2! (and 36)

Quick, before it's April!!!  Oh wait... Before it's Easter, then?

We had our Smoochface's big #2 birthday a few weeks ago (and her checkup just last week -- all well and healthy, though she was no fan of being laid down on the examination table... being examined in our arms was no problem) and we're only just starting to realize we can't really call her Baby anymore, though of course we still do.  She's sweet and funny and chatty and really active (her jumping!  Hahaha) and she loves being outside and eating what and how much she's in the mood for, she's sleeping great and happily when it's time.  We had a bit of a recent false start with potty training, but she's definitely on schedule to be ahead of Big Brother when it comes down to it.  She loves Nursery and Foxy and books, and she would gladly sit in the little swing on the playset for hours and hours on a nice spring day.  She can be quite vocal about letting everyone know when she's upset about something, but she takes a few minutes of quiet time and cools down and all is smiles and sunshine.

Pictures!

Blurry but still cute.  She loves her mommy (but she loves me too).

They love to toy store so much.

Always always loving books. 

Introducing Bear to bear.

Free Zoo Day is the best, but that poncho is even more best.

She was really into the lion statue.

Her first real visit to the movies!  She walked up and down the stairs a bit but she was quiet and squealed with glee every time one of the very recognized songs started.

After a year of listening, meeting The Girl at last

She might not have been a big fan of the cake this year but we sure were.

 Oh my, she's such a scrumptious smooch.  Lately I've been wondering if she'll end up being our only girl for some reason or other, but if she does, she's a good one.

 Oh, and this happened too:

Work is so nice about celebrating birthdays.

This is so fun.  I died of dysentery on my second turn.  So, you know, just like the real game.

Amazing cake, anxiety-ridden movie experience, new running gear. 

I turned 36.  *confetti*

A Merry and a Happy 2016/7

Quick, before it's February!

We did have a great Christmas and here's a little rundown of the funtimes leading up to the Day.

In the months before, it should be noted, I was participating again in a fun local choir, and then when I went to my sister's orchestra concert and saw that they were teaming up with a different local choir to do John Rutter's Gloria, I was like, oh hey, I should go to that!  And then I was like... oh hey, I should BE in that.  So I looked them up and joined my third concurrent singing group (if you count ward choir, which I do) just so I could check this little number off my list:

Helloooooo, there.  It's been a while.

Yes, it was glorious, and yes, I am so glad to have sung JR's Requiem, Magnificat and now Gloria.  It was great to sing with the TSO again, even though scheduling conflicts prevented my sister from participating this time (though she could attend in the audience, which was fun!) and even besides the Gloria it was a reaaaaally great program of orchestral and choral music (Rutter AND Wilberg AND Silvestri AND Anderson AND Handel in the same concert??).

That did of course take up a lot of time in the evenings (thaaaaaank you Wiiiiiiife) and led to a few scheduling conflicts but I enjoyed it so I'm really glad I was able to sing in both.  Ah, the life of a musician at Christmastime.

Then it was winter!  We went on a cool drive-through lights show in Provo (thanks, KSL Deals) and listened to a lot of Christmas music and enjoyed delivering treats to neighbors.  We also have had a lot of snow this year so I put the little humans to work.

Earning their keep at last!

The we had our ward adult Christmas party, including a talent portion, for which I engaged the services of Dad and Brok to sing Star Bright.  My limited guitar skillz were more than adequate and I'm so glad, after hearing my mom and sisters sing together so beautifully for so many years, that we boys have had the chance to do the same a few times.

I only messed up the words once.  I don't think anyone noticed.

We took the kids to see a live Nativity at the mall, which was fun and interesting and featured free cider and rolls and live local choirs, including one gospel group that were so into those Handel selections.  The animals were present pretty early on but the human portions took a little time getting there, but when they did we had a great time and the kids were into it and it's always great to have more opportunities to talk about the reason for the season.

Live Nativity!  With a camel and everything!

