Wednesday, December 24, 2008

.....oh Katelyn

.  This morning i happened to stumble across our family's OLD letters and they really made me laugh. I would like to share with you what my mother wrote about child Kate.  It is pretty funny...some things never change.  ENJOY
1992: Katelyn is now four years old and happy to be attending preschool.  She definitely lives in her own little world and has quite the imagination. We're never quite sure who she is, but lately Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) is a pretty safe bet.  Thank Heavens Ariel is old news as we were getting a bit sick of that little mermaid.  I don't know why i even bother getting her dressed in the morning as she is in and out of "Dress-Ups" all day.
1993: Katelyn has pretty much split her time (and personality) this year between Snow White, Dorothy, and Jasmine.  Not exactly a good year for blondes, but she has improvised.  Now she not only changes her clothes several times a day but she has poor Jace in and out of Tutus and such also.  I'm afraid she has already warped his sense of reality.  She has become quite the swimmer and spent most of her summer underwater and Pa and Grandma Jean's house.  She is "Pint Sized" for a five year old but that doesn't seem to slow her down one bit. 
1994: Katelyn turned six this year and finally gets to go to Kindergarten, which she loves.  She is the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers biggest fan and spends her time karate chopping around the house as Kimberly, the Pink Ranger.  She is very creative and loves to pretend.  She also likes soccer, dancing, and best of all Barbie.  We've decided that Barbie should have a room of her own in our new house.  This due to the fact that she has more furniture, clothes, and friends, than any of the rest of us.  I was just sure we had every Barbie ever created, but oh no, in this year alone she became a doctor, a gymnast, and the president of the United States.  Next year i'm going to market a reality Barbie.  She'll dress frumpy, have saddle bags and not even Kate will want her.  
1995: Katelyn turned seven and is in the first grade. I didnt think i would loose control over her at such an early age.  She is now beginning to alter the perfectly matched, color-coordinated outfits that i lay out for her each day.  YIKES! She gawks at hair bows and doesn't understand why i need to comb her hair when she can do it herself.  I'm not really doing well with all of this.  I've tried everything short of throwing myself in front of her as she leaves for school, begging her not to go out that way. She has a style all her own. I guess it's good that the "I just woke up and threw this on" look is in right now.  She was Pocahontas for Halloween, along with about 55 million other girls.  She loves her doll Samantha and having friends over.  She plays soccer, started piano, and is looking forward to little league baseball this spring. Michael's goal is to teach her what a baseball is sometime before the season starts. She is doing well in school and we are all very proud of her.  
1997: Katelyn, our third grader, turned nine in september.  She's sweet, kind, and loving....AFTER out morning clash of wills over hair and clothing choices.  It's a small price to pay for her usually pleasant nature.  Perhaps the same persistence that exhaust me not will someday exalt her.  This past February she spoke at stake Conference in from on hundreds of people and wasn't even a bit nervous.  She loves dancing, swimming, piano, and the American Girls. She is an avid reader and is always engrossed in a good book
1999: Katelyn turned 11 and is in the fifth grade. She started playing the clarinet this year, but seems more fascinated with taking it apart and putting it back together than with actually playing music on it.  She too, takes piano lessons and especially loves dance.  We've decided she must be preparing herself for an excellent career as a lawyer. This due to the fact that she can reason or argue her way out of anything and often does so on a daily basis.  I don't think i can adequately express to you how much fun this is! She's an outdoor kind of gal, who prefers bare feet, bike riding, and jumping on the trampoline.  Katelyn loves to read and is often loosing herself in a good book....and in the mall.....and at DisneyWorld.....and in the Water Park.....and in our house.  She is harder to find than Waldo and we're constantly asking "Where's Kate?" We rarely find her in trouble because we are rarely ever find her.  But despite the occasional frusteration,we appreciate her good nature and ability to entertain herself.  She is a good student, friend, and baby sitter.  
2001: Katelyn is 13 and in the 7th grade.  Absolutely, without a doubt she is my mother's revenge on me.  I look forward to our daily confrontations, as they challenge my wit, my patience, and my intellect. At least we are communicating. She plays the clarinet, is a good student, and read more books this summer than i can count.  Recently we read Jane Eyre together and had a fun time expressing this bizzare and enchanting novel.  She was on a all-star softball team this summer and just finished up her first season of volleyball.  She gets tired of waiting for the phone to be free and spends much of her time chatting with her friends online. 
2005: Katelyn turned 16 in September and celebrated in style with a Friday night post-football game party that many of her friends and classmate attended.  After much stress and anxiety on my part she passed her drivers test and became on official licensed driver. She doesn't actually get the car away from Riley long enough to go very far, but she is being patient as she knows his days around here are numbered.  Come to think of it, she may even actually know that exact number of days. She is enjoying, or enduring, depending on the day, her Sophomore year and is a conscientious student.  She is on the dance team, played soccer this fall, and plans on doing softball in the spring.  She attended EFY with three of her cousins and looks forward to every visit to Utah visit with her aunts, cousins, and grandparents there. 
Katelyn spent much of this past year riding washington state on a float as Royal City's Jr. Miss.  Her arms and cheecks got a workout from waving and smiling so much.  Hopefully, she enjoys these few brief minutes of fame, because Jace and Lindsey refuse to acknowledge her princess status as home, so her everyday life continues to be uneventful.  She kept busy this year preparing for the state Jr. Miss Program; being a mayor of  a city at American Legion's Girls State; cheerleading; and studying for college entrance exams.  After weeks of disappointing trips to the mailbox, she received an early christmas present...her acceptance letter from B YU Provo.....PHEW!!! Now we can all rest a little easier.  Altough she may not believe it, we'll miss more than just her shoes and jewelry all over the house when she leaves. She is a kind, compassionate, and caring daughter, sister, and friend.  
HAHAHAHA! I hope you all enjoyed.  


