In the Loop

SALMON CAKES

2012-01-17T09:07:00.000-08:00

I made salmon cakes the other night for dinner. They taste amazing and they are a really fun food to make as a family. Evelyn helped me crush the saltine crackers, Bryce got to practice his skillet frying skills, and I got to get my hands on gooped up to make the patties (which I really don't like doing) Everyone wins!

It was all worth it though in the end. Now I just need to work on taking better pictures of the finished product. Baby steps :)

WHO NEEDS A BAGGAGE CART...

2012-01-04T06:29:00.000-08:00

...when you can have this little cutie carry your bags for you.

I mean seriously! Is there really any competition!

Just something to think about the next time you're at the airport.

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

2011-11-24T07:35:00.001-08:00

The world makes it so difficult these days to really make the most of Thanksgiving. To me, the world needs Thanksgiving to redeem themselves for their crazy greediness during Christmas.

This year I really wanted to make Thanksgiving count and one of my friends gave me the idea of a gratitude journal. PERFECT!

I then was browsing through the LDS website and came across THIS article where it gave a gratitude challenge.

Write a list of 100 things you are grateful for. I know what you're thinking. What! That's going to take a pretty long time. To make it even easier though they give you the suggestion of breaking up those blessings into categories. GENIUS!

So I started writing...

and soon I had more then 100 things I was grateful for.

This was so much fun that I want to continue writing in my gratitude journal everyday until I have no more pages to write on.

It's going to be pretty darn neat to look back on the finished journal and really see all of the many blessings in my life.

GREEN

2011-10-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but I grew up believing that green drinks were gross. My mom would juice every kind of fruit and vegetable you could think of. I never had any problem with fresh fruit juices but I was not a big fan of veggie juices. When it comes to food, this BOOK and this SMOOTHIE has forever changed my opinion of the color green.

Every morning Evelyn and I begin our day with this delicious glowing green smoothie. I know it sounds gross but don't judge it until you try it.

I'm a believer!!

IF YOU'RE WONDERING IF YOU CAN WRITE ON A MIRROR WITH A WHITEBOARD MAKER...

2011-10-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

...YOU CAN!

I know because I walked into my bathroom this morning to find this. Isn't my man sweet! After I took a picture I stood and stared at it for a minute while thinking about how much I love my husband. Once my heart stopped fluttering I took a paper towel and wiped it right off of the mirror.

True story :)

TUMMY-TIME FLASHBACK

2011-09-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Evelyn does something that reminds me of when she was a little baby (not that she's gotten much bigger but you know what I mean) Today I had one of those moments.
I walked around my kitchen counter and saw this.
It was tummy-time all over again except from what I remember tummy-time was never like this.

That's more like it!
Tummy-time was 15-20 minutes of continuous screaming and crying. (Although looking back at this picture maybe it wasn't tummy-time, maybe it was those bright bibs we always had her wear...hmmmm.)

I'm just glad to see that the 15-20 minutes of torture paid off.

SINGIN IN THE RAIN!

2011-08-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

What a glorious feeling...

I'm happy again!
All she needs is a pair of tap shoes and an umbrella and she would be set.

Love this one!

Yummy rain!

She was soaked by the time we went inside.

BLOOMIN ONION!

2011-07-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry but whenever I hear someone say that it reminds me of an Irish or Scottish man cussing. Wow that was random!

Bryce's mom got us a fryer for our anniversary and we used it for the first time to make a bloomin onion (haha...makes me smile every time)

Our missionaries came over right as we were finishing up (coincidence...I think not!!) and enjoyed it with us.
Here are the step by step photos of our experience:

Could this get anymore exciting!! Just wait it gets better.

Look at that handsome man! He just makes that bloomin onion (hehe) look so much tastier doesn't he!

BAM!!! (That one was for you "That's so Raven" fans) There it is! I know, it's pretty amazing.

It was gone in a matter of minutes. The missionaries got a snack and Bryce got to show off his mad frying skills. What a night!

WHAT A HAM!

2011-06-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

Evelyn has been such a goof lately!

Here are her most recent stats:
-13 months
-Weight 16.1 lbs
-Height 27 in
-Still no teeth but we're expecting her first to come in any day now.
-She is a little walking machine.
-She can say da da, daddy, DADDY!, and any other form of that you can think of as well as ma ma, nana(banana), uh oh, an(amen), nigh nigh(night night).
-If we give her a brush and say pretty girl she will brush her hair. If she doesn't have a brush in her hand then she will just softly touch her face.
-She loves bath time but gets loves them even more when we put in bubbles.

Our bath beauty :)

She loves playing with her daddy. This is her newest favorite game to play with us.