There was no shortage of festive wear and appropriating decor at the house:

Li'l reindeers love eggy breadies.

And then when we found out about the Yule Ball happening at a nearby event center (that is literally a castle) we had to go!  We teamed up with one of my oldest friends from junior high and her new beau and picked up some nachos supreme beforehand and then headed up for all the fun times, including dancing, (terrible) trivia, animals, (literally) snacks and cheeses, fairly good HP-themed beverages, fun photo opportunities, and a Horcrux hunt (we found them all, sorry, Big V).  If they do this again next year I think we might feel like going again.

Though this time we'll bring our wands (which I remembered until it was time to go).  WHY OH WHY did I forget our wands?  I'm a bit ashamed about it.

See??  A castle!!!  It was made for this kind of event.  And also apparently wedding receptions and probably proms and such.  But especially this.

The week before Christmas we had our 3rd Annual Primary Christmas Concert, which is always a good time.

This is one of my favorite new traditions.

And then our Temple Square appearance concluded all my Christmas choiring (except if you count the ward choir program on the day, which I do).  I carpooled with Mom and Dad.

They are so nice and good to support all my musical endeavors for all these years, including schlepping all the way up to SLC and sticking around past their bedtime (especially since they were my ride).

We had tree struggles this year since our usual outlet of Costco sold out much earlier than expected, but our Lowe's backup was all right, though it never quite stood up straight.  But we bought some new all-silver decorations (and will need new lights next year, bah, don't ask) and called the result Fleur Delacour.

Redecorated just in time for the big day, and ambiance enjoyed by Sir Waffles.

Then we had Christmas Day!  Of course it started out bright and early with our church meeting with the adjusted holiday schedule.  I must confess that I was preeeeetty miffed when I heard about it (it's hard enough to get toddlers ready and out the door by 9 on a regular day, let alone an hour earlier on Christmas morning!) but it worked out fine, mostly because:

This is what happens when your stake decides your ward's meeting at 8 am. *facepalm*  Get dressed super quick and scurry scurry scurry down the stairs!

And then we had our program and I sang O Holy Night and Santa Claus apparently came while we were gone and took down those sheets and a lovely gifting was had by all.

See, he did come after all.

And how!  Super Kitty and Baby Dolly with all the trimmings!

Yayyyy for us.  I'm glad that for now Santa still remembers the parents in this house.

And it was such a nice day overall and we had the usual Eve and Day traditions and were so glad dearest youngest sister and fam are back in town so they can participate.

Who needs to take a family picture??  But really, it would have been nice to take one, but this will have to do.

But really church is a great place to be on Christmas Day, early AM and all.  We took time to watch the Nativity video (thank you, YouTube) and Mickey's Christmas Carol and have been making efforts to really instill in these little ones the importance of that Night and that Star and that Baby and they are really starting to get it, which is so touching.  How grateful we all must be.

And then here's the P.S. you've all been waiting for.  The New Year's Baby continues to grace us with a nighttime visit.

Don't laugh about the sock bouquet or the wedged-in Malt-O Meal, we were both really excited about them.

And then it's always hard to head back to work after a nice long break, but it was nice to be driving again under this banner:

Thanks to all the conspirators who aided Santa in delivering this hidden in my whale-shaped butter dish (don't laugh about that either, I'm so glad to have one with a handle, you have no idea).

And that's it for now!  It felt busier than last year but still really pleasant and nice and memorable.  A lot of people keep hating on 2016 and it's true there were some really awful things for a long time but overall I thought it was a good year and ended in a much better place than I ever thought possible all things considered, so I'm looking forward to 2017 with cautious enthusiasm.  I'm trying to limit negative things in my life (and hopefully be less of a negative thing in others' lives) and focus on what's really important.  There's so much to be thankful for and to look forward to, so that's what I'm trying to do.

Thanksgiving 2010

Has it really been two weeks since Thanksgiving?...  Wow.