Saturday, December 20, 2008

JoY tO tHe WoRlD!

MERY CHRISTMAS - here is our annual christmas card, brought to you by my brilliant mother.  I added some sweet family pics for your enjoyment.  We have FAMILY pictures round one million today. If we finally get one that everyone - or at least one that I look especially good in i will post it.  LOVE YOU

Happy Holidays From the Christensen's                                                                      2008

2008, where did this year go?   It went by so quickly it almost feels like we got robbed, Oh wait, maybe that’s because…. we did, in April.  Coming home from a family vacation to find what’s left of your belongings strewn carelessly about is definitely memorable, though not necessarily noteworthy.  Thankfully, that’s not the only interesting thing to have happened to us this year.  It can only get better from here.

As usual, we put so many miles on our car this year, it almost feels like we went to Africa and back, Oh wait, maybe that’s because…. we did.   It was an amazing once in a lifetime adventure and we didn’t even get Malaria or West Nile Virus or anything else, that we know of.  Although the Red Cross still won’t take our blood.  Are we missing something here?


We’ve been so busy, it almost feels like we had another kid, oh wait, maybe that’s because…. we did (sort of).  Riley got home from his mission in February.  We were thrilled to have him home for two months then almost as thrilled to have him leave again in April; funny how that works.  It was mutual of course.  He was ready for a lot more fun and excitement, and a lot less physical labor than we had to offer.  Unlike the past two years, our interaction with him now is much more than a weekly email and we love being a part of his many adventures, although we’re not nearly as informed of his whereabouts, daily habits and dress and grooming standards.  He’s found a new love, in gymnastics, learning it, and teaching it to easily distracted, busy, if not hyper, younger versions of himself.  I think I may be enjoying this experience as much as he is.  



We had a lot of fun this summer, but it almost felt like something was missing, oh wait, maybe that’s because…. someone was, Katelyn.  She spent several months in Israel, studying at the BYU Jerusalem center.  We had some anxiety about her going, especially after the initial orientation I attended with her where the reality of the situations in the Middle East were made pointedly clear, but that was quickly replaced with gratitude as her many amazing opportunities and experiences unfolded there.  The birth of our Savior, celebrated at this time, has even more meaning to her this year having just visited Nazareth, Bethlehem and Galilee.  She is now safely back in Provo and I use that term loosely as I know what driving and everything else is like in that town with 30,000 crazed college students.


