's all for now.