Lincoln's New Favorite Person

He has bells that jingle and a twinkle in his eye! Linc couldn't get enough of him, it was so fun to watch his little hands jingle the bells and grab at his beard! The cute Santa Claus Ho Ho Ho'd through it all! And how did we get our baby to leave his new best friend and come back to us...a Candy Cane of course!

49ers Football Champs

Cam's flag football team won the Championship this weekend! After beating the Colts, the only team we'd lost to ,- (it was our first game and we got an e-mail from coach Cody apologizing for losing and promising it would never happen again - he was right) - by a large margin, including a touchdown by Roni, we were the Little Valley League champs and got to the play in the final playoff game against the Santa Clara league champs, the Saints! In the final game we got an early lead and it was smooth sailing from there! Go 49ers! Check out the Hardware!

We Read the Book of Mormon

This year in our ward we had a Book of Mormon Challenge. It ended this week and amazingly - so do our little family! We started at the first of the year and read 5 chapters a week. We started out reading 5 chapters each Sunday and that got to be a little much. The last few months we've had the kids ready for school in time to read for ten minutes! It has been so neat to watch their reading progress. Cameron really struggled at first because, even though he is an excellent reader, he has to have things make sense. The scriptures speak so differently than we do that it didn't make sense to him and it would seriously take him almost 5 minutes to read one verse. Now him and Morgan are both better readers. It was good for Ty and I to. We were paying so much more attention so that we could explain to the kids what was going on. I know pride isn't good, but it was a challenge and I have to say it...I'm proud of us!

Happy Anniversary to us!

On Tuesday I got an exciting text from Ty that said - don't make any plans for Friday night or Saturday morning! I was so excited..I love surprises and Tyler finally figured that out! I am glad he told me because I believe the anticipation makes the realization, in other words, knowing there is a surprise is the funnest part. Not having to make the plans or arrange the babysitter is the next best part.

So Friday afternoon we dropped the kids off at my mom's and went to the new James Bond flick - always entertaining! And Ty had gotten me chocolate covered cinnamon bears to enjoy during the movie, mmmm! After the movie I still didn't know where we were going and was just enjoying that the surprises were still coming. Tyler pulled into Cafe Rio and ran in to get a Key Lime Pie (one of my favorite desserts but I could never really pick a favorite). Next we headed to Pizza Hut to get a thin crust plain cheese pizza (We got one of these on our honeymoon and ate it in the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse at the Anniverary Inn. It's become sortof an anniversary tradition) Our next stop was the Hilton Garden Inn where Ty had gotten us the suite and had already snuck in and had sparkling cider chilling! Everything was perfect! We talked a lot about how quickly 11 years has gone by and how unbelievable it is that we have 4 beautiful children! We know we are "seriously so blessed!" (check out that blog sometime-seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com - so funny) But really we are and we just have to acknowledge it every once in a while. Saturday morning we had a really yummy breakfast at the hotel that gave us the energy to dive back into reality! Thanks Ty - Love you tons! Here's to 11 more plus eternity!

A Special thanks to my mom for watching the kids and taking Lainee to her 9 a.m. soccer game where she dribbled the ball all the way down the field to score the last goal of the season!!

A glimpse into a Christensen Family weekend

So Saturday's are a bit of a challenge for me. I have very social children who constantly want friends to play with. Saturday's are a hard day to find friend's because most familie's have their dad's home and are doing family things. So I've found that the busier I can keep my kids, the easier Saturday's are. Hooray for soccer! The key is finding the balance between being busy and being crazy - which tends to turn me into a hag and that's never good. Somehow things went pretty well this weekend! Here are a few of the highlights of the weekend.

• Got to go to spin. Everyone knows I'm happier when I get in a good workout.



• Ty called and wanted Morgan to come in and work...hooray, got my high maintenance child out of my hair for the day!We actually got to Lainee's soccer game on time...we were even a little early! Afternoon games are definitely better for us! Next week's 9 am game is already on my dread list.



• Lainee was having fun and was excited Alisa came to watch her. She even scored a few goals (one was after the time had run out and the cute coaches just humored her and another was into the other team's goal but everyone still cheered for her and she doesn't know the difference!)

• Cam's game was actually right after Lainee's! I wish all of them were scheduled like that...so nice! He love's kicking the ball in from the sidelines!

• After Cam's game we brought home Connor and Bryn to play with Cam and Lainee. Hooray! we found some friends on Saturday! The kids played awesome and the baby was ready for a nap! Had a few hours to catch up on e-mail, facebook, and housework!



• Kori called and invited Morgan to a girls night to High School Musical 3. Cam got to go to Jill's and watch kung fu panda with Tanner! I love my niehghborhood.



• We got to go to dinner with Brent and Rachel while their Bailey watched our 2 little ones. I love Outback's bleu cheese chopped salad.mmmm



• Got a call from Bailey that she couldn't get Lincoln in his jammie's (I told you he was squirmy) so she put him to bed in his diaper! I got a little worried he'd be cold!



• Woke up Sunday morning at about 7:45 to the sounds of a happy cooing baby! Went in his room to get him and couldn't beleive how much I loved him just in his diaper. (Thank's Bailey) I had to cuddle with him for about 25 minutes and just feel his soft skin and love his little baby body!



• Decided I'd use a nice Sunday morning to give myself a pedicure! Got my toenail polish off and my toenails clipped when Lainee walked in and needed the works! So her toe and fingernails looked awesome and it was time to get everyone ready for church! Glad my brown high heels are closed toed!