It seems like we spent a lot of time in the bleachers of our high school football stadium, oh wait, maybe that’s because…. we did.  Jace just finished a very exciting and successful football season and career.   His team made it all the way to the semi finals before losing their first and only game of the year.  He was selected “Defensive player of the Year” for his league.  I admit, I cried a little, and gagged a lot, washing that big ole’ sweaty, smelly #76 jersey for the last time. L We retired it to a place of honor, (the back of his closet), in a special private family ceremony.  It looks like he’ll be attending college in Utah as he has only applied to schools there, some Red and some Blue, some false and some true.  We, of course, will support him attending the college of our, or oops, we mean his choice.  



You know, it seems like we’ve had double the high school activity and drama this year, oh wait, maybe that’s because…. we have.  Lindsey is now a lowly little freshman.  She is glad for the friendship of her older, cooler, upperclassman cousin, McKenzie, as she rarely gets that senior older brother of hers to acknowledge her existence there.  She does although, recognize her dependence on them both for that all too important link to high school socialization and freedom…transportation.  She continues with her many athletic endeavors, volleyball, basketball, softball, and had fun perfecting her wakeboarding and surfing skills this summer at Lake Powell with my family.  She’s a typical teenage techno-junkie, constantly texting, chatting or downloading.





It seems Michael spends more andmore time scheming, planning, if not actually catching, the things he likes to eat, oh wait, maybe that’s because…. he does; crab, shrimp and salmon, just to name a few. 

It seems like this letter is long enough already, oh wait, maybe that’s because…. it is.  Sorry! At this holiday season we’re especially grateful for each other and all of you.  We hope it feels like Christmas at your house, because…IT IS!!!!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Christmastime is here....

HEY EVERYONE! Sorry it has been a while since I have blogged.  I've been SUPER DUPER busy ever since Thanksgiving and things have been a little bits nuts.  Nothing I can't handle, it is to be expected at the end of a semester that life is CRAZY, especially Fall semester because the Holidays are here. I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO EXCITED FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!! AAAHHH!!! Only one more week - The dreaded finals week...DUN DUN DUN DUN.  I already took my first final and it was not bad at all, granted it was Sign Language but one down is one down, am i right? Anyways what is new in my life that is worth sharing? Not much.  School is pretty much an extreme dominate force right now.  I am SO ready for a fresh new batch of classes it is driving me INSANE! We still do have time to have a little fun. 
 This past weekend i went with Stefanya to her Art Show
 Final.  It was pretty sweet.  It was suppose to be a representation of how much chicken is consumed in the city of Provo daily so each student got to draw all these little chicks anyway they wanted.  Stephanie's were by the best OF COURSE! After the Art Show we were walking around Down Town Provo.  Did you know that Provo has TWO tattoo Parlors, a reception hall, and a hearing aid specialty building?I did not.  One would think that after 18 months of living in this fascinating town i would know all about this stuff, not that i am planning on getting married here OR getting a tattoo - i may need a hearing aid in the near future but that is besides the point.  If you have not been out on a walk around the town you live in you as of late you should do it.  We saw so many interesting things, including people singing and dancing and chanting to tribal music and performing some kind of  ritual ceremony.  It was great.
 We walked past this church that was having a nativity display gallery so we went in, mostly for the free doughnuts and hot cider but they had some pretty cool displays if i do say so myself.  I wished i had my special Olivewood Nativity all the way from Bethlehem to put up.  It is totally blue ribbon material.  Speaking of which, mother I hope you are enjoy my nativity and showing it to everyone that walks in our home.  One of us should be....
Stephanie and I had a great time. We went shopping at TJ Max and ShopKo.  I am always amused at how Steph and i can entertain ourselves.  We also saw THE DARK KNIGHT!!!!  BAM!!! THATS RIGHT!!! BATMAN IS SO ATTRACTIVE!!!! He has no need for radioactive spider or KriptoNite because he is just seeping with awesomeness all my his lone self.  
Saturday i went up to SLC for my the annual Butler 20th Ward Ladies Christmas Luncheon.  I had a lovely time with my aunts as usual - and Grandmary too of course! I am going to the Harmer Family Christmas Party this sunday to exchange gifts and eat good food.  You can all look forward to me blogging about that in the near future.  Yesterday i went to the MOTAB Christmas Concert, which was amazing! I have such magical powers.  Stephanie was helping me study for my Composer exam for Humanities the day before and the choir had already sung several songs that I had to learn for my test.  We thought we were so smart and cultured because we knew who the classical pieces were by.  I turned to her and said "Steph, I wish they would sing Handel's Messiah just for us..." as the words left my mouth, and i am talking at that EXACT moment the lights went up and music got loud and the choir went straight into the "HAL-LE-LU-JAH!" I have never seen our eyes get so big in my life. 
 I have a date to temple square on Saturday to see the lights.  Tonight i am having a Sleepover Christmas Party at Marci and Sarah's, the fun just never ends folks.  I will try my best to get some studying done but i cant make any promises.  Life is just so much more interesting :D Especially when you have Alison to put on your Israeli Belly Dancing Costume and jingle around our apartment.
P.S. Can i say how much i am loving Provo right now with this AWESOME sunshine and blue skies...cold enough to bundle up in cute winter clothes but not too awful to climb the blasted stairs to campus all the day long.  LOVE IT! 

