Team Awesome

"1 Clo"

2011-11-29T21:26:00.002-07:00

I was doing laundry yesterday and had a pile of clothes in the laundry basket that I was pulling out one and a time and treating. Pepper was with me and was looking in the laundry basket saying, "Clothes! Yook, Mommy, clothes! Der dey are! Story's jammies! Pepper's dress!" etc. etc. You get the idea...if you haven't caught on yet, Pepper talks a lot. Incessant. So cute. I love it. Anyway, "Clothes!"

Soon there was only one of Story's sleepers in the basket and Pepper said, "One Clo! One clo, Mommy." haha! Never knew the singular of clothes before...

Family Pictures and Updates on the Girls

2011-11-16T19:30:00.015-07:00

Check out that frown! This pretty much sums up how thrilled Pepper was for family pictures

Our friend Emmy took some family pictures for us! Of course we picked the one day in the midst of weeks of beautiful weather that it was FREEZING cold outside!! It was around 40 degrees and we were not prepared. I seriously had no idea it was so cold because it had been warm all week! Anyway, we were freezing and my girls were not happy! Emmy is awesome and is going to do single shots of Story and some with both girls later. We did get some good shots (or at least where all of us are looking at the camera!) in spite of it all! I think next time we'll do pictures in the summer!

There were a lot of cute ones of Pepper actually. I had a hard time choosing which ones to put on here! Maybe I am just a biased Mom and think every picture of my kids is cute!

Here are some updates on the kidlets:

PEPPER

I raked a bunch of leaves this morning in the front yard and had Story in the bouncer and Pepper was playing with sidewalk chalk and just running around. I felt a little bad for Story just sitting by herself (this is not an uncommon occurrence and I always feel bad! I try to give her lots of toys to hold, things to look at, etc!!!) so I told Pepper to go talk to Story and say hi. She stayed by me for a minute and then said, "Go say hi. Story." and proceeded to walk all the way around the yard (on the sidewalk...couldn't cross the grass?) went up to Story and said, "Hi Story!" and then came right back by me. ha! Kind of had a longer interaction in mind...but it was nice of her to go say hi!

At lunch today I was telling Pepper the story of Goldilocks and the three bears and using different voices for Papa, Mama, and Baby bear. After lunch, Pepper was playing with toys and I could hear her saying, "Someone eating my porridge!" over and over in different voices. Cracked me up!

I LOVE this stage Pepper is in. She is so fun! Her eyes light up with excitement at the simplest things! And sometimes the silliest things - like a hat or shoes or a letter magnet! She is so full of joy for life and its so so fun. Its so fun too to talk with her. We just have little conversations and it is fun to hear what she is thinking. Not to mention convenient. She can communicate with words everything she needs, which is so nice! I don't realize it until I am around other kids her same age who can't really speak at all - other than a few words - and I feel really grateful.

Things she loves to do these days:

Wear necklaces. If they don't fit over her head they make GREAT headbands.

Wear shoes. She tries on lots of pairs, switches them often, and sometimes even carries around an extra pair. She is super good at putting them on by herself and usually gets them on the right feet...but not always!

Wear hats. (Are we sensing a trend?!) She will also change this frequently and carry around TWO other ones...one for each hand. Never know when you'll need to change your hat...

Clean up. This may sound weird, but she is really conscious of things being in their place. Not like she always puts all her toys away or anything, but she is good about cleaning up when we ask. And often she does do it on her own. This morning after playing with some straws (for sippy cups) she was about to go upstairs and she stopped and excitedly said, "Oh! Put dem away!" then turned around, put them in the drawer, and then went upstairs. Things like that - she does it all the time! Mostly, I think it is awesome, but a little part of me hopes I am not raising a neat freak! :)

Watch people and things (like garbage trucks, squirrels, dump trucks...whatever) She is still really observant. She frequently surprises me with the things she notices and the things she remembers.

Sing. This is new and really fun! She is getting pretty good!

Color.

Jump. She is getting awesome at this! Maybe because does it ALL the time! Both feet get off the ground pretty far! And her jumping is not restricted to the ground. Her bed is also a favorite jumping spot. She will grab different toys and put them on her bed and then jump and watch them bounce. "I jump ah hippos!" "I jump da bear!" So fun. Everytime.

Run around in circles and laugh. Love this. She also will run and say, "run run run! run run run!"

Read. She LOVES books and I often find her sitting down with a pile of books around her just "reading." And of course, I read a ton to her and we frequent the library often.

STORY

Story is 6 months old! She is becoming more and more of a little person each day and is so fun. Things she loves to do:

Spit up. No really, it is her favorite thing and she does it ALL the time. She (and consequently me as well, thank you so much) nearly always is wet and smelling like spit up. Good thing she is so cute. We change clothes a lot and use lots of burp cloths!

Hold on to things and suck on them and drool all over. She is getting really good at reaching for and grabbing what she wants and taking it right where she wants it. Her mouth.

Smile! She is such a happy smiley baby. We love it!

Suck her thumb. But, mostly just when really tired or falling asleep...this is improvement!

Stand. Sitting? Not so much. Although, she IS getting much better and tonight she actually sat in the boppy without falling on her face for a couple of minutes!

Watch Pepper. She is pretty fascinated and amused by her older sister and often smiles and laughs when she is near. It is getting more and more fun to watch them interact. I can't wait for them to be best little buddies!

Notice the spit up?!

Brain Barf

2011-11-03T19:56:00.004-06:00

Sometimes I just feel the need to brain barf. Do you know what I mean? I just feel like writing all the things going on in my head. They don't really need to fit into any cohesive framework or solve any problem or mean anything to anyone in particular....or even make sense! (And sometimes they really don't make sense. And when I read them later I think to myself, "Self, why did you write that?") But, I just want to think and write and get it all out. Perhaps its like a colon cleanse, only much more pleasant. See? Things like that. Should never be said...but, I'm brain barfing, so it doesn't matter! That's the beauty of it all. So, fair warning: you probably shouldn't read the rest of this post. Leave now while you can! It may be long. It may be ugly. It may be annoying, or slightly embarrassing, or incredibly boring, or none or all of the above.

I'm grateful today for many things! First, my niece-in-law (how many of you can say you have one of those?!) for inspiring me to be full of gratitude. Winner. Let's just say that FAMILY is one of the most awesome things...ever. Seriously. Think about all of the things that bring you great joy or the most meaningful experiences in your life - don't they mostly all involve family? If they don't, I find that sad. We had the missionaries over for dinner the other night and we talked about the importance of families. I think most people, me included, don't really grasp how important family is - and maybe that is why we don't spend the time and effort we should in building and maintaining really good relationships with them...just sayin.