Well, we had Thanksgiving!  It was a delight from start to finish.  Of course I was still kind of glowing from the Tangled experience, but there were good times to be had, so off we went.

We started with Amber's annual Cedar Hollow Turkey Trot in Lehi.  Julie wasn't feeling well, so she wasn't able to attend (though she was much missed by all), but Mom, Dad, Cami, Melody, Jonny and I all had a good time running the 4-mile race in temperature that measured in the mid-teens (yeah, it was cold).  I came in second overall at about 30:17, just a few minutes after Jonny, and everyone made good time.  It might have been the option of either hurrying really fast or dying from cold.  The hot chocolate and cider at the finish line was certainly much appreciated.

I went home to retrieve my now feeling-much-better wife, and we made a few dishes and headed to Mom's house.  It was a delicious feast including all the things we hoped to see, a it was great to be with such a lot of family (though Emily, Elise and Matt and their respective families were missed).  Julie's doubled-recipe green bean casserole was a big hit (which you can observe below), as was her now-famous Pumpkin Whoopee.

We relaxed for the rest of the day and tried to get some rest so we could be ready for Black Friday the next day (never has been one of my traditions, but Julie thinks it's fun).  In short:

• Target with its insane line-up outside the store and wanna-be security "cops" with a power complex manhandling people = FAIL.

• Target with its no Lego Harry Potter for the Wii = FAIL.

• Target with an open express lane so we could buy our two DVDs without having to wait three hours in line = win.

• Walmart with its "on-sale starting at 5 am, but really we're giving out tickets at around midnight, so don't bother trying to come later than that to get that really good deal" = FAIL.

• Walmart with its "ON SALE camera price, but really it's the regular sale price" = semi-fail.

• Sam's Club, with its low crowds and regular sale price of a beautiful new LCD TV, which we much needed, and which I love = WIN.

It was so nice to spend another Thanksgiving here at home, but according to schedule, we should be in Missouri next year, and I look forward to enjoying the holiday the Christensen way for my first time.

I am thankful for so many things, but what I am most thankful for is my beautiful and patient wife and the Gospel that allows me the very real opportunity I have to be with her forevermore.  Smooches.

Hale Freezes Over

Last weekend was the Hale Freezes Over race, sponsored by the Hale Center Theater in Orem, Utah.  It was freezing cold, but a great way to start off a new year of running.

Our usually large family group of runners was reduced to just me this time (Julie was on hand as an event photographer and supporter, as she wasn't feeling quite up to it due to recent climate issues in our apartment), and I opted for the 5K run, as opposed to the offered 5K walk or 10K run.  The course was moderate, except for that insane uphill slope for the last half mile, and the crowd was pretty good too.  I didn't quite reach my time goal for this first race (I think running in the frigid out-of-doors really does make a difference), but I was still really satisfied.  Coming in at about 22:30 I placed 3rd in my age group (perfect time for them to just give medals to the 1st placers, right?), and 9th overall.  They did have a lot of great prizes in the drawing, none of which we won, but the prizes just for running were pretty awesome too.  They included a nice, long-sleeved race shirt, assorted gift certificates, a snazzy "Participant" ribbon, and two tickets for the upcoming production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, not to mention the nice snacks they had, which included pizza!  Now that's what I call incentive.  They even included a discount on their upcoming fall (optional costumed) 5K, Highway to Hale.

I just love 5Ks that have clever swears in their title.

!!!!!

Snow falls from the 'bove.


Welcome, winter. I've missed you.

Surprise on the Drive Home

I was on my way out to the car heading from Mom and Dad's house back to Provo, when I felt something on my face... Looking up in the glow of the streetlight, I saw it. Yes, the season's first snowfall. It wasn't much, but it was something! I have it from the elders at the MTC that it was also snowing this morning! I cried tears of joy for a moment and then smiled all the way home.

That is all.

UPDATE: Two days in a row!!! It is taking everything in me not to put on some Christmas music right now...