The Christensen's

Future Runner :)

2012-02-10T06:34:00.001-07:00

Photos from phone

2012-02-10T06:32:00.003-07:00

More Toca Boca!

2012-02-10T06:30:00.003-07:00

I was just uploading pics from my iPhone and saw these and had to share!!!

hahahahaha!!!

sleep positions

2012-01-28T17:46:00.001-07:00

Saw this floating around of Facebook and I loved it! Not sure who to give the credits too. Anyway, my favorite has got to be "The Stalker" position!

Toca Boca

2012-01-28T17:37:00.004-07:00

The very first game I downloaded on my iPhone was Toca Boca Hair Salon and still my kids have it as one of their favorite games on my phone and iPad. You start out with a normal hair-do and you can cut it off with scissors or a razor. You can blow dry it and comb it in many different directions. You can dye it many colors, wash it, add accessories, and you can even put a special liquid from a bottle and apply it to the hair (with your fingers of course since the iPad and phone are touch screen) and magically the hair grows back and as long as you want!!!

Every now and then I will look through my pics saved on my phone and find one of their "clients" pictures on my phone. Just thought I would share with you what wonderful styles my kids come up with! And if anyone is interested I am sure they wouldn't mind some IRL heads to practice on!

haha, he is not looking like he likes this style much at all!

I think I like the pink!

hmmm... kinda reminds me of Cousin It! :)

My kids

2012-01-28T17:35:00.000-07:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2012-01-01T13:42:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year!!! Can you believe it is the year

now?

DECEMBER 31, 2011

2011-12-31T16:48:00.004-07:00

Well 2011 is coming to an end, and although it is hard to believe a whole year has passed I am excited for what the new year will bring! I am not much into staying up till midnight on NYE but I just may have to tonight!

In 2011

Drezden started the year off by joining Primary by being in the Sunbeam class! And finishing her last 5 months of preschool, then in May she turned 4! Holy cow! She is turning into a beautiful little girl! No longer the toddler she was a year ago. Sometimes I look at her and think where did my baby go? She is so fun to have around and I can't wait to see how much she grows in her everyday life in the new year.

Sullivan is such a character! Everyone thinks he is so cute! We had a fun 3rd birthday for him in August renting a very fun bounce house/water slide and we look forward to starting preschool in the fall 2012! We all need it! HA!

Emmett learned to walk at 10 months! And turned 1 in September! One of the best things he gave us this year was to be able to retire all gates in the house!!! He loves spatulas and phones!!!

Phil is still working at L3 and enjoying it there

and I ran my first Half Marathon in May! I never thought I would be the type of person who enjoyed running, but I do and I am loving working out! Here are the races I completed in 2011 starting with most recent!

Turkey Trot 5k in American Fork Thanksgiving Day

Sep 16-17 Napa Valley Ragnar Relay! about 35 hours
Sep 10- Mt Nebo Half Marathon 2hr 35 min
Sep 5- Payson Onion Days 10k 1:18:20
July 2- Kiss Me Dirty 4 mile Mud Run
Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay- June 17-18 completed in a little over 33 hours
Ogden Half Marathon- May 21, 2011 13.34 miles 2:50:10
Provo Half Relay- May 7, 2011 6.5 miles 1:23:29
March 26-GWCU 5K:00:33:30
March 12-THS Cross Country 5K:00:36:00

I look forward to what 2012 brings including my brother getting out of prison and finally meeting my little family!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Now that Thanksgiving is over

2011-11-29T18:51:00.002-07:00

It looks like the last time I blogged was on the 11th. I am not really good at being a consecutive daily blogger. Maybe one day?! Anyway, on the 15th I turned 26! My inlaws came down here the Sunday before and threw me a nice birthday party. I was very surprised. My MIL called to tell me she was on her way and I called Phil and asked him if he knew she was coming down and of course he did. After they arrived we started eating and slowly other family would walk right in, I had no idea and Phil was very good at keeping it all a secret. I have such loving inlaws! Anyway, Phil gave me an iPad and the book Crossed for my birthday. Am I spoiled or what? The kids gave me a barbie, a spatula, and a blue car. And since I am such a good mom I let each of the kids take a present they gave to me to play with.

For Thanksgiving we headed to Payson and Phil and I ran in our very first Turkey Trot 5k! It was nice to get out and run! We had a good time visiting with Phils family and afterwards we headed down to my uncles house.

Anyway, here are some pics of the kids. I just think they are so cute! Most of the time anyway! Do you think Emmett needs a haircut!? I am not sure I am ready to give him his first haircut and turn this cute baby faced toddler into a big boy!

November- Month of Gratitude day 11

2011-11-11T14:59:00.003-07:00

Today being Veterans Day I am grateful for all those who have served, are serving, and who will serve this country! I am extremely grateful to my father and my grandfather for doing their duty to this country.

these are pics of my father during the Vietnam War

November- Month of Gratitude day 10

2011-11-10T08:35:00.002-07:00

I am grateful that Drezden is able to attend preschool. She loves her teachers and all her friends she has made. She is learning her letters and how to spell simple words. I am grateful that preschool is only a couple times a week! I don't know if I am ready for everyday kindergarden for next year but I know Drezden will LOVE it!

This is Drezden all ready for preschool today... She keeps asking if it is time to go :)

November- Month of Gratitude day 9

2011-11-09T14:42:00.006-07:00

I am grateful for my camera! Without it I wouldn't be able to record moments in time! I want to be able to remember what my children looked like when they were little, and be able to look back and remember things we wore, or how we styled our hair.

here are some pics I was able to get by the front door earlier this afternoon! The kids do not care for me taking there pic, but I am glad I am able to capture their little faces!