Other things I am grateful for:

clean blinds (they were SO gross and I really feel a sense of renewal...)

friends to be with at the park

parents

a roof over my head and a really nice house that we pay fantastic rent on - blessing!

freedom to worship as I please

people who think long and hard and come up with novel solutions to long standing problems

my wonderful husband (I'll spare you the lovey-dovey list of great qualities for now)

sponges

sunshine

laughter from my cute cute girls...which makes me want to just say:

I have the best little girls EVER! I know I am completely biased and that's okay because they are mine and I can think they are awesome and adorable and hilarious in ways that others just can't appreciate. That being said, I hope to be the kind of mother who adores her children with a firm grasp on reality as well. You know the moms who think their children walk on water and can never ever do anything wrong? Lame. I hope to never be like that. But I also think that to be a good mom you really do need to have on some rose colored glasses, to look past mistakes, to see the potential and intent of your children and to forgive and forget as quickly as they do. I think you need to love them in all their quirky stages and annoying habits and take joy in each day with them! One of my sisters is SO good at this! She really just loves being a mom and taking care of her kids and so what happens? She is more patient, more understanding, more forgiving, more fun! I want to be like that. Not like every day will be a basket full of sunshine and daisies, but I think attitude makes an incredible difference! Well, I digress. I really just wanted to say that I love my little girls and I am so grateful they are in our family! They are so good and it is so fun to watch them learn and grow. Pepper says things all the time that amaze me and crack me up and make me grin. Today while she was in the bath I read from the Book of Mormon (I was admittedly trying to multi-task and get her in bed sooner...why? So I could brain barf on the internet? ...no. I think I had other plans. Can't remember exactly what they were...but, in my defense, I was really effective today! Maybe that's why I feel the need to do this mindless exercise). I always ask her after we read what we learned and then talk about what we read. So I said, "What did we learn?" She says, "Jesus." "What about Jesus?" She pauses and says, "umm...follow him!" Yes! I love little things like that. I know others probably don't care about all the things she says all day, but if I could, I would just write all of them down so I could remember them because I think she is so fun and so funny! I guess that is a mother's prerogative (btw, did you know that is how you spell prerogative?! Weird.)

I got some new slippers from Kohl's for Christmas. Yes, Christmas. All of our Christmas shopping is done and opened. We're so lame. Or poor. Or both. But, regardless, they have changed my life. It is stinkin cold on hard wood floors and in Cleveland...and I just feel like a new woman with these little pieces of heaven on my feet.

The last few days have been really nice weather, nice change, and I have been taking advantage of it by running with the girls everyday. LOVE it! Love my double jogger. Love that I got it for a screamin deal on Craigslist. Love that my girls love to be in it. We've gone to the park almost every day this week and I have met some really nice people there. It's fun to meet new people and see what they are like. I think I am so used to the kind of people that I am normally with that I forget there are so many other kinds of people out there...and they are cool! And nice. I like that.

A friend of mine and I have been meeting once a week and clogging. It's been so fun to get back into it and remember steps and learn a dance. I remember why I love it so much and that it really is great exercise! I know this is super lame (I feel like I have used that word a lot in the last few minutes), but I really want to learn a dance and perform it. I miss performing! Maybe I am vain and want it all to be about me or something! But, I just love to perform and I really miss being on stage. That is not to say I am the best performer or anything. I am sure many would be quick to tell me that I am not. But, I love it. and miss it. And, I think I will just learn one and make my sweet husband and girls watch. ha ha! The JOYS of family! AGAIN!

That's it. It worked. Now my brain has turned off and I don't want to write anymore. Now I think it is time for some Raisin Bran. Lately I just can't get enough of the raisin bran. That, and it's past 10 pm which means I am suddenly ravenous.

Free Cute Photos!

2011-10-26T19:28:00.002-06:00

This awesome girl in our ward is a photographer and had a free Halloween photo shoot to get name out there. Pretty fun! You can check out her photography site here.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-20T21:19:00.003-06:00

I love this chub-a-lub baby! Actually, I don't think 2nd percentile in weight counts as chub-a-lub, but she is so dang cute!! I am actually excited for Halloween this year. I think its because of my munchkins.

Hooray for Grandparents!

2011-09-29T20:35:00.005-06:00

I'm a couple weeks overdue in posting this, but I am still proud of myself for doing it! :) We were lucky enough to have Grandma and Grandpa Orr come visit for a few days at the end of September and it was SO FUN! We loved having them here and wish we lived closer. We got to go to Kirtland, which was of course fabulous. Daddio spent most of his time fixing our bathroom floor, changing all our outlets from two-prong to three-prong (so helpful!), making doors for our attic (awesome), and putting in a new shower head...and buying us an AWESOME new tv...and the list goes on. We feel too grateful to adequately say thanks for all their love and service! Mom even mowed our lawn and of course loved and loved and loved our sweet kiddos! It has surprised me as a mom how much I LOVE having our parents spend time with and play with our kids. I want them to be around and make memories and build those relationships with grandparents. Every time they are laughing and reading and talking...I just...love it.

Here are some pictures:

Pepper loved reading with "Gampa Uhhrr" A couple of days after they left, I was hammering a nail into the wall in our room. Her room is next to ours and I had just put her down for a nap. I heard her say from the other room in a very excited voice, "Gampa Uhhrr?!" Obviously she associates hammering with Grandpa.

Wow, SUCH a good stacker, Pepper. Good job! And, let's just note how she insists on wearing at least one (or four) necklaces EVERY day.

Swinging in the back yard with Grandma! I love this picture and just wish she would have actually looked at me!

Grandma with the girlies! Those mums Mom bought us in the background have all bloomed now and they are SO pretty!

Cheese!

I love this girl.

At the Indians game! It was a really exciting game and we actually won! Pepper got a little scared when the fireworks started at the end of the game, but warmed up to them by the end. Story just slept through all of it.

Story sucking her thumb! The little rascal. She also pulls her ear out while sucking with her other hand and, if you haven't noticed already, that ear already sticks out a bit. I think she'll be mad at herself later. But, meanwhile, she sure is cute. She actually sucks her thumb much less these days...you know, now that I am feeding her enough! Sad story for those who are interested.

She is such a happy girl! Always smiling, we love it!

Hanging out with Grandpa!

Thank you, nice Jewish man.

2011-09-23T09:58:00.003-06:00

If you'd like to call me, just be prepared to leave a message and I'll be sure to call you back. See, I won't hear your phone call because my phone doesn't ring! No external noises at all. Why, you ask? Well, it appears that I left it on the hood of my car and drove off. It fell a few blocks down the street...got run over a couple of times...and got rained on! Thankfully, a nice Jewish man (have I mentioned that we live in Little Jerusalem? Seriously. Our neighborhood is primarily Jewish - which is great. They are awesome neighbors!) saw it in the street (in the rain), got out of his car to pick it up, called my parents to get ahold of me, and then drove it to me at my house! How nice is that? I am so thankful that he is so awesome and that my phone works...mostly!

Pepper's Quotes of the Day

2011-09-19T20:31:00.004-06:00

Pepper is at a super fun age right now and is just talking up a storm! She's so smart and I am constantly amazed at what she knows and understands. These are two funny things she said today.

In the car on the way to the store:
Me: We're going to have sweet potatoes for dinner. What should we eat with our sweet potatoes?
Pepper: ummm...a fork!

haha! Of course, yes, we will eat them with a fork! Why didn't I think of that?

Pepper has recently started saying prayers with our help. Today at dinner she was "saying" the prayer and I said, "Dear Heavenly Father" and she said, "Dear Jesus upstairs" We just laughed...do we explain at this point that we don't pray to Jesus, just in His name?! We figured she'll figure that one out eventually. For now I guess we'll just be glad that she's tying it all together and knows that Jesus (whom she sees on her bedroom wall upstairs) is a really important part of prayers! She has also started adding her own items to the list of thanks:

Me: We're thankful for the food.
Pepper: Swee potao. Chicken. Fork. Mommy's fork...

She's hilarious and we love her more and more each day!

Corn and smiles. Corny smiles.

2011-09-10T08:15:00.005-06:00

I think if I could invent a camera that actually does justice to real life I'd make a lot of money! Here is Story giving a smile, but of course she is a even a million times cuter than this picture shows.

And Pepper has discovered that she loves corn on the cob! I was cutting it off for her, but she stole the sister missionary's cob right off her plate and started munching. Now she won't have it any other way and she'll down the whole thing!

Here is Pepper on the swing at the farm where we went apple picking yesterday (so cute, by the way). She looks entirely too grown up!

Christensens...who?!