Thursday, November 27, 2008

THANK GOODNESS!!!!!




Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I am here in the good ol' Royal City : D I LOVE IT! Being home is simply the best.  Thats all.  I wish I could pick up sweet little Royal and put it by BYU.  I am sure there is room somewhere close by campus for this cute little town.  I love my house, I love my family, I love my HS friends, I love the farm....EVERYTHING ABOUT COMING HOME IS AWESOME!!!! Today was simply marvelous.  I slept in a little bit and then laid on my parents bed with Emmie and Lindsey and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  We went to my Grandma Jean's house for the big meal.  She is such an amazing cook.  My uncle Ryan and Aunt Sabrina and their five kids; Amber, Alyssa, McKenzie, Carter, and Lucy and my aunt Kelly and her three kids; Pam, Jaymie, and Marc were there.  Two of my mom's sisters from Utah (Heidi and Holly) and their combined nine kids; Jake, Ty, Emmie, Liam, Tanner, Mitchell, Davis, Jack, and Cade, (and my two cool uncles Dan and Travis of course) are staying at my house.  Despite being kicked out of my own bed and having to crash on the floor of my parents bedroom all week I adore having them here.  They came for Turkey Day and to watch Jace play in the big Semi-Final game this weekend.  ANYWAYS dinner was awesome.  The day was awesome.  We played games.  I won some SWEET prizes including a few cute christmas decorations for my apartment, some lip gloss, and some Royal Knight Gold nail polish for gameday! My family is the best.  We ended the day by going to Four Christmases.  I am such a fan of Reese as she is such a classy lady but I have to say this was not my favorite movie of hers.  It is entertaining enough and i had a good time.  TOMORROW MELISSA ANN SPRAGUE IS COMING! She is my little Downs friend whom i absolutely adore.  I am SO excited to tell you all about our "princess adventures."  In closing can i just say that i am the luckiest girl EVER? Seriously.  I have the most fantastic family.  Everyone says this, but they are wrong.  My family tops all.  I have the most darling, supportive and wonderful friends ever, I live in this amazing country, I have a gorgeous home, I have a community full of people who love me, I have the Gospel, I am healthy, the list goes on and on! Thank goodness for everything good in life.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Why Sunday Rocks - By Katelyn Christensen