November- Month of Gratitude day 8

2011-11-08T21:10:00.002-07:00

I missed a day, but sometimes it is nice to have a day off! Today I am grateful for TV. Sometimes it is nice to unwind from all the stresses and immerse myself in a story. :)

November- Month of Gratitude day 6

2011-11-06T07:38:00.002-07:00

I am grateful for transportation! I am grateful that if I want to go anywhere I can just grab the kids, strap them in the car and go. I am grateful that I have a car when Phil is at work. I know there are some families that are a 1 car only family, and I am so grateful that we are not one! Even though I mostly stay home it is nice to be able to have that option of being able to go somewhere. I love my home, but without a car I wouldn't be able to have as many little adventures away from home with my family.

November- Month of Gratitude day 5

2011-11-05T19:44:00.002-06:00

I am grateful for my bed. I am grateful that after a long day I have a place I can lay my head. I am grateful that even though I would prefer my kids didn't come into my bed every night that they are able to. Sometimes I wake up to find two kids in the middle of my bed, and although it is not the most comfortable thing in the world I am grateful that they feel safe enough and love me enough to join me.

Thats right! I am officially crazy!!!

2011-11-04T17:52:00.003-06:00

28 weeks

notice the ticker doesn't say "half"

Thats right! I am going to do my first full marathon on May 19, 2012

I gotta start training! Now to find a good training program or two!

My Uncle and his family

2011-11-04T12:58:00.005-06:00

This last Sunday I went to visit my uncle and his family and we took some family pictures of them near a bank close to there home. The waterfall was turned off so we had to make do with the lighting and location. I think these turned out well. I love my uncle and his family. He has the sweetest wife Fu Yao and his children are so giving! We love Raven and Brandon and love having them as family! These were some of my favorite shots of the evening!

November- Month of Gratitude day 4

2011-11-04T12:45:00.004-06:00

I am grateful for my home. That I have a place that I can call my own. A yard that my children can run and play in! A place that my family can gather together and enjoy one another, and make memories in.

Justin-

2011-11-03T15:51:00.004-06:00

This here is my baby brother. 21 years old. He has been in jail for a few months waiting to go to prison. He had the option this week to take a deal for 14 years or go to jury trial that would most likely give him 25 to life. He took the deal. 14 years sounds like a lot right now, but I know that it will pass quicker then anyone would like. I hope he knows he is loved and that his Savior loves him. I hope he never gives up on himself and becomes someone he is not meant to be. Life won't be easy for him, but I think God has a plan for him. I am sure of it, I don't think He wants this kind of life for any of His children. I know as long as Michael allows Him into his heart He will be with him always. I love my baby brother and I hope he knows how much I care for him and how I want the best for him. Even now that he will be in prison for the next 14 years.

Engagement photo session

2011-11-03T10:40:00.004-06:00

I was able to take some photos of this cute couple last night. They will be getting married in January! Here are some of my favs! I will get the opportunity to take some more later this week!

November- Month of Gratitude day 3

2011-11-03T10:25:00.003-06:00

I am grateful for my beautiful and healthy children. They may drive me crazy and some days I may refer to them as monsters, but they are my monsters! They fill may days with joy, love, routine, purpose, chaos, stress and many many other things.

I am blessed to be the mother of these 3 special spirits

Drezden

Sullivan

Emmett

Carving Pumpkins

2011-11-02T14:54:00.002-06:00

This year for Halloween we let the kids carve their own pumpkins! I am bummed we have not taken any pics of the finished result but I thought I would share what pics I had of them. They did extremely well for a 3 and 4 yr old! They loved it! We have to thank the grandparents for providing the pumpkins! And we had a wonderful Halloween Holiday!

November- Month of Gratitude day 2

2011-11-02T13:49:00.002-06:00

I am grateful for my husband, who works hard to provide for all my needs as well as the children's. Who has patience with me and who loves me and the children unconditionally. I love how he will spend time with the children and let me pursue my hobbies without any complaining. Every now and then I am told how lucky I am to have such a good man... I am not lucky I am blessed to have him in my life. What a great father and husband he is.

Professional photos of kids

2011-11-01T15:05:00.003-06:00

I had some pictures taken of my kids back in August and I am now getting around to them to share! Here are my cute cute kids!

November- Month of gratitude

2011-11-01T13:39:00.003-06:00

This month I am going to try and post every day one thing that I am grateful for being that Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away.

To start off I am grateful for my health. I am grateful for my healthy pregnancies and being able to run and play with my family! I am grateful I am able to walk every day without hurting. I am grateful for the strength to be able to run.

This is me crossing the finish line at my 2nd half marathon!

Ami Fenton Family

2011-10-10T18:10:00.003-06:00

I had the opportunity to photograph my friend Ami and her beautiful family! Here are some photos from our shoot!

Kids playing October 2011

2011-10-06T16:58:00.002-06:00

Can you believe it is October already? The kids have been sick, but they seem to be getting through it! Yay! Emmett was the only one with a yucky nose today!

This pic of Sullivan is a little blurry, but what can you do when the kid wants to move and not look at the camera! He is still cute though. We shaved his hair, and every time I regret doing it, but I am okay with it this time!

Emmett is busy busy busy! I can't believe he is already 13 months old!

Drezden started preschool on the 28th! She loves school and like Sullivan hates me taking picks of her, but I like this shot! She is a cute girl!

Homecoming Photo Shoot

2011-10-01T13:42:00.002-06:00

Races in 2011

2011-09-20T16:57:00.002-06:00

Have you noticed to the right I have been keeping track of my races! I can't believe I have completed so many this year and I still have a few to go! What a fun time I have had running these races!