2011-09-08T20:22:00.005-06:00

Yes, I AM posting. I know. You all thought we had died. Turns out we're alive! And in Cleveland, Ohio of all places! We're here for medical/PhD school at Case Western Reserve University and we'll call it home for 7 years. At least. Taylor (side note: T.J. has decided that he is all grown up now and is going by Taylor. It's so super weird when your husband changes his name. I guess I'll just be glad he didn't choose to change his gender.) is doing an MD/PhD program that is perfectly aligned with his career goals of 1) being an awesome doctor and 2) changing our health system through research and policy. He is super excited and rightfully so as he snatched the single spot for the program and the attending grant money (awesome!). We're so grateful and really liking it out here. The people are so nice, we've made great friends, and there are tons of awesome things to do with the kids.

What else has happened in the last...year plus since I wrote? Well, I graduated and am now Master Christensen! :) My thesis was published in a good journal and I wrapped a few other publications under my belt for good measure. I'm still occasionally working with my professor on manuscripts just keep a toe in the door. Just in case.

We had a family reunion (well, half of the fam!) and got to see lots of family and we also got to see a lot of them on the drive out to Ohio. It was so so fun and made moving so far away that much harder! I may or may not have shed some tears.

Oh! And you know, we had a baby! Story Ann Christensen born in May and she is such a doll! We love her to bits! Ann is after Taylor's mom, Julie Ann. She and Pepper are 16 months apart and both are keeping me busy! Story is so sweet. She loves to suck on her hands and her thumb (much to my chagrin) and smiles and laughs and is starting to babble. We love it! Pepper likes her, but doesn't quite understand that she isn't a doll. She likes to see her and touch her and pull her off the couch on to her head. Needless to say it is impossible to leave them in the same room alone unless Story is safely strapped to something.

Pepper is growing up too fast and is all talk. Seriously, she talks all day! Full sentences and learning more and more every day. We love it! She runs all around and still loves to read books. She loves being outside, playing with rocks, sticks, dirt, dogs, and jumping in puddles (there are lots of those here - it rains a ton!) We have a tire swing in our back yard and she loves loves loves to swing. Taylor pushes her so high and she holds on like a champ! I just can't watch! She is such a smart girl, so helpful and so sweet. We can't get enough of her! Okay, occasionally I can. But, I still love her to bits!

The last few weeks we had our sister-in-law Krystle and her little girl Royal staying with us. It was SO fun!!! We had a blast and I loved having a friend around all the time to talk with, cook yummy food with, and help clean up and watch kids. We went to Kirtland (it's only 25 minutes from our house. So, if you're ever visiting church history sites...you'd better come stay with us! We have stellar air mattresses, good conversation, and great grub! Seriously though, we'd love to have you.), saw some Amish sites, went to a "petting zoo," the Children's museum, science center, libraries, parks, and Pepper learned how to be tough. We were so sad to see them leave!

Okay, I promised myself that I wouldn't try to play catch-up. But, I am going to sincerely try to be better about blogging every now and then from now on. I can't even keep up in my journal! But, since this counts as that too, I suppose it is worth the effort.

My New Toy!!!!!

2010-06-26T18:11:00.003-06:00

Happy Graduation to me! Partly paid for by loving parents for my graduation, and partly paid for by my "I want a road bike" savings fund, I happily introduce my new beautiful bike! Thank you SO SO SO much Mom and Dad!

Pepper is also excited about it. In celebration she tried to eat the owner's manual.

Family Pictures

2010-06-16T23:46:00.002-06:00

I know, you are all shocked - TWO blog posts in ONE day! Amazing!

My friend Vanessa needed someone to practice her photography on and we were the lucky ones! Thanks Vanessa! Here are a few of our favorites.

Weddings, Grandpas and Such

2010-06-16T22:04:00.009-06:00

In the middle of June we headed down to St. George for my nephew Broc's wedding! He married Ashley and they're a cute couple. The sealing was really good and we're happy to have Ashley in the family! We stayed with Howie and JeLynn and had fun hanging out with their adorable family.

Here is Kaelynn at the wedding with her munchkin of cuteness, Emmalee.

The Happy Couple

Yay! They're married! (Check out Pepper's celebration dance at the top)

While down there we stopped by to visit Grandpa Ballantyne. He is so sweet! ...and incredibly hard of hearing. Combine that with a failing mind, a loud voice, and giant sense of humor and you've got yourself quite the fun experience! It was great to talk with him and to hear him say over and over, "What a little precious thing" about Pepper.

The next weekend we went to our friend Joe's wedding to Samy! We love them both and couldn't be more happy for them.

Here are Chloe and Pepper hanging out together! They are little buds and Chloe is teaching Pepper all her cool tricks. Oh, in case you don't know, Chloe is my niece Britt's baby and as you can tell, she is so so cute! Britt and James live in Lehi and we beg them to hang out with us all the time because they are so fun!

We also spent two weekends up in Huntsville lately with Karen and Austin and their fam. We are trying to get in as much time with them as we can before they move to Iowa in a few weeks for med school! We've had fun going hiking, playing soccer, frisbee, pool, football (if learning to throw a football counts!), games, made up games with an exercise ball in the middle of the night... etc!

This is a picture of our niece Meredith's beautiful hair-do that she did on an unsuspecting T.J. in his sleep. There are several more clips in the back that you can't see. I think she has a future in hair design.

We also had a cousins get together at our house a few weeks ago. William and Heather, Tyler and Nikki, Aaron, Maren and Annie, Brandon, Tyson, and Alan we all in our tiny basement! We had a pot luck and just had fun getting caught up on each other's lives.

Yes, this picture is illustrative of Pepper's current stats: 72nd percentile head, 4th percentile weight.

Pepper loves to stand! She loves it so much that she often refuses to bend her little legs (or any joint or bend point in her tiny body), making it nearly impossible, and quite humorous, to put her in her Bumbo or just make her sit on your lap. She is also SO interested in everything around her that she cranes her little head as far as she can to see it all!

She is such a good sweet baby and we couldn't ask for better. She is quite good at putting herself to sleep now, which is so nice. And, lately she has been sleeping for long periods of time at night - making her mother very happy!

Pepper loves her Daddy. She always gives him big smiles and turns to find him when he starts talking. She is "talking" up a storm now and usually chooses to grace us with her words and songs in the middle of my work meetings or during Sunday School. I try to keep her quiet for the sake of others, but I just think it is so cute!

This is just what we see when we go to get Pepper from a nap... Blanket (which did have her swaddled, everything but her arms) kicked off and big smiles. We love it!

Happy girl!

In other news... I am almost done with my thesis! Still! It is such a long process of revisions and prepping the manuscript for publication, but I really am almost done and am getting ready to submit it. Can't wait! Work at Flourishing Families is going well. Pepper does well going with me and I am really enjoying the people as well as all the weekly "tools" that we work on. We have weekly presenters on specific life skills, such as perseverance, zeal, trust, organization, prioritizing, etc. Each week we have to do some sort of project applying the tool to our lives. It has really provided me with a lot of introspection and hopefully is improving my character!

A couple of weeks ago we had a big stake picnic and talent show. One person from each ward presented a talent, and guess who represented our ward? Yours truly. I was really just trying to be supportive and told the activities chair that I could do it if no one else volunteered. As it turns out, I must be the only nice one in the ward. So, I dusted off my clogs, choreographed a routine and danced to Michael Jackson. Thanks to the relatively boring (no offense) performances before me, I was a huge hit and had the crowd loved me! Thankfully none of them were cloggers and therefore my simple steps looked really cool. It was actually so so fun to perform again. I forgot how much I love it! And miss it!