Yes, I feel very blessed to be the mother of this little cutie pie!

THE GOING-ONS OF MAY

2011-05-23T07:58:00.000-07:00

Most of the good in my life happens in May.

This year we got to celebrate our little Evelyn's 1st birthday!

That poor cupcake didn't stand a chance.

At the time she thought the wrapping paper was more exciting then the actual gift.

This was the gift that was wrapped in the paper. It's a walker and car all in one. We bought it for her to help her learn how to walk and IT WORKED! Evelyn is now a walking and sometimes falling machine.

Bryce and I also got to celebrate our 3rd anniversary. This was the first time since I got pregnant with Evelyn that we were able to ride his motorcycle together.

I bought personalized bride and groom aprons for us to wear while we made our anniversary dinner.

We figured we'd have fun with the timer on our camera while we were waiting for our food to cook.

You can't go wrong with seafood on your anniversary. We had crab, corn on the cob and bottled root beer for dinner and key lime pie for desert. We watched the movie Clue while we ate. That was one of the first movies we watched together when we started dating. It was the perfect night.

A TRUE ARTIST

2011-05-05T10:53:00.000-07:00

Who knew I had such an artistic daughter.

Her first masterpiece! If anyone is interested in an original Evelyn Christensen watercolor painting let me know. I'll see what I can do for you.

Baton Rouge

2011-05-02T07:08:00.000-07:00

We finally did it!
Bryce and I finally went to the temple. Going to the temple when you live in Pensacola takes a little more planning than it did when we were living in Salt Lake. The closest temple is 4 1/2 hours away. When you add an 11 month old baby to the equation it gets ever more complicated, but we did it. We drove to Baton Rouge Thursday morning and checked into our hotel that afternoon. Bryce went to the Thursday night session while I stayed at the hotel with Evelyn and then I went to the Friday morning session while Bryce stayed with Evelyn. It was so worth it!
I can't remember a time when I was that excited about going to the temple. It's funny how you never appreciate things until you don't have them anymore. In Utah we lived 10-15 minutes away from a temple and I know we didn't take advantage of that. Of course now I wish I had.

Before Bryce went to the Temple we took a family swim in the hotel pool. Evelyn was nervous at first but by the end she was splashing and laughing like crazy.

She even made a new friend at the hotel.

After I came back from the temple on Friday we hit Joe's Crab Shack.

Our server made each of us customized bibs.

They even had gumbo! It was different then I thought it would be but it was good.

The Baton Rouge temple is very small but what it lacks in size it makes up for in beauty.

The Louisiana state mall was just down the street from our hotel. It was HUGE! They had a little play area for little kids. Evelyn LOVED it!

They even had a carousel in the food court. Evelyn didn't know what to think of it.

We left Saturday morning and now we are home again. Now we don't have to feel guilty anymore. Well, at least until next month.

Bad Hair Day

2011-04-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

I have quite a few of them. Bryce being the sweetheart that he is, takes pictures of these moments so that I will forever have them to look back on.

Evelyn has bad hair days too, but hers are different then mine. She looks cute!!

I think I need to take some lessons from her on how to make a bad hair day a good one.

Just the Two of Us

2011-04-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

Bryce and I finally went on a date! We hadn't had a date with just the two of us since before Evelyn was born. Our night out included 2 games of bowling and a trip to Walmart. I know it doesn't like much but it was so much fun.

Bowling shoes are so stylish!

We haven't taken very many couple pictures since Evelyn was born so we were due for a new one. I think it's a keeper.

I was trying to look more sexy then goofy but it didn't work very well.

I won the first game and Bryce won the second. It was the perfect night!

Bryce took the whole leaving Evelyn thing very well ;)

got milk?

2011-04-04T06:54:00.001-07:00

I have never liked milk. Even when I was a little girl I wouldn't drink it. I had to make an exception when I made these fudge chocolate and raspberry brownies. Milk is the only thing that you can drink when you're eating brownies like these. I still don't like milk, but I will make an exception for these babies.

Heck Yes!!!

2011-02-28T11:04:00.001-08:00

We finally made it to the beach this past week! Bryce and I were in absolute heaven but Evelyn didn't really like the loud waves. We still had a blast though :) You can't see it but Bryce and I had to wrestle with Evelyn a little for this picture. I think it turned out good! Look at those tiny feet!!! As long as mommy or daddy was holding her she was OK. Evelyn always looks so small when her daddy is holding her. I love it!!! We had her wear her hat and I couldn't help taking a few pictures of our little cutie :) I could take pictures of her all day! Next beach trip we will be bringing her new sand toys. Hopefully that will keep her a little more entertained.

Evelyn loves...