Ragnar Relay Napa Valley

2011-09-20T16:47:00.002-06:00

This last week I got to participate in Napa Valleys first Ragnar Relay! It was a 200 mile 12 person team relay! I had a good time, had fun teammates!

Here I am in front of the Golden Gate Bridge! One of our team members got to run on the bridge for one of her legs!

Here is Van 1! We were the Ragaholics(I hate this picture of me, but what can you do... It was the best pic of my whole team, well Van 1 anyway that I had)

Self Portraits

2011-09-18T17:52:00.000-06:00

I am sure if you are like me every now and again you get bored so you take pics of yourself. Well here are some I have done of me. I guess I try to make my self portraits look a little artsy... I added these just because I don't add enough of myself. So there!

Happy Birthday Emmett

2011-09-09T08:07:00.002-06:00

Emmett is 1!

He can walk!

He can climb on the couch!

He can go up and down the stairs(with supervision of course)

He loves his brother and sister

He loves to try and wake up his siblings if they are asleep

He loves his mommy and daddy

but his favorite person right now is his mommy!

He is the cutest baby boy!

He is happy all the time(for the most part anyway)

He is loved!

Happy 1st Birthday Emmett!

Emmett is gonna be 1

2011-09-08T18:05:00.002-06:00

Emmett is going to turn 1 tomorrow! I can't believe it has already been a year since he has joined our little family! He has been a blessing and such a sweet little boy! He has grown so much! And not just physically! It is amazing to watch this little boy go from being a newborn to a full fledged toddler! We love him so much! Here are just a few of my favorite pictures of Emmett from the last year! He is just the sweetest little boy!

Senior Portraits

2011-09-08T17:55:00.002-06:00

This past Labor Day weekend was spent in Payson with Phils family. While there I was able to take photos of my fun BIL and his friend. Here are some shots of the cute seniors! I still can't believe Danny is old enough to graduate high school! Crazy how time flies! I first met Danny 6 years ago. He is 12 going on 18... Haha- enjoy!

Mt. Nebo Half

2011-09-07T15:59:00.003-06:00

I will be doing this Half Marathon this Saturday the 10th with my MIL and my newest SIL!

This race has an elevation drop of 3300 ft. Should be a fast race! Hopefully the elevation drop will make up for my lack of training for this race. But really I am just hoping I am not too sore for Ragnar the next week!

Super Heroes!

2011-09-06T13:17:00.006-06:00

My kids since having these Super Hero capes have me almost convinced they are not in fact children but Super Heroes! ;)

They love to put on the capes and run around "Super" Fast!

I LOVE watching them learn and grow and develop their personalities!

Here are some pictures of my kids "The Super Heroes"!

Okay, so Emmett is not dressed up as a Super Hero, but he is pretty cute even with that Silly look on his face!

Sullivan Had a Birthday!

2011-09-03T08:00:00.004-06:00

Sullivan is 3!

We decided to rent a bounce house/water slide for his birthday! We had been wanting to get one all summer and we figured Sullivans birthday being in August and all would be a perfect time to do it! We invited some neighborhood kids Sullivans age and his cousins over and They LOVED it! (They liked playing in the Sandbox too) They would jump in the bounce house and then climb up the stairs and slide down and get wet! It was a lot of fun! We will be doing it again!!! I think he had a pretty good day!

Some things Sullivan likes:

He love Spiderman

He loves to play with his sister

He LOVES Juice! I wish he would drink more water...

He wants to be BIG!

He loves to make his baby brother laugh!

He likes to climb into mom and dads bed in the middle of the night

He likes to play outside

He LOVES his friends

He LOVES his Papa

He likes trains

He likes PowerRangers

anyway... here he is the last day of being 2 and he had to dress up with Drezden! I really need to make him some boy dress up stuff. Otherwise he just ends up wearing one of Drezdens pink dresses :)

Before Phil left for work we had a little cupcake cake for Sullivan to blow out. It is what they had for breakfast! They loved it!

Here is my big 3 year old hanging out on the floor!

Blowing out another birthday cake at his party later that day

He loves Spiderman! My SIL made this awesome Spiderman cake! All the kids loved it! Drezden kept saying that she needed a Spiderman cake too when she has a birthday!

It has been a while

2011-09-02T20:19:00.004-06:00

We got a new computer! It will take some time getting use to. For the last year we have been using a netbook we purchased at Walmart! Loved the price and actually the netbook has been really nice to have! But now we have upgraded to a Macbook. I am looking forward to seeing what I am capable of doing with my photography. Phil will be writing software for the iPhone and Android phone!

Here are some pics I took today to upload so I could try out iPhoto. I took these photos around 8pm. So not the best! But I still have one of the cutest models ever!

A fun Friday!

2011-07-02T18:16:00.005-06:00

I have some fun kids, that keep me busy and sometimes wishing for a moment of peace... but I love them and can't live without them.

I think it is funny how sometimes life gets consumed with so much of one thing(like kids) that we forget about/don't recognize that we have someone else that we share our life with(spouse, s/o, ect). I love Phil, but I spend more hours in the day with my children than with Phil that sometimes I feel more like a Mother than I do a Wife. KWIM? I definitley need to get out on dates more with Phil, but I do enjoy doing things with my children too.

Yesterday we started out the day eating pancakes(which is one of the kids favorite foods to eat) and then we continued outdoors where the kids like to ride bikes and play in boxes. Drezden as you can see in the pictures below is wearing a pink dress on her head pretending to have long hair! She is silly.