• Church was nice but full of the unexpected -me baring my testimony for the first time in 5 years-how did I get up here- and me being excited to go to Releif Society for the first time in 4 years and somehow ending up in the Nursery-what just happened?-



• After church we had a really fun afternoon of playing games and laughing. We played Rummikub and turned on the Sounds of Sunday on Star 98 and realized the kids have the jingles to the commercials memorized but not so much the actual sounds of Sunday...might want to start playing cd's on Sunday instead.



• At one point Tyler was tickling Lainee and she was laughing her head off. Her laugh is musical! All of a sudden she stopped laughing, looked at Tyler really seriously and said, "Dad, you just made me pee my pants a little bit." Then she ran to the bathroom.



• My mom and dad came over for dinner which is always fun for us! They loved watching Cam and Lainee play balloon volleyball in the living room, Morgan doodle dresses and cakes, and Lincoln just being the cutest baby ever!



• After they left, Morgan wanted a turn to get her nails pretty. This time I was able to get my own done too. What better ending to a weekend than having all 3 girls with pretty nails and piggies!!
  

An Overview of the Last Year

Halloween was really fun this year! Morgan was Galinda-with a Ga-from Wicked, also known at the good witch from the Wizard of Oz by those of you who aren't Wicked Fans. Cameron was a spooky Grim Reaper. Lainee was Sleeping Beauty and Linc was Crush the Turtle! Ty took the kids around in the truck! We wouldn't want them to walk and burn off all that sugar! Just kidding, they still got lots of running in. By the end of the night the truck is full of neighborhood kids and totally low ridin! It's so fun!

Then on Saturday night Ty and I had a party with our friends. We went as Sally and Jack Skelington from the Nightmare Before Christmas. We had a blast!

In october Ty took the kids Repelling! They had so much fun. It was Lainee's first time and she has absolutely - her current favorite word - no fear! We've got a little adreanline junkie - not sure which one of us she gets that from! Really!

Morgan went to but we didn't get any pics of her this time! The picture of her is from when they went in the spring!

September 28th was Lainee's 4th Birthday! It was on a Sundy, which happened to be our primary program where she proudly proclaimed "My name is Lainee! I am a Child of God!" She did so well. We had a party for her the Friday before at Hidden Valley Park with lots of her little friends. The Highlights were her cute Cake made by Jill-the only cake maker-And being Cheuffered to the party by "Saarlelainen" in her Red Convertible "Slugsbug!"

Lincoln is growing up way too fast. Here are a few pics of his first 6 months! Love my binkie baby!

I love this picture! He looks so innocent! Not even...he's very guilty!

Won't hold still to get his diaper changed. He'd rather be standing!

He loves Bath Time!!

I wish I could crawl in his crib and cuddle with him!

He looks so little in this one! Too Cute!

September 5, 2008 was a really special day for the Christensen Family! Katie's Wedding Day! It was so fun to have Clark and Kassie home for a few days. All of the kids looked so adoreable and we got some great pictures! Katie and Scott are the cutest couple...he was definitely worth the wait. The highlight of the day was having Tyler's parents, all of his siblings and their spouses in the temple together! I remember thinking, other than my own wedding day, I've never been happier at a wedding! And I love weddings! Isn't Katie a stunning bride?

In August we decided to take a trip back to the 80's and go to a Poison Concert in Vegas with Sam and Misha. Of courst Mish and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to dress up like 80's rockers - maybe we secretly wish we could always dress like this, hmm! Notice the high tops and 2 layers of socks with my jeans tucked in! Rock on!!

First days of School 2008





Lainee with Miss Megan at Busy Beehive Preschool

No Separation Anxiety here!! She had said she couldn't wait to meet her teacher and give her a hug - she all ready loved her because she had sent her mail.




Morgan in 4th Grade - Holy Cow!!





Cameron and his 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Clark! Morgan had her and we LOVE her!

In July we went to Lake Powell with the Richfield Crew! Always a fun trip! Morgan had a blast playing phase 10 with me all day! Cameron loved wakeboarding and is getting awesome - he can stay up for at least 30 second! Lainee had fun doing everything - remember she's an adrenaline junkie! I am so sad I don't have video of her wakeboarding with Tyler. He stands up and puts her on the board inbetween his legs and she wraps her arms around his thighs and stands there. He is totally jumping the wake and she is laughing her head off. Every once in a while she'll slip but Ty catches her - it doesn't even phase her. Ty was quoted saying, "My back hurt so bad but she was laughing so hard I had to keep going." She also had fun swimming, going down the slide, oh yeah...and jumping off the top of the houseboat! Yeah, she's only 3! Lincoln loved swimming with mom or dad everyday and being the center of attention! A special thanks for Jordan for the Pioneer Day tribute and fireworks!

We went to Rainbow Bridge to get a picture of Linc standing on Ty's hands. Now we have a picture of all four of our kids betwen the ages 5 to 8 months in the exact same pose. We made a cute rainbow bridge wall in our office! Come check it out sometime!

Who gave Cam the Camera????

How did my baby girl all ready turn 9? She had a really fun party with two of her fun friends Tabitha and Lexie! We went to Stephanie's Salon and she did their hair while I painted their nails! Then we went to Brushfire and the girls had so much fun painting. The day was topped off by lunch with Ty at Pasta Factory - Morgan's Fav!