The big news for T.J. is that he submitted med school applications! YAY! He applied to 16 schools and hopes to make it into one of his top 8: Harvard, Stanford, UPenn, Mayo, Duke, Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, and Johns Hopkins. Not ambitious or anything...! Many years of preparation have led up to this and it is crazy to think that in a year we'll be off to somewhere like Boston or Philly or Baltimore! Who knows?! As soon as he hears back from schools he will have to complete secondary applications and then wait and hope for interviews and then wait and hope some more for letters of acceptance. Some schools don't tell you yes, no, or maybe until March or later, so it is a long waiting game!

He has also been busy presenting his ER staffing project to UVRMC hospital administration, organizing a student health policy summit on campus, and working in the lab. Oh yes, and reading as much as he can about health policy.

G, Grandma Orr, hiking and stuff

2010-05-09T17:02:00.003-06:00

Pepper is getting really good at grabbing things and it is so fun to see her reach for toys and be more active with her surroundings. Many of the things she grabs go straight to her mouth or get crushed with her death grip. She's a strong little lady and loves doing the Super Baby flight pose. Here she is, asleep, but still grasping her little toy. ha!

We've been pretty lucky this last month to see T.J.'s Dad twice! He's a pilot and had lay overs in Salt Lake. We got treated to yummy lunches and had fun hanging out with G. Pepper likes him because he feeds her chocolate malts! (He got in big trouble for that one!)

We also got to hang out with T.J.'s Mom when she came for Women's Conference. It was so good to see her and have her watch Pepper for a while so I could get some work done. I wish she lived closer! We took lots of pictures on her camera, but none on ours! Dang! But, it was good times.

Yesterday we went up to Sandy to hang out with Lance and Karen and their families. We went on a hike and the kids had a blast climbing and getting dirty. Pepper was the calm one of the bunch and stayed relatively clean. :) We had so much fun hanging out and talking afterwards and I am starting to realize just how blessed we are to have family close and the time for us to move draws nearer.

Pepper liked looking around at everything (she LOVES being in new places and usually refuses to sleep so she won't miss a thing!), but after a while was ready for a nap.

A few of Pepper's favorite things these days are: 1) Daddy. She always gives him big smiles when he comes home and loves to play with him... okay, so "play" is a relative word at this point, but you get the point. She has him wrapped around her little finger already.

2) Tummy time! Okay, maybe she doesn't LOVE it, but she is getting so good at it. She's so strong and holds her head, chest, and legs in the air for a long time, but rarely uses her arms. We keep trying to tell her that those things on the side of her body will help her, but she prefers super baby pose, I guess. The other day she actually did use her arms and she plopped right over onto her back. It scared her so bad she started crying... and we started laughing!

3) Smiling. She is getting so smiley and almost has her laugh. She gives little chuckle-like things, which are so adorable, and is talking up a storm! I love it.

In other news, we're both busy and enjoying the Spring weather, when it chooses to grace us with its presence. I defended my thesis on the 16th of April and am just finishing up some revisions and will graduate in August! I am working for a research project on campus this summer, but it is super flexible, I can work from home a lot, and when I go in I can take Pepper. I really couldn't ask for a better situation, but will still be glad to finally really be done with school and work at the end of the summer.

T.J. did awesome this last semester with a crazy busy schedule of 18 credits, volunteering, work, more volunteering, and a newborn baby. He loves his business strategy major and is excited to be using his skills helping out the emergency room at UVRMC. (More on this at a later date.) He is just writing his personal statement for med school applications and will send in his application June 1st! It is crazy to think that the time for applying is finally here. He is still working in his research lab and reading up anything he can find on health policy.

Sisters and Easter

2010-04-06T18:08:00.006-06:00

So, as many of you may already know, I have the coolest sisters on the planet. I am so lucky to have so many amazing people to look up to and learn from! We all got together (except we missed JeLynn!) to play before Karen heads to Iowa. Britt and Joc, my oh-so cute and fun nieces came too and we had a blast! We mostly hung out, acted immature in the swimming pool and ate way too much - it was great! We also got to go to the BYU v. U of U gymnastics meet, see "The Blind Side" (which is like the best movie I've ever seen!), and go shopping. The only bad thing about it was that it ended too soon.

For Easter we headed up to Karen and Austin's for the weekend. We love being with them and are going to miss them so much when they move! Dang med school. I only cry most of the time when I think about it! Hopefully we'll be somewhere close in a year when we also head off to med school.

Check out what we got for Easter:

Pretty cute, eh? Pepper is growing up too fast and getting way too cute for her own good. She smiles all the time now and is "talking" up a storm! I LOVE IT!!!

Well, this post is short, but frankly I am just proud of myself for blogging so soon! It hasn't been six months since the last post! Love to you all!

Baby Pepper

2010-03-11T22:33:00.004-07:00

Hey everyone! So, as I am sure all of you know since it happened 7 weeks ago and we've talked to you... and been more diligent about adding photos to Facebook... Our sweetest ever baby girl was born in January! She is so adorable and so fun and we are learning how to be parents! Hopefully we are doing an okay job. Here we are with Baby Pepper in the hospital.

Some people have requested the story, so here it is: I had been dilated to a 4 and 100% effaced for two weeks, having been told by my doctor that she was going to pop out any second, which she didn't... for two weeks. So, the morning of the 19th I had my doctor's appointment (Again) and he was shocked I hadn't had her yet (Again). Since I was so far along he said he would induce me a week early, that coming Friday. Since I was group B strep positive, he said that actually it might be best for her to just stay put for a few days so we could have more control over the situation and make sure I had enough time for my antibiotics. Well, I think little Miss Pepper just has a mind of her own and doesn't like to be told what to do. She took that as her personal invitation into the world and I went into labor that night!

I was contracting 5 minutes apart for a few hours, but they didn't hurt much. My doctor had said to go to the hospital if they were regular though, since we didn't know how fast my labor would progress. So, we went... and I was monitored for two hours, contracting 3 minutes apart the whole time, but I wasn't progressing. So, they sent me home. Went to sleep at 2:30 and woke up at 5:30 in major pain. I think I was ready for the epidural right then. But, given that I had just been sent home (that's so embarrassing), I stayed in bed for thirty minutes trying to rough it out. Finally I thought I might be assisted by a warm shower, but when I stood up I felt a gush of blood. It wasn't my water breaking, just some blood. So, off we went to the hospital again. We drove much faster this time! T.J. would speed every time I had a contraction and then slow down in between. It was so funny... well, you know, looking back. I wasn't laughing at that point.

I got checked in immediately when we arrived (around 6:30 a.m.) and I was ready for my epidural. Saint John, my anesthesiologist upon whom I conferred Saint-hood (although if I'd known how quickly she was planning to pop out, I just might have opted to skip the pain meds...) arrived and I was quite comfortable at 7:30. Come 8:50 I was pushing, and at 9:11 a.m. Miss Pepper Ja'net made her grand entrance into the world! 6 lbs. 11.5 oz. and 20 inches long. T.J. was scrubbed in to help catch, but just as the doctor was showing him how to grab they head, she literally just flew out and plopped onto the table! Daddy dropped her. How will she ever trust him to catch her now?!

My labor went really quickly, so I didn't have enough time for even a half a dose of the antibiotics (can't they just give them to you in advance since they know you need them?! Someone should really work on that). Pepper's heart rate was dropping during labor so the respiratory specialists were there for the delivery. She did fine at first, but after a minute just stopped breathing. It took them 20 seconds to get her to breathe again. They were concerned she had an infection, so I only got to hold her for about a minute before they whisked her down to the nursery. T.J. got to go down and be with her for a while, which was nice. I didn't get to see her again until about 4 hours later.

She was worth the wait. :) Here she is one day old and so alert! She has been this way from the beginning, as you can see. She is so wide-eyed and just doesn't want to miss a thing.