After all the fun outdoors I asked the kids if they wanted to go swimming or go see Cars 2. They of course chose swimming! It was a lot of fun. The kids had so much fun that they were so sad when it waas time to go. I told them that we could come back and that maybe Daddy would be with us next time. Thats right, I took 3 kids 4 yrs and under to the swimming pool all by myself and actually let them get in the water! :) I deserve a medal... hahaha It really wasnt as bad as I thought it would be. For some reason the kids are really good for me when it is just me and the 3 of them. Phil is impressed that we all survived it. He would never even take on such a task. He says he has a hard enough time watching all 3 kids by himself. He could do it. If I can he can!

Anyway, hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July weekend!!! We are sure gonna enjoy ours, in our little own way!

Princess Festival

2011-06-26T15:51:00.006-06:00

Friday morning a friend and I took our girls to The Princess Festival at Thanksgiving Point. We spent several hours walking around meeting princesses and getting autographs. Drezden got to help out Aladin during a story telling by pretending to be a genie, and she danced with the 12 Dancing Princesses.

Currently Drezdens favorite Princess is Princess Peach! She is obsessed with Mario so naturally she would like Peach. She had to wear a pink dress because that is what Princess Peach wears, so I bought some fabric from the local JoAnnes and came up with her dress. It turned out okay, I need practice making more dresses, but it worked. All in all we had a good time. I love my little princess and I hope she knows how much she is loved. Here are some pictures of us at the festival!

Zombies Hate Fast Food

2011-06-19T18:42:00.004-06:00

I completed my first Ragnar Relay... If you don't know what a Ragnar Relay is check this out!

I had a great time and awesome team members!

Painting on a Sunday

2011-06-12T17:44:00.005-06:00

We bought the kids a couple of craft kits from JoAnne Fabrics about a week ago and never got around to doing them. Today we decided since the kids were a little too sick to go to church that we would finally get around to painting the crafts. Drezden picked flower magnets to paint and Sullivan chose a Choo Choo Train. They had so much fun painting! Well, when Sullivan was painting he LOVED it. He did get a bit impatient when dad took over. Emmett did really well, he wanted to be right there with his big brother and sister but surprisingly he was so patient and just played with some toys and crawled back and forth from the dining room to the kitchen and vise versa. Here are some pictures from today!

Oh Sullivan...

2011-06-10T21:18:00.003-06:00

Sullivan is 2! Although he will tell you he is 3 and that he wants a Spiderman birthday party. He is a silly boy. He drives his sister crazy! He likes to wrestle with the baby! And I love him! My Silly Silly Sullivan!

Drezden

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

I love my princess Drezden! She drives me crazy, she frustrates me, she makes me laugh, she makes me want to cry sometimes. haha, I do love her though! She made me a mother.

Can she be any cuter?

And oh, she wants her hair to be BIG like Tangled.

Funny girl!

Images of Emmett

2011-06-10T10:55:00.003-06:00

He is 9 months old as of yesterday! Seriously he cannot get any cuter than this! Love this little boy of mine! He loves the piano! He loves to sneak up the stairs! He loves to find any kind of food he can get his hands on and eat it all up! He will eat anything and everything you give him. He has the cutest smile! And I just love to cuddle him! I just love my little Emmett!

I love my kids

2011-06-10T10:47:00.006-06:00

One of my favorite things to do is take pictures of my kids doing silly things! Or just capturing some of their expressions whether they are happy, curious, sad, ect... My kids don't always look picture perfect, but I think it is great! It shows them how they really are! And really who wants to always look at perfect pictures? Okay, maybe someone paying for them...

I did it!

2011-05-26T16:58:00.002-06:00

I RAN IN MY FIRST HALF MARATHON!!!

*Wahoo* *Yay* *EEEeeee*

In 2010 I had planned on running in the Ogden Half Marathon, but I ended up being 6 months pregnant... I probably could have finished it, but it would have required a porta potty every half mile... :)

This year I ran in the Ogden Half Marathon 8 months post partum. My MIL and SIL ran it too! And they did AWESOME!

A few months before the Half I was discouraged and didn't think I would get to the point to where I would be able to do it. I only trained up to 10 miles got injured for 2 weeks, ran a Half Marathon Relay with a friend and two weeks later(last Saturday the 21st)crossed the finishe line for my first half in 2 hrs and 50 min. The first 10 miles was not so bad, my split time was 2 hrs 2 min, but the last 3 miles killed! I just couldnt push myself to run them, so I walked A LOT! but I made it, I did it, had fun doing it, and will be doing another one! Hopefully I can get a PR next time, but just being able to finish that distance is an ACCOMPLISHMENT in itself! And I proved that I could do it!

*WOOHOO*

Robert and Ashley married!

2011-05-26T16:46:00.001-06:00

Congrats you two! It was a beautiful day! Welcome to the family Ashley!

They were married on May 12th!

Cute cousins!!!

2011-05-26T16:36:00.003-06:00

On May 12th my BIL Robert was married to Ashley Laughter. One of the best things about marriages is it gets families together. We have one BIL and SIL that live out in Seattle and we get to see them only about once a year. Anyway, their little boy is the one in front second in from the left(wearing a blue shirt and tie). Isn't he cute! They all are! It was nice to get a photo of all the kids... Ages range from 8 months to 6 years. Look at how well they did sitting still for a second!

Drezden is 4!!!

2011-05-04T20:19:00.000-06:00

Drezden is 4! I almost can't believe it! You know what else that means? It means I have been a mother for 4 years. Wow! The time has flown, and although there are days I wish would just be over I really wish time would slow down so I can enjoy this precious girl of mine.

Easter

2011-04-24T12:53:00.004-06:00

Happy Easter!