2011-02-18T12:27:00.001-08:00

...BATH TIME! She has graduated from her baby bather to the big girl tub and she is very happy about it. ...swings! She gets so excited when we push her high. ...slides! Only if mommy or daddy is holding her ;) ...books! OK, so she likes eating them more then she does reading them but it's a start :)

Another Reason to Say I Love You

2011-02-16T14:26:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is a special day for me. It's the day that Bryce asked me to marry him so we treat it kind of like an anniversary. This year was great! Evelyn was having a blast playing with the balloons. What a ham! As is expected, Bryce bought me flowers and chocolate, but these flowers were special. They are the same flowers that were on the corsage he gave me when we went to my Senior Ball together. I know right...he's so sweet! Dinner was amazing! Bryce bar-b-cued some steak and I made a sauce with shallots, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and dried herbs...yum! With that I made asparagus with a Dijon mustard sauce...again yum. It was absolutely delicious. To top it all off, Evelyn went to bed early so Bryce and I were able to have a dinner alone. Food tastes so much better when you get to eat it warm ;) Oh how I love my man!

It Just Doesn't Add Up

2011-01-25T08:19:00.000-08:00

I've always considered myself as a very simple person. I don't take hours on my hair and makeup (if any time at all really) and I would describe my clothing as sensible and simple. Growing up, my older sister was the attractive and smart one and my younger sister was the I don't care what anyone thinks of me one. Then there was me, the simple, quiet and average one. So how is it that I ended up with this stud muffin as my husband... ...and this absolutely beautiful, spunky, bundle of giggles as my daughter? Don't get me wrong, I love being the simple wife with the studly husband and beautiful daughter. It's just sometimes it doesn't add up :) (In high school math was always one of my strongest subjects too...oh well).

Simply Evelyn

2011-01-05T08:52:00.000-08:00

I have been terrible at posting monthly updates about Evelyn. Today she is exactly 7 months and 3 weeks old...I know it's crazy! Her most recent stats: Height - 25.2 inches (She has only grown 4 inches since she was born) Weight - 14.7 pounds (She has finally doubled her birth weight) To sum it up, Evelyn has a small body and a big head. She is 10% for height and 5% for weight, but she is healthy and strong and that is all that I care about. Evelyn... * has learned how to drink out of a sippy cup * started waving * can almost crawl (she just needs to learn how to move while she's on her hands and knees and she'll be golden ;) * still has no teeth and probably won't until she's closer to 1 year old (or so her doctor said) * can say da da da da da but refuses to say ma ma...oh well. At least daddy is happy ;) * still has not gotten sick (knock on wood) * can't eat solids because she has no teeth but she will eat a whole 4oz. can of any baby food we give her * has extremely ticklish ribs * still sleeps through the night * puts everything directly into her mouth (I've stocked up on Lysol) * loves taking baths and hates getting out * loves music (just like her mommy)! * favorite Christmas song is Silent Night * still loves mommy's milk more then baby food * just started wearing her 6 month clothing * has learned how to use her monkey toes to pick things up (a very proud moment for me indeed) * loves playing peek-a-boo * poses every time someone takes her picture (if anyone needs a baby model I have one) Everyday brings something new! Daddy and Mommy love their little Evelyn!

We're getting things wrapped up for our trip to Fremont

2010-12-15T13:36:00.000-08:00

Even Evelyn is getting into the Christmas spirit ;) I was making dinner and Evelyn was playing on the living room floor. I heard paper crinkling and when I went to see what she was up to I found this. Caught at the scene of the crime, looking incredibly cute but also incredibly guilty. As a punishment, mommy whipped out her camera and took a blackmail picture for her daddy to use when she starts dating.

November in a Nutshell

2010-12-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

I am just way too far behind on my blogging to make a separate post for everything that happened in November so I'm condensing it into one post. In the beginning of November Bryce had his solo flight. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is the first time that he flies completely alone. It was so exciting to see him in the sky. This was his instructor during his flying lessons. It's a tradition that after you have your solo flight you cut up the shirt that you wore and make a little banner for the wall. We started Evelyn on "solids." I really don't consider rice cereal a solid but whatever. She did really well. She is a born eater :) She loved it! Bryce had his 26th birthday! He loved his birthday hat! The cake turned out amazing if I do say so myself. German chocolate with coconut pecan frosting. I'm not a big cake person but I ate some for desert every night for the next week or so. Yeah, it was that good :) Evelyn even got to have a taste before she went to bed. It was a good day for everyone. For Thanksgiving we got together with a bunch of friends from Utah. Evelyn especially liked hanging out with her friend Elaina. Evelyn obviously loved the food. She