Here she is reading her first, but definitely not last, Dr. Seuss book with Daddy in the hospital. She loves reading books!

Now she is 7 weeks and growing so so fast! Her teeny little hands are getting bigger and she is chubbing out. It makes me sad to see her growing up already! But, she just gets cuter and cuter and we can't get enough of her! She is a really good baby and sleeps pretty well once she gets to sleep. Sometimes she just fights so hard though to stay awake. She is awesome though and has only sprayed me with a jet stream of poop once!

Here we are, the Christensen trio, on her blessing day

And giving a little smile after Church. She is learning to smile and it is quite possibly the cutest thing I have EVER seen! The best ones are right when she wakes up in the morning. I love love love it!

With mommy and daddy...

And just being so sweet...

We have about one BILLION adorable pictures of her. It's hard to just pick a few to post. So, you should all just come visit us and meet her in person. :)

It's a GIRL!!!

2009-09-17T08:17:00.004-06:00

It's a girl and we couldn't be more excited!!! Both T.J. and I thought it would be a girl, so we were pretty stoked to see that we were right. Of course we would have been happy with a boy too! Here are a few of our ultrasound pictures for you to enjoy. I feel a little weird about plastering photos of her little bum on the internet...but, people do that, right? ha! Anyway, here she is, Baby Christensen! She doesn't have a name yet. We have a few that we like, but we are going to wait until we see her to make the final decision.

Here is a cute little yawn! All that wriggling around must have made her tired. The ultrasound tech lady, who was so nice, said she was very active...she was all over the place in there!

And she gave us a little smile! She just loves us. :)

These are her adorable little legs and feet!

And an arm. I think it's cool you can see their little bones. Seeing the ribs and spine was really cool. And, it was SUCH a relief to see the heart, stomach, brain, etc. and hear the ultrasound lady say she is healthy! She kept saying, "oh, what a perfect little heart!" "Look at those perfect legs!" I was pretty much loving her at that point.

And...it's a girl! Look at that cute little bum! Honestly I can't tell she's a girl really other than there is nothing to indicate that she is a boy. :) The ultrasound lady (really should have found out her name huh?) said Dad should buy a shotgun, because she was not being modest in there!

And lastly a little profile. How cute is that?! I love it!

Oh Baby!

2009-07-25T14:01:00.004-06:00

Whoa! A blog post from the Christensens! I know, great day. I really am going to get better at this. Today it will be a short post, but I thought you all may want to take a look at our exceptionally cute fetus. That's right, we're having a baby! We are so excited!!! I am just over 13 weeks. These first pictures of baby were taken last week. It was the coolest thing ever to hear the little heartbeat and see our baby moving around inside of me.

In this one they were measuring the heartbeat. 174 beats per minute! Fast and healthy for baby at 12 weeks.

Measuring the length...a whopping 5.23 cm from rump to crown. They grow up so fast!

This is the token creepy shot of baby looking right at us. Hi Baby!

I love this one because it actually looks like a little baby in there!

And here we have a little wave with the hand. :)

We went snowing!

2009-02-16T09:39:00.005-07:00

So apparently something consistently misfires in my brain when I want to say "skiing"...I always say "snowing" instead. This made for some interesting conversations on our ski adventures Saturday. Glad to be of service.

Yes, friends, Saturday was the best ski day we have EVER had! It was snowing all day, it was all fresh powder (tons of runs with no tracks!) and it wasn't that busy at all. We thought for sure, it being the long weekend and all, that it would be packed. Not so. It MAY have been due to the fact that we were at the cheapest local resort.... hee hee :)

We went with our friends Sam and Holly and had a few awesome adventures... On the way there we slid off the road. Thankfully we were riding in Sam and Holly's CR-V and not our Ford Taurus! We slid off right after another car so we helped them out and they tried to help us. I say tried because our efforts were in vain. We just kept getting more and more stuck! We were calling AAA when finally an SUV stopped with a tow rope and towed us out. On to skiing! ...or so we thought. On the windy canyon road up to the resort we came to a dead stop. This would have been okay on normally days, but the snow was coming down fast and hard and cars were sliding backwards. Awesome. We finally got moving and passed the semi which was half in the ditch on the side of the road causing all the ruckus! We finally made it to the slopes an hour and a half after the planned arrival!

But the adventures were not yet over! We were on the first lift and going past the midpoint where you can either get off or stay on the lift. We were staying on and we all had our tips up like good little skiiers (and the snowboarder rebel T.J.). The only problem was that I forgot about my poles! Normally I sit on them under my legs, but no, I just had them dangling away under our seat. Well, needless to say, I felt the pressure as they dragged on the ground and when I pulled them up they were sporting the lovely bent-at-a-ninety-degree-angle look. Very ravishing. Had they not been my brand new poles that I have NEVER used, I probably would have found it a titch more amusing. As it was I was pretty sad. T.J. tried to bend them back...less effective. They snapped right in half! haha! It was pretty funny (looking back!). I ended up renting some poles for the day and it made for a great story!

Well, the pole adventures continued... Later we were on a hard powdery fun run and Sam biffed it pretty good. As he fell he put his pole between his crossed skiis... and SNAP! Clean break! Nice scissor shearing from his skiis I'd say. Make sure not to get your fingers between those devils! He had a gimped uni-plegic pole for the rest of the day.

Despite all these crazy times, it was such a fun day!!! T.J. was a champ! He threw two 360s, which he landed amazingly and looked so studly I almost tackled him right there! He also did some awesome somersaults off the edges and I was so impressed. My husband is so cool! :) I also had a complete blast! I went with T.J. and Sam all day on all the crazy runs and when I started to feel scared and just decided that that wouldn't help and I went all out. Turns out that that makes it a million times more fun! I feel really in control of my skiis and am getting faster at switching from edge to edge. I am also getting better at keeping parallel with my feet close together and being in control when I go really fast. It is so so so much fun!! I love it! We went in this big bowl at one point and it was crazy! We kept going through drifts of powder that would be up to my waist almost! I can't believe I didn't get stuck in them...not sure how that works, but it was nuts. T.J. and Sam also led me to this skinny-super-bumpy-cliff-edges-on-both-sides-top-of-the-mountain path...good times. I am still alive. After that, we went down one of those cliff edges (okay so not a CLIFF, but it was REALLY steep!) through the TREES! Hello?! I am terrified of dying by tree impact! But, I went bravely on (yes, I am bragging just a little here...) and I did it! It was awesome and felt great.

Anyway, it was such an amazing day of snowing! We had a blast and were super glad to have Sam and Holly with us, they're awesome!

We got home around 5:30 then showered and got ready for Justin and Elise to come over. We made the most delicious pizzas EVER (they might have tasted so good because we were famished!), played games, frosted and ate heart-shaped sugar cookies and watched a sappy romantic comedy. Happy Valentine's Day to us!

It was a great fun day and such a nice break from school and work. Thanks to Dad and KC1 for all the amazing snowing gear and lift tickets!!! It was my inaugural run on my new skiis, which I absolutely love!, and my new boots. I can't believe that my feet weren't killing me by the end of the day. They felt great, and I was singing praises to Dad and Kendell! AND, I was actually WARM all day thanks to my wonderful husband who got me wool socks and nice gloves for my birthday! I am way too spoiled in the skiing department, but no complaints here, I LOVE IT! Check out how rad my skiis are below...that's right, they are pink. HOT pink.

Happy Groundhog Day!

2009-02-02T22:34:00.004-07:00

By the way, I love groundhog day. I wish we still celebrated like we did in elementary school. I haven't colored a groundhog since then I feel a distinct lack of joy in my life because of it. Tonight for FHE T.J. and I will color groundhogs!