We kicked off this special day with the children finding a surprise left by the Easter Bunny. I know that Easter is not about the egg hunts, candy, baskets of goodies...although with young children it makes a wonderful excuse to celebrate and purchase items that you normally wouldn't buy, but yet it is about celebrating the Resurrection of my Savior. The ultimate gift of Eternal Life. I am grateful for my Living Savior and the sacrifices He made for me, I know that because of Him I can be reunited with family and friends, and that I can repent and be forgiven of sins and transgressions and enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

I love my family. All of them, despite what life throws our way.

I am grateful for my little family, and welcome those yet still to be born.

What a great gift the Lord has given so that we can be united as Forever Families in the Heavens!

Here are a some pics of my Eternal Family

Getting used to this photography thing...

2011-04-23T22:36:00.006-06:00

First off Happy Easter! What a wonderful time of year! I love this season!

Anyway, as you already know I have been practicing some of my photography skills and I was able to get quite a few models to pose for me so that I could practice what I learn and apply it to make beautiful pictures. I am so thanful for the many people willing to help me in this new hobby of mine. What a great way to capture moments and treasure memories!

Here are just a few of my favorites from many favorites taken earlier today!

My sister in law and her beautiful family!

My brother in law with his cute fiance!

I love my inlaws! They are just so cute here! And my FIL is such a gentleman!

Got a new glass

2011-04-22T19:31:00.006-06:00

Just playing around :) And seriously these are some cute kids!!!

PHOTOGRAPHY!!!

2011-04-20T08:41:00.005-06:00

These past couple Saturdays I have been lucky enough to take a photography class from an awesome photographer for a great price! I have been learning so much and I still have 2 classes to learn so much from! Yay! I have beeen LOVING it! I just wanted to share a few of my favorite photos from this week. Of course the first 3 are of my children and then the last 2 are my favorites from my last class! I am so excited to become a better photographer and really what is better than taking pictures of your own kids?

Grant is 6!

2011-04-20T08:34:00.005-06:00

My Nephew Grant is 6(His birthday was on Monday I believe)! What a handsome boy he is! Love you Grant!

Happy Late Birthday!

2011-04-20T08:20:00.002-06:00

Phil's birthday was actually on the 5th. Sorry I am late! But better late than never right? I am so blessed to have such a hardworking and supportive husband! He is such a great father too! The kids love there daddy so much!

Phil-Hope you enjoy your last year in your 20's!!! I love you!

This is what we have been doing around here

2011-03-07T09:59:00.005-07:00

This week we got a fun new toy for the kids to play with in the backyard! I think they will love it more when the weather warms up a bit more. Sullivan was excited enough to let me take some pictures of him playing on it!

Emmett has been working on his crawling skills! We make him work for his food ;) j/k... but it does give him a bit of encouragement! He is almost there! He can go for a bit and then he collapses! It is so much fun to watch him learn and grow!

Drezden and I have been sick, but Drezden has had it much worse than I. Poor girl! Today all she wants to do is lay around and sleep/play games/watch netflix cartoons! I hope she is better by Friday because she has her very first fieldtrip to the Aquarium to look forward to!

Day 07 - Best Friend

2011-03-01T15:50:00.000-07:00

I have several! I am so lucky to know Brooke, Leanne, Hilary and of course Phil!!!

Day 06- Your day

2011-02-08T10:45:00.003-07:00

Yesterday:

Started out normal... wake up make breakfast, play outside, eat lunch, nap, wake up, play, dad gets home, fix Drezdens hair, FHE on xbox live, bed

Seriously though my days are not very exciting... although yesterday Drezden decided she needed her hair shorter than it was... I got up from nap time to this

Sullivan is really the one who needed a hair cut and still does!

This is Drezden after getting her hair fixed!

Day 05- A picture you took

2011-02-07T12:00:00.002-07:00

Isn't he a handsome little guy!

Emmett

2011-01-08T16:36:00.002-07:00

He will be 4 months old tomorrow

Eating from a spoon,

And getting teeth already!

oh, and did I mention he can roll over both ways?

He must be thinking he is getting big or something!

KIDS!

2011-01-08T16:27:00.002-07:00

If you want to know why he was crying scroll down!

Kids! They lasted 10 min like this. Boy am I glad! I wouldn't have let them just stay out like this for too long, but when you ask them to get dressed and this is how they dress themselves then sometimes you have to give them learning opportunities and just hope they will learn!

C25K

2011-01-08T16:19:00.004-07:00

Well, if you have been browsing through my blog then you will notice on the left that I have a workout listed. I have been doing the C25K program for about 6 weeks now. Well, last night my running partner and I did W5D3 which is a 5 min warm up walk and then 20min of running/jogging for 20 min without stopping... Well we did it! I never really was a runner, but I was never as out of shape as I have been these last 3 years. I blame it on pregnancy and having babies so close together... I am looking forward to finishing this program and being able to run 3 miles without having to walk and then I will be working towards 60 min on running and hopefully I will be ready for the Ogden Half Marathon which is being held on May 21st! It feels great to get in shape again! Only if I could lose this extra 50lbs! I am working on it!