Hey there Bloggers - K here. I just thought I would take a minute and let you all know how much I love Sundays. I hope Jaimie doesn't mind me stealing her idea to blog about Sabbath days in our home but they are just so classic I can't help myself. We don't have church meetings until 1:00 here in Virgina 1 at Liberty Square. Most people would think this church time would be annoying and a bit of a pain (not that I would ever name any specific names)...NOT ME! I love it. Here is our daily routine on Sundays. We sleep in until 9...:30 OK - sometimes 10:00 AM. We have to catch up on our crazy collage kids schedule somehow. Don't judge us. Then we pretty much get to relax. Sometimes we watch a movie, Sabbath Appropriate OF COURSE! - Like Singin' in the Rain or The Parent Trap. Sometimes we make breakfast like Pancakes or French Toast, unless we wake up and remember it is Fast Sunday : D and then we pretty much cook up everything we have in our fridge AFTER church. We are big cookies fans. We get ready for church, while Jammin' out to my iPod. Why Katelyn's iPod you may ask yourself? BECAUSE MY iPOD IS THE BEST! I have excellent taste in music just like everything else in this life. Seriously, none of this hard core head-ache yelling Heavy Metal stuff or Angry Rap that is pretending to be music. I have the good stuff. You will find the Classics, everything from NSYNC to Britney Spears and the Dixy Chicks, Carrie Underwood, you will find soundtracks to all of the very best Chick Flicks of all time, you will find musicals and of course all of the best new stuff - David Archuleta's Crush, Taylor Swift's Love Story, and Maroon 5 and Rhianna are some of our current favorites...as well as A Way Back Into Love from Music and Lyrics. We usually end our Dance Party with Lucky by Britney Spears. Then we go to church. I enjoy church, especially when Jaimie lets me teach her Sign Language or when we play Jeopardy during Sunday School. THAT gets pretty intense. After church I usually go to SLC to see my whole family - minus my ACTUAL family of course (except for Ry, he is usually there) Grandma has dinner and we have Family Night. It is one of the best times of the week, but it gets pretty crazy. Yesterday Stephanie even came! While i am on the subject can i just say how proud I am of Stephanie White and how awesome her dance concert was this weekend? WAY TO GO STEFANYA! Anyways she survived the Harmers...I think : D She was probably pretty shocked at how loud and crazy our lovely family is, "Loud" and "Crazy" being a positive choice of words on my part. At least now she knows where I got to be so Sassy. It's from my aunts...AND MOM OF COURSE! Yesterday we had a wonderful home cooked meal, an FHE lesson on being thankful, watched Ty's Football Highlight Video (AWESOME job Heidi and Honey Bunny Dan), and had very yummy Brownies. Sundays are my pretty sweet. Good food, Good friends, Good fun, Good music, Good family AND the spirit of the Lord. It doesn't get much better. I love my Roommates.

Friday, November 14, 2008

GGGGOOOO KNIGHTS!

I just want to send a Shout-Out to my much younger and much more talented baby brother, who is playing in the Washington State Gridiron Quarter Finals TOMORROW.  KNOCK 'UM DEAD 76!!! I wish I were there to Cheer You On - literally, i would wear my Cheerleading uniform.  Make it to Turkey Day so I can see you play PLEASE!  I will be listening on my computer with much anticipation. I just have one thing left to say folks...."Carry our emblem to victory as we fight the worthy foe AND WE'LL WIN THIS GAME TONIGHT!!!!! GGGOOO KNIGHTS!" 
P.S. Jace - COUGARS! Seriously.  Thats all.  Think about it...

P.P.S You think you're bad, We know we're bad, You think you're bad - OH CHILD PLEASE!
That cheer was just for you mom.  I know that it is your favorite ; D

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Food 4 Thought...


If i were Miss Skinny Toothpick of the World or a beautiful Princess/Heiress Celebrity this is totally what i would look like - except maybe with a smaller nose LoL. Some days i think we all wake up and  feel we would give or do anything to look like someone like Nicole Richie or have the infinite amount of money she has.  The truth is - NO WE WOULDN'T, or at least most of us wouldn't.  I am happy to be me! I have a great life with amazing friends and family and I go to the best school on the planet.  I am healthy and happy and life is good.  Nicole Richie and all the celebrities in the world have nothing on Kate the Great Christensen, even with the lumps ; D I was born in 21st century America and i have the Gospel in my life.  I don't need Mr. Lionel "All Night Long" Richie for a dad to make me happy.  I close with the sweet words of the very wise sister Majorie Pay Hinckley... 
"I don't want to drive up to the Pearly Gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully , tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.  
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. 
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. 
I want to be there with sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really here."
Think of that next time you watch the Oscars or feel your life is mediocre People!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

America's Next Top Model TOP THREE





























Ok Folks - Here they are.  The Fierce TOP THREE from this Cycle of America's Next Top Model.  Take a look at the pics and let us know who you think should be the winner.