SO, I should still be doing homework! :) I am not so good at this adding pictures thing. That is why you are getting two posts in the same day! Maybe even three if it gets bad again. Lucky you!

p.s. Over Christmas we also got to see Shelise and Kyle and Hudson! ...and baby in the tummy...
It was awesome to see them and have fun together. We wish they would move to Provo...Move to Provo!

We got to go skiing at the beginning of the semester, which was a blast! T.J. loves it and would go every day if he could. I am getting better and whipping down black diamonds without even being scared now! Okay, I still have to slow down every now and then, but it is loads of fun. We went this time with out buddy Joe. He is awesome...and also not pictured here, but just imagine a really awesome guy, okay? p.s. I was quite sick that day...I hope I don't normally look so enthused!

The 9th was my niece Brittany's wedding in St. George! Crazy that my little buddy Britt is already married! She was an absolutely beautiful bride (LOVED her dress!) and seems so happy with James! It was great to be there for the sealing and also at the reception...who would want to miss THAT cake fight?! Below are pictures of the adorable Daddy Daughter Dance and of Joclynn and Skye. p.s. the Jenkins family is so fun, not to mention hilarious! We love them! Also, on the temple steps are Kaelynn's adorable kids with T.J.

On the 12th Mom and Dad left for the MTC, but a week later we got to hang out some more until they flew to Australia! We had fun with Lance and Karen's families and celebrated T.J. and Dad's birthdays. We love being with our families, it is the happiest of happy times. Above is my cute cute Mom, and below my missionary parents! By the way, they are in Australia now and my Dad is the new branch president out in the bush! Crazy. They are loving it and having a great time. Also below are the twins, Addie and Lexi. Can they get any cuter?! And a bunch of grandkids around Grandpa for the birthday celebration. I am cracking up over Devin's cheesy smile...and Meredith! She is into this "pose" thing, with no smile...just so chic. I love it!

Well, now we are back in school and crazy busy. I have 13.5 credits (8.5 is graduate full time) and am working as a research assistant for Laura. T.J. has lots of science classes and is working in the Lamb Lab doing chemistry...macro cycles, transition metals...preconcentrating... Anyway, he loves it and sounds super smart when talking about it! We are taking a weight training class together and are getting buff! There is a triathaloner awesome girl in our ward and I am swimming with her twice a week in the mornings too. I love it!

We just got called as Primary teachers, teaching the 8 year old class. They are so awesome, we love it!

We are happy and feel so blessed. It seems like everytime we turn around there is another blessing just waiting to fall in our laps. We're so grateful for them all, and for wonderful families!

I should be doing homework!

2009-02-02T21:33:00.006-07:00

But...I feel like I have done nothing but homework for the past week with no breaks, so I decided to be totally irresponsible and blog instead. Maybe if I would update this more frequently it wouldn't be such a task!

In November I went to Notre Dame for a research conference on moral development with my awesome advisor, Laura! It was so fun getting to know her better and learn lots too. She is now trying to convince me to go on to get my PhD. We had a blast, went on a run around campus, ate too much popcorn, and I even got her lost on the way to a cute Italian restaurant and had to phone her GPS husband for assistance! Here are some pics by the Notre Dame stadium, and one with "Touchdown Jesus"

Thanksgiving was in Canada this year with T.J.'s family! We had a blast and got to play lots even though everyone still had school and work. We got to go to a Flames hockey game with Mom and Dad and out to yummy Chinese food with Grandma and Grandpa Pierson, Tiff, and Mom and Dad. Mom even made us a real American Thanksgiving dinner! The girls all went out to see Twilight, and we just had lots of good times laughing and playing games.

Christmas was in Vegas with almost our whole fam. Dave and Lisel weren't there, but we got to see them a week or so before and "enjoyed" watching BYU get slaughtered in the Vegas Bowl. We love their adorable family and wish we could see them more! We spent over a week at Mom and Dad Nielsen's for Christmas. It was fun to help Mom prepare the house for their mission and spend time talking with them.

As you can see, Dad and Kendell got us new snowboard/ski outfits for Christmas so we can look hot on the slopes. I daresay it is working.

Chirstmas wouldn't be Christmas without the Nativity, and it was really fun this year with all the kids! Karen and Kaelynn's families were the only ones there for Christmas Eve, and we had fun eating cinnamon rolls and reading Christmas stories together. We also taught our children how to fight like storm troppers...with swords... That is Emmalee, and she was quite good with that sword actually. I think she took out Spencer and Kellen a time or two.

Some Long Due Pictures!

2008-10-16T13:04:00.019-06:00

T.J. with Kellen! We went up to Sandy to play with Lance and Christa and Karen and Austin...and kids in September. We played at the park and just had so much fun!

It was Addison and Alexa's birthday too!

T.J. and I at the BYU v. UCLA game! Go COUGARS!!!

Here are some pictures from our summer adventures! Well, this first one is actually just last week at our friend Collins' wedding! Look at ME! Sans braces!!! haha Yay!

This is a small smackerel of photos, but maybe it will give you a teensy idea of what we have been up to. :)

T.J.'s family came to visit us in California in August. We had a blast! Well, mostly I had a blast with them and T.J. worked. But, we did go glow-in-the-dark mini golfing at midnight and T.J. and Steve got to come along! This is the boys team...The girls team totally slaughtered them!...okay, not so much, but it was fun!

These are my cute sisters in law, Kylie and Darby! We are just chillin at the A's game. No worries, this game went for 12 innings! We caught all the action...including a seemingly naked woman. It was interesting...

Kylie and I at the Giants game!

Here we are after the first ride of the day at Six Flags. That's right, get on, get SOAKED, get off!

This is me with my sister Karen and her friends at the beginning of the RAGNAR Wasatch Back Relay. We ran three legs each for a total of 180 miles or something crazy like that. It was so very much fun! yes, that IS a running woman manaquin on the top of the car. BABEFEST '08!

Here I am with my Mom in law and Aunts from T.J.'s side of the family after climbing a mountain! Krystle and I got to go to T.J. and Steve's family reunion at Snowbird in July for a week. It was fun fun fun!

In August my Mom came to visit for a few days too! Yay! We had lots of fun! This was after we biked...I think 8 miles over the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito. My Mom was so awesome on the bike...You should all be impressed. Here we are being wind blown on a ferry.

In June T.J. and I went to my family reunion at Bear Lake! This is T.J. with my nephew Ryan before going into Minnetonka Cave

This one is of Krystle, Steve, T.J. and I after eating out during the summer! (thanks APX!)

For your viewing pleasure...my funny husband and his brother! Sorry it is sideways! Apparently I didn't get the memo that you can't video with the camera sideways.... :)

okay okay!!!

2008-10-15T12:25:00.002-06:00

So, it's official! I am BRUTAL at this blogging thing! However, I am resolving to do a little more, be a little better (follow the prophet!).

Well, the summer came to end, as all things do, and that was happy! It was a good summer...full of learning! T.J. worked hard and did well, and is excited to never have to knock another door! I had a hard time coping with the excess time at my disposal, but am now wishing life was so hard! I spend a lot of time reading, getting tan, working on scrapbooks, cooking, and hanging out with Krystle. It was a fun fun summer for me! T.J. just mostly worked...poor boy! I am not going to tell you all about the summer's adventures because...I don't have time! :)

So, now here we are! Back in school! Hoooorah! T.J. is super loaded with science classes and working like a champ. He is also a lab assistant in a chemistry lab and exceeding his professor's expectations! I am busy with research and reading mostly. My professors are amazing - especially my advisor! - and I am learning a ton. I really love grad school. I never ever planned on it, but I am finding it to be really fun and really practical.

Well, I just realized this would be way more fun with photos! So, I will come back later with some of those and it will be fun times for all! That's all for now friends. :)

Oh yeah!

2008-05-02T15:14:00.000-06:00

By the way, I graduated from BYU last week! hahaha I graduated with a BS in Marriage, Family and Human Development and a minor in World Dance. It was so fun to have moms down to see it and be with us! Happy Day!

Do you know the way to San Jose?

2008-05-02T14:47:00.002-06:00

We do! I google mapped it. T.J. has never heard this splendid ditty of a song that I sang most of the way here, and I think now that he has heard my slaughtered renditions he has no desire to ever hear it. All well, I am not sure I have ever heard it either, besides my mom singing it every time the city name was mentioned during my childhood... The more I realize things like this the more I understand that you pretty much turn out like your mom in a lot of ways no matter what you do. Good thing I have such an awesome mom.

So, yes! Here we are in San Jose, CA! Hooray for another summer of sales! No one told US that Northern California is not blazing hot in April and May...nay, on the contrary my little toes are trembling in the chilly weather daily. Hello? It is supposed to be warm outside! Bring on the heat! Apparently it DOES get warmer and I can't wait because I am in serious need of some sunshine. It is great here though! We like it a lot. Compared to last summers apartment we are practically living in a 5 star hotel. It is so nice! We even have a microwave! I know, it is amazing. It is in a super nice community with a huge open grassy park right in the middle. It is awesome. People are always outside walking, running, playing soccer, having doggie play groups (no joke)...its great. The BEST PART though is that there is a super nice gym and pool big enough to swim laps in AND a spin room AND spin classes AND cardio-kickboxing classes AND pilates AND yoga AND its free (minus the million dollar monthly rent of course)! I KNOW! I love my life. It is excellent. Last night Krystle and I busted our at the kickboxing workout...it was awesome.

T.J. is jazzed about selling again...okay, so really he is having an incredibly positive attitude about the fact that he has to sell, and is determined to love it by the end, because he believes it can become like that. So, he is doing awesome. Yesterday was his first day on the doors and he got a deal, so yay! I on the other hand am unemployed! WHAT? you say...yes. Although I was supposed to work as the office manager again this summer it turns out there was little miscommunication. Apparently it is the lead tech's responsibility to get an office . Well, Jake was supposed to be our lead tech and I was the office . However, things fell through with Jake and we got assigned a new lead tech who had his own office (his soon-to-be wife) but failed to tell anyone that he had picked her out. So, no one knew. haha funny how that works. So when Riley found out that he had someone else he was like, uh, sorry we already have an office and the lead tech freaked out! AHHH! He was willing to fight "tooth and nail" for his wife to be the office woman. So, T.J. and I were informed, and not wanting to start World War III and create loads of unnecessary tension (which would create a crappy atmosphere for everyone and make it harder to sell) in the office, decided to just let her have the job. Kind of a bummer since I had been planning on it and although it isn't my favorite pasttime, it truly is an excellent choice as far as summer job options go. All well. I am sure I will find something to do and if not, get really tan. haha jokes jokes.

SAN FRANCISCO! Is a great city to walk in, but may I suggest never ever ever ever trying to drive through it. gahh! One way streets, "no turns" signs on every corner...haha It was hilarious to say the least. But, we survived and loved the city from our feet. We got to spend time with Kylie, his little sister, as she was there on a choir trip! FUN! We love Kye-Bye. We also got to hear her sing, which was so much fun. My favorite parts of SanFran were the hills, the old-school trolleys, and the random parks! We were in the middle of skyscrapers and busy streets and then, VOILA! and cute hidden completely serene and wonderful park! We stopped in to swing and play tag and probably annoy the man quietly reading his book on the bench. It was awesome.

Well, I had better get back to my list of to-do items, and say sorry for never posting pictures! BUT this computer, in my posh internet cafe, does not have any USB ports. Lo siento. Another time. :) OH! Which reminds me, my new favorite restaurant is Posh Bagel....yum yum yum!

and, by the way, we don't get reception in our apartment! haha! So, we have new phone numbers for the summer, should you care to phone us. ...
Kathy: 408-854-2051
T.J.: 408-854-2052

Marathons....

2008-04-12T20:12:00.002-06:00

are addictive. So, if you don't want to feel the desire to run long distances for the rest of your life...I would suggest not getting started. But, even still, I love them! I ran the first annual Utah Valley Marathon this morning. Good times good times. Actually, to be completely honest, the first 21 miles were good times. The last 5...not so much. Let's just say I didn't only hit the wall, I smashed the wall, killed the wall, destroyed the wall...and it destroyed me! At 21 miles I was at 3 hours and 11 minutes...only 2 minutes over my goal pace time. I wanted to finish under 4 hours. From there it took me and hour and 15 minutes to run 5 stinking miles! I had ZERO energy and man! I was so mad! I had no more GU, and nothing to get energy in me....gripes. Frustrating, frustrating. But, I finished and now I can't wait to run the next one so I can redeem myself...why is that? Maybe I am just too prideful or stubborn. I feel great now and I'm not too sore. My knees just hurt a little and I think a light jog tonight with some stretching will help that wonderfully. Hooorah.

Just have to say, while on the subject, or not, that I have such awesome parents! All 3 sets of them! I am so grateful for them. They love me and support me, cheer me on and are always there. What a great invention the family is. Seems like Someone knew what He was doing on that one.

Today I got to spend some time with old roommates, whom I love and adore! It was so fun to just talk, laugh, be crazy, yet be serious...and just enjoy each other. I have been blessed with wonderful friendships and I don't think I give thanks for them enough!

On thanking...I was a bit bummed about running the marathon this morning by my lonesome and desired a running compadre. I said a little prayer, not really uttered, more like thought, that I would find someone to run with. Well, as it turns out, once a again, the Lord loves me! I met a great friend on the bus and then at mile 2 met another friend who joined in our happiness. I ended up running with her until mile 22. I feel like we are great friends now and had so much fun talking with her and encouraging each other. Thanks Jenna for the fun and the run!

Van D!

2008-04-07T20:36:00.001-06:00

Hey Marquessa...I can't get to your blog you goober! I think you will have to tell me the address. I want to partake of the goodness! All my love to you and yours! Especially Eliza and her cheeks!

Hungry Hungry Hippos and the Simple Joys that Follow

2008-04-07T19:40:00.004-06:00

So, I am starving! I seem to have a strange insatiable hunger lately. Not sure if that is just because I have been eating too much and now my body needs more (bad news bears) or that my stomach actually is expanding, or what! But, kinda weird....so I just keep eating! ...

T.J. and I finally used up the last of our gift cards to Bed Bath and Beyond from our wedding and bought ourselves an ice cream maker! Needless to say, tonight's FHE activity will include the making - and eating - of delicious homemade and very healthy ice cream! Can't WAIT! P.S. Whoever invented the "gift card" should seriously be given gold stars in heaven. What an excellent idea! We were reaping (is that how you spell that?) the benefits of those gift cards for ages, and we still have some to Target! You can get whatever you want or need with a swipe of plastic that takes nothing from your bank account. How fabulous! Thanks to all those kind people who, instead of buying us another set of casserole dishes, opted for the easy way out and got us a gift card!

Although I am pleased with my efforts at posting within a weeks time (thank you! thank you!) of my last post...I am still learning the ropes. You see, I still have some unanswered questions...For example, if Meghan writes me a comment and I want to respond to that comment, where do I write that? Do I write it on her last post...that seems weird? Do I reply within my own blog's comments? Or do I write it on here? Or should I email her? Phone her? What on earth is a girl to do? Anyone with insight, please impart. :) haha I am such a nerd.

Well the most wonderful thing about Conference is that Conference is a wonderful thing! It was such a great great great Conference! After every talk I turned to T.J., "That was a GREAT talk!" and it was. I loved every second and I can't wait for the Ensign to come out! We are so blessed to have a living prophet (what an incredible MAN of God! It is so fun to see that he is a man, with such a sense of humor and a life of goodness. He is just living the commandments of God and blessing lives every day of his life...it is such an inspiration!) and the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives! T.J. and I have been talking a lot about this lately. How truly we have so much. We are so blessed. We know that this life is short, it's temporary...and there is just no reason for us to be unhappy! Of course we will have trials and disapppointments and heartache. That is part of what makes us be able to feel true joy. But each day, in the simple things, each moment, we can decide to be happy - truly happy! - because we know who we are and we know where we are going. Isn't that just the awesomest thing ever?! So, with that being said, I am re-resolve to live life to it's fullest!

Post Script...I promise that I will bring my camera with me to campus so I can add some photos! We don't have internet at our house. :)

okay okay!

2008-04-01T19:50:00.000-06:00

Well, it seems everyone is sick of me being smelly, so I guess it's time to update you all on our awesome lives!

Firstly, anyone know how to add links to all of your blog sites on my blog? Cause I want to be able to see yours easily...and apparently I am a little bit blog-site-challenged. :) THANKS!

So...life is good! T.J. is working his little bum (no really, it is little...I think its a guy thing...they just have little bums) off with school. He studies so hard and then aces his tests. What a stud. :) He is trying to figure out what he wants to do with his med school career. We have found some interesting (and potentially exciting) scholarship opportunities with the U.S. armed forces. But, the more we think about it and the more we learn, we find that there are so many more things to think about and learn about! It's fun though, and luckily we are sticking around the BYU scene for a good number of years still and have time to figure it all out!

T.J. is also coaching soccer! It is SO CUTE! Even though the boys are in grades 5-6, I just think it is the cutest thing ever to watch them play...and watch T.J. coach. I love it and so does T.J.!

I am currently LOVING my job and trying not to cry every time I go to work because I know we are leaving for the summer. I have grown to love these girls and I'm going to miss them! For those of you who don't know, I work at New Haven. It's a residential treatment center for adolescent girls. They come from all over the country, and even different countries, with all sorts of problems (depression, substance abuse, trauma, suicide attempts, anxiety, etc.). They go to school, have therapy sessions, and live away from their families. It's hard, but they make such amazing changes. The coolest thing about New Haven is that it is family and values based. The families of the girls are required to have 1 1/2 hours of therapy on the phone with the girls and therapist once a week, and come out for therapy over family weekend once every 2 months. This way the family AND the girl are making changes and her potential for lasting change is much greater. It's so awesome. The girls and families work on values assignments and we focus on building relationships, which most of them have no idea how to do. I wish I could explain it better...it is just the coolest thing ever and I love it!

This summer we are going to be living in San Jose, CA! WAHOO! We are really excited (you know, after I get over leaving my job) to be in the sunshine and close to San Francisco. T.J. is almost excited about selling again! SO, if anyone needs a fun summer vacation, COME VISIT US!

I have been working with the non-profit organization, Families Up, and it is finally looking promising! I am so excited about it. There is still so much work to be done, but we have the vision that we can really help families, and I believe it will succeed!

So a few weeks ago I decided to run the 1st Annual Utah Valley Marathon! I have been going through an obviously inadequate and rushed training program, and I am hoping to finish under 4 hours. haha I know that isn't very fast, but hey, I have to start somewhere! My last marathon was 4:07, and I didn't train much (okay I haven't really trained for ANY of my marathons...this one is probably the most prepared I have ever been), so I am hoping to do well! Feel free to come cheer me on! It's on April 12th!

Last week we had the opportunity to go up to Bountiful for my Grandpa Nielsen's funeral. It was great to hear of his faith and his wonderful life. He was truly an incredible man and such an example of a disciple of Christ. I am so grateful for him! It was not a sad thing to see him go. He is now with his sweetheart and able to work again without a falling apart body getting in his way. I have no doubt he is happier than ever and he has every right to be!

Well, I hope all of you enjoyed that hodge-podge of random updates! I promise I will try a little harder and be a little better at the bloging. :)

Our love to all of you!

I am smelly

2008-02-23T15:21:00.001-07:00

Yep, sure am, and I have to admit than when I am smelly cause I just got back from a great long run, I enjoy my stinkiness. :)
Just wanted to say that it is the most amazingly beautiful day and I have the most wonderful and perfect for me husband ever. Life is awesome and I love it!

Fun in the Snow!

2008-02-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll! We have been spoiled lately to be playing lots in the snow. I think T.J. thinks he is in heaven...until of course he remembers the mounds of homework waiting for him at home. :)

On February 9th we went up to Karen and Austin's (Karen is my sister, for all those who don't know) house to play for the weekend and celebrate Charly's 6th birthday! As we drove to their house the mounds of snow on each side of the road were taller than our car. It was fun to hike through the snow out to their barn. Still can't figure out why the little kids just trekked across the 6 feet of snow no problem and the rest of us were sinking in to our theighs? haha We had fun jumping out of the barn into the snow and T.J. thinks I am a cool wife because I did a flip out of the barn loft. (Only after I made him go first of course!) T.J. made a big snow cave, which was awesome, and it was big enough for the both of us to climb inside. On Sunday the snow was hard enough to walk on (most of the time) and we had fun outside again. It was great to spend time with Karen, Austin, and their kids. We just love being with them! Their kids are adorable and we feel happy in their home. Thanks guys!

On our way home we got to stop by Lance and Christa's (Lance is my bro!) house and they treated us to not only to fabulous dinner and good times, but lots of good baby holding time! We loved every second of it. We love being with them too! I guess we are just really blessed to have awesome family.

On Valentine's Day we flew out to Denver to spend the long weekend with more wonderful family on T.J.'s side. (Dad and Kendell, Steve and Krystle, and Torrey) T.J. and his brother Steve were pleasantly surprised to find new snowboards waiting for them for their birthday presents! This of course welcomed in the next few days of snowboarding at Copper Mountain with Dad! fun fun fun! I got to come along too on Friday and Saturday and, thanks to the awesome teaching by Dad and Hugh, I am becoming a pro-star skiier! I LOVE it! I think I am going to have to be addicted to it. We had a blast and feel so grateful that we got to go!
We also got to have fun at Hugh's birthday party and I went shopping with Kendell and Krystle on Monday. We found great deals, which made shopping fun. :) The boys spent Monday snowboarding more and had a blast!

Sunday was family day, and simply wonderful! We went and had family portraits taken! It was so much fun...and the guy said he could photo-shop my braces off. Good man. Good man. :) I know that is cheating, but hey, if my head is going to be plastered on some wall, I would rather not be Miss Brace Face. That night we played Pictionary on a big white board, Charades, and Password. We had a BLAST! It was so funny.

We had such a fun weekend! We hated to leave. Thanks so much to Dad and Kendell for having us over and playing with us! We absolutely loved being there, spending time as a family, and having fun. We loved getting to spend time with Torrey. We never get to see her, and I had no idea how funny she is and how much fun she is to have around. It was also really cool for me to get to know Scott (T.J.'s dad) better, since I have never really had a chance to talk to him much before. He's awesome. We feel so blessed to have such awesome families! We love you all!

This one's for you Lance!

2008-02-07T23:25:00.000-07:00

So, yes, we are entering the blogging world and my good brother Lance is the reason. :) I have to agree it is a great way to keep a family history and hey, good times. So, we'll get around to adding some fun stuff soon!