Day 03- Your Parents

2011-01-08T08:37:00.004-07:00

James Milton Neeley was my birth father... when I put it that way it sounds like I was adopted or something. Anyway- He and my mother were married. Twice in fact! He was 39 and my mother was 25 when my twin brother and I were born. From what I remember being told my parents were going through a divorce around the time my brother and I came into this world.
I have heard different stories as to why he wasn't around, but I don't know which is true...
I met him once that I can recall. My mom was taking me and my brother and older sister out to pizza and he was doing laundry and we passed him on the street. My twin remembers my dad picking him up and giving him a hug, me I don't remember more than just passing him on the street. We were probably under the age of 5. But it must be a great memory for Jared to have, because we don't and will not get any other chances to make memories with/of him.
From what I was told he was a great baseball player. Was invited to try out for one of the professional teams right before he inlisted himself in the army and did a tour in Vietnam. I guess some will say he wasn't the same after Nam.
I wish I could tell you more about him. I am sure he would have had interesting stories to tell.
My brother and I always grew up thinking that one day we would meet him and have a relationship with him, but when we were 11 or 12??? can't remember which, my mother for some reason decided it was time we got to know our father and took us to our grandfathers house, and when we got there we got to read an obituary about him instead. And so our dreams of meeting him and getting to know him died right there with the knowledge that he had died.
You would think I would have had more of a reaction to the news... But we just went home and never talked about it again. Instead our dreams of having him in our lives turned into "what ifs" "did he love us?" "did he think about us?". And many nights crying ourselves to sleep. And every now and then I get emotional over it, even after knowing that he has been gone over 10 years I still wonder.
It wasn't until this last year that I was able to see pics of him as a youth, and boy does my twin look just like him, it is uncanny the resemblance. I also learned that he was murdered.
And still even with some questions answered my heart aches for him... just to know that he loved me and thought about me which no one can answer

Sarah Junell Loe- my mother
I wish I could say that my relationship with her was a great one or that we even had a relationship. I was 15 almost 16 when she signed me over to the state of California, due to reasons I will not post here. I still love her despite everything that has happened, but somedays I just want my mom(whoever that is)... but I know that is not going to happen, at least while she is living in her current state.

Day 02- First Love

2011-01-07T18:44:00.003-07:00

It was right before the summer of 03 when I was first introduced to Patrick through a staff meeting for Camp Tomahawk. I had no interest in him at first, I had already developed a crush on a couple of the other cute staffers! And these other staffers were closer in age to me. I was 17 and he(Patrick) was 21. Of course he wouldn't be interested in a Senior in High School, but that didn't stop me from hoping maybe something more would happen after camp was said and done. During that summer we flirted and wrote notes back and forth. It was fun, and definitely made camp a more enjoyable experience for the most part, haha that was until he started dating someone the week I went to EFY. She was cute and 19 and out of highschool so naturally he would be interested.
The summer ended and somehow I got his number and called him, and we went on dates, and he would "fall in love" with some other girl and I got put back on the waiting list. Of course I hoped that he would realize that it wouldn't work out and he would see I was the girl for him, but it never worked out that way... It took me 2.5 years to realize that I couldn't invest anymore feelings for him, because I knew in the end my heart would be broken... And it was.
I am happy to say that he is now married and has a beautiful daughter. I every now and again think about him and his family and hope they are happy and doing well.
I don't think anyone forgets their first love and their first heartache, although it didn't end the way my 17, 18, 19, and even 20 year old mind/heart had imagined it would I am glad that my first love was Patrick and that he respected me and prepared me for someone that would love me enough to just be with me!

Day 01- Introduce Yourself

2011-01-05T17:26:00.002-07:00

Hi! I am Vanessa(the one who does most of the blogging around here)! I am a 25 year old stay at home mom to 3 beautiful kids(Drezden 3.5, Sullivan 2, and Emmett 4 months)! I have been married 4.5 years to Phil and we will celebrate 5 years on June 1st! I have lived here in Tooele a little more than 3 years, and although it doesn't quit feel like "home" it is slowly growing on me. I am hoping to be able to get out of this house(2 bedroom) and into a more long term home when the housing market picks up and I can sell! The home has been nice and sq footage wise it is large enough for us, but 2 rooms is not gonna cut it with having boys and a girl and I would love to add more children to my family in the future.

Well, I could go on and on, but that is what this blogging marathon is about right?

2011-01-02T20:40:00.003-07:00

I have decided that one of my New Years Resolutions is to be better about blogging/journaling, and so I have decided to participate in one of these "Get to know Me" blog marathons. I hope to learn a little more about myself right along with you, so have patience with me!! And Happy New Year!!!

Day 01 - Introduce yourself
Day 02 - Your first love
Day 03 - Your parents
Day 04 - What you ate today
Day 05 - A picture you took
Day 06 - Your day
Day 07 - Your best friend
Day 08 - A moment
Day 09 - Your beliefs
Day 10 - What you wore today
Day 11 - Your siblings
Day 12 - What's in your bag
Day 13 - This week
Day 14 - A Picture you took
Day 15 - Your dreams
Day 16 - Your first kiss
Day 17 - Your favorite memory
Day 18 - Your favorite birthday
Day 19 - Something you regret
Day 20 - This month
Day 21 - Another Moment
Day 22 - Something that upsets you
Day 23 - Something that makes you feel better
Day 24 - A song you like to dance to
Day 25 - A first
Day 26 - Your fears
Day 27 - Your favorite place
Day 28 - Something that you miss
Day 29 - Your aspirations
Day 30 - One last moment

Just Because :)

2010-12-24T16:24:00.002-07:00

I Love These Guys!

2010-12-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

So Excited!!!

2010-12-24T16:14:00.001-07:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2010-12-24T13:44:00.002-07:00

Baby it's cold outside

2010-11-22T12:17:00.003-07:00

It is finally beginning to feel like winter here! Just to prove it to you here are some pics!

I love the snow! I love how the snow brightens our nights! I love how my house seems to be warmer during snowy nights! I love waking up to fresh blanket of snow that hasn't melted, been shoveled, or played in! I love that on most snowy days I am blessed to be able to stay home and enjoy the beauty of it!

My kids LOVE the snow! They LOVE to eat it too!

2010-11-13T10:02:00.003-07:00

Ever since I was about... ohhhhhhhhh... ummmmmmmmm... 13? *scratching my head* I think that's right. Yes, we'll say 13.

Ever since I was 13 I knew I would be a mother of boys. In fact I wanted 6. Yes, 6 boys and no girls!(Remember this was when I was 13 and I love my little girl!)

I remember being in elementary school and my 4th grade teacher Mr. Carroll asked us to write down a life plan. Mine included that I would graduate High School, go to College, stay home and be a mother and then when my children were older I would go to work. I probably didn't start thinking about the logistics of things until I was a teen. If you notice in my plan being married wasn't even something I thought about. That could be due to the fact that my mother was not married for much of any of my childhood/adulthood, and my father was out of the picture. When my mother decided it was time for my twin and I to have a relationship with my father we found out he had been murdered.

Anyway, I tend to get easily distracted... it shows even in my writing.

Anyway, I don't know why I wanted 6 boys but I am so grateful for the 2 I have been blessed with! There is something special about holding a sweet baby boy and I sure love holding mine!

2010-11-08T11:36:00.002-07:00

This is what yesterday looked like:

For dinner we enjoyed some homemade lemon bread

and some yummy white bean soup

Today looks a little like this!

Maybe I should have saved lasts night dinner for tonight :)

It's November!!!

2010-11-07T12:44:00.003-07:00

It's November and Fall here in Utah! This is my favorite time of year! I love the colors! The smells! The sound of rain! and the occasional snow... The kids seem to be enjoying this time of year too! Here is some proof!

Oh how I LOVE Fall!!!

Some cute kids

2010-10-29T16:01:00.002-06:00

The kids found some sticks so I sewed them up some flags and they loved them!

Drezden loved that there was a heart on hers!

Sullivan loves to play in the sandbox. This was probably the most decent shot I was able to get of him in between shoveling sand and then throwing it against the shed. *Naughty boy!*

And I can't forget this cute boy!!! He is 7 weeks old now and I just can't get enough of this sweet little face and his cute little grunts!!!

Drezden

2010-10-20T22:32:00.000-06:00

Just playing around

2010-10-20T17:27:00.002-06:00

So I am commited to becoming a better photographer and to start out I decided during naptime to take a few pictures of Emmett and Drezden. I liked these two ones of Emmett. Having them overexposed gives an even more cherubic look to my sweet baby!

Today and one from Thursday :)

2010-10-09T17:16:00.003-06:00

My sweet Emmett is month old today!!!

1 month ago

2010-10-09T17:07:00.002-06:00

Cinderella

2010-10-09T16:42:00.004-06:00

I saw this tutorial and decided to try it so last night I made this(see pic below)

Drezden loved it! Yes loved it... *sigh* costume satin sometimes just isn't worth all the hassle, but it was worth all of the giggles and smiles I got from my princess this morning!!!

Introducing

2010-09-30T10:42:00.002-06:00

Emmett Wayne Christensen

8lbs 14oz 21in

born: September 9, 2010 @ 5:35pm

Just some pics...

2010-09-02T17:41:00.002-06:00

I have really been slacking when it comes to taking pics of my kids, and unfortunatley these are the best out of 30 pics I had on my CF... After this next little boy arrives I will definitley hop on the bandwagon and start taking pics again. Hopefully get in a class sometime in the near future too! Seriously though... why have a nice camera if you don't know how to use it to the best of it's ability?

my 1st mobile update

2010-08-27T20:36:00.002-06:00

i havent blogged in forever... well, that is what it feels like anyway.

i am updating via phone so there will be no pictures... anyway sullivan turned 2 on the 11th. i cant believe he is 2 already! he had a fun birthday. we headed to grandmas house and grandma and uncle alex took sullivan and drezden swimming. then on the weekend phil and i took the kids to jumpin jacks! they had a great time! phil had fun too!!! i just watched. i didnt think it would be very comfortable jumping being 9 months pregnant. speaking of pregnancy i am still pregnant... just 15 days until this little guys due date. i am hoping he comes a little early, but my last two came right on time so i figure tha is what is going to happen this time too.

oh and drezden is potty trained! i am so proud of her!

We fixed our fence

2010-07-26T13:05:00.003-06:00

Great Salt Lake

2010-07-26T12:53:00.002-06:00

Sunday we decided to go for a drive and I suggested we go to the Saltair. It was not very far... maybe 20-30 min most! Even though being 33 weeks pregnant and having to use the bathroom a couple times I enjoyed myself and the kids loved it! The water was pretty gross but that didn't stop any of the fun!

Bountiful Basket

2010-06-28T16:49:00.004-06:00

I have only participated in food co ops a few times and I wanted to share what I got last weekend with you all!

Everything you see here minus the bag in the back of the table was $30!
What a great deal right?
So I am not a huge fan of red onions but we will find something to do with them...
Anyway, I think everyone should participate in food co ops! Out here in Tooele we have the Bountiful Basket and the Utah Food Co op. Bountiful Basket is every other week and the Utah Food Co op is once a month. I hope I can always participate!!! I just love it!

First Weigh In- 1 week down 9 to go

2010-06-25T10:51:00.000-06:00

Phil had his first weigh in yesterday for his 10 week challenge! Although he hasn't really added exercise into his routine yet he is down 2 lbs! Good Job Phil!

New Beds

2010-06-23T10:53:00.002-06:00

I have been wanting to get Sullivan into a big boy bed for a while now, I am not sure he is as ready for one as I thought, but he will adjust. I love having my kids in their cribs for as long as possible, but we are having another baby in what? 11 weeks? I figured I should get him use to a big boy bed so he knows that when the baby come that the crib is for the baby...
We bought these beds from Walmart. We had a twin size bed for Drezden, but Phil decided he would rather them both be in toddler beds. Plus it makes more room in there room for a crib too. 3 kids in 1 room. It is a good thing they are all so close in age. ;)
I hope to get there room decorated a bit and when I have there room finished I will of course post all my bragging here.
I hope they get over the newness of the beds and eventually start taking naps again.

Fathers Day

2010-06-20T18:31:00.003-06:00

Happy Fathers Day to all you Fathers!

Weight Gain

2010-06-18T08:00:00.002-06:00

Do you ever get on the scale and this is your reaction?

YIKES!

Okay... so it is totally me. Especially these last 6 weeks. I have put on probably a pound a week(I am sure some of it is water retention)but still.... All for the baby right? *sigh*
I should probably weigh myself daily instead of once every 6 weeks and then I wouldn't be so shocked with the numbers being displayed.
I have come to terms that I am not one of those cute pregnant ladies that are ALL belly, instead I am one of those pregnant ladies that gain weight everywhere and end up wearing sweats and gym shorts for at least half of the pregnancy, plus a few months after delivery. I should know this by now, I have 2 previous pregnancies to compare to.
A little less than 12 weeks to go. I am almost there! I can make it, and plus I have more important things to worry about then weight gain right?

10 week challenge

2010-06-17T10:56:00.000-06:00

L 3 Communications is offering a Biggest Loser competition, well, they are calling it "10 Week Challenge" for all employees. Phil along with 136 Men and 84 Women signed up for the challenge. The participants need to weigh in 6 out of the 10 weigh ins offered during the 10 week challenge, and the company is offering all participants a $1 off card that they can use in the company cafeteria on the healthy meal selection of the day.

Phil and I have talked about eating healthier and wanting to exercise more regularly in the past and with this competition at work Phil figured it would be a good start! I just wish that I could join him, but I have to wait until after this baby! That's okay, I just need to watch what I eat... Pregnancy is definitely the easiest time for me to gain weight.

I am excited for Phil to start this competition and this journey. He really wants to be a runner! Phil has asthma so it has held him back a bit, but hopefully losing a few pounds will make it a little easier on his body to be able to finally be the runner and athlete that he has always wanted to be! I hope that I can be a good support for him! Of course I will have to remind him to say no to ice cream and second helpings, and hopefully by the time I am ready to join him I will be ready to go at it with full force.

Maybe Phil will let me post results weekly here so you all can see his progress! Plus it is nice to be able to look back and see progress!

So here's to Phil!

Good luck Babe!!!
You can do it!

Mondays look a little like this

2010-06-14T11:45:00.003-06:00

Kids are silly!

They are learning to make new faces!

Of course someone ends up crying!

Kids play outside

And someone always gets messy!

We are always happy when Monday rolls around! It means we are back on a schedule! And believe me that is a good thing! Naps get taken, lunches get eaten and days typically go by faster! Of course we are always happy when daddy comes home, but it is nice that dad goes away to work! It lets us get things done here. You know... The usual
-Laundry
-Cleaning Bathrooms
-Cleaning Bedrooms
-Vacuuming
-Menu planning
-Playing
-Being Silly
-Pulling weeds in the flower beds
-Playing in the Sandbox
-Dishes
Okay, so the list can go on and on, but for some reason when Phil comes home it is like we just stop doing what we were doing and just hang out.
The kids and I love Mondays!

Summer days

2010-06-08T17:52:00.003-06:00

On Sunny days like today I like to go outside and kick up my heels

and watch my children play outside, whether it is playing in their pool or sandbox or racing each other on their trikes, but today it was watching them play in the pool

and watching Drezden race back and forth from the sandbox to the pool... of course to grab all the fun sand toys to play in the water! She didn't mind that some things still had sand in them.

or that she decided to potty in her pants right after taking this picture

I mean c'mon! Drezden that is gross(I remind her often if she needs to use the restroom to let me know, she must have been too busy to stop what she was doing to run upstairs)! And yet Sullivan is still having a fun time!

Kids!

To All Moms Out There!

2010-06-07T20:07:00.000-06:00

FAIL

2010-06-04T16:32:00.002-06:00

One morning before church I decided to try and attempt to make a dress for Drezden to wear, I bought some seersucker a little while ago and although I wanted to use it for a skirt, I didn't . I really didn't care for the way it turned out. It actually reminds me of a mu-mu. Drezden loves to wear it around a lot actually! Although I consider this one of my FAILS Drezden doesn't quite have the same opinion. One great thing about little girls is they look just about cute in EVERYTHING!!! Don't you think?

A sand box for two

2010-06-03T20:35:00.002-06:00

A couple weekends ago the kids and I went to Payson and while we were there we went to grandpas work(Geneva Steel) to visit and found some large bricks that grandpa let us take home. With help from family we were able to put this little sandbox together. The kids love it, and it is nice to have somewhere for the kids to play and be able to watch them from the kitchen without wondering where they went off to!

We like to visit grandma's house

2010-06-03T20:19:00.003-06:00

This summer the kids and I(Vanessa) plan to visit grandmas house once a week all summer. The kids love to visit grandma! This week we went swimming and sewed up a cute dress for Drezden. Hopefully we will be able to visit and swim all summer long!
As much as we love to visit and hate to leave grandmas house, we really
love
to come home again and spend time with daddy
There really is
"No Place Like Home"

A new dress

2010-06-03T19:48:00.003-06:00

okay...it already has ice cream all over the front, but it still turned out cute. I have been seeing these dresses everywhere(for adults) and I thought it would be nice to try to make one for Drezden. My MIL has a ton of fabric so I just picked out a few different fabrics and starting cutting away. I didn't do much of the sewing, but with help from my MIL we were able to come up with this cute frock!

Sullivan

2010-06-03T19:44:00.002-06:00

Sullivan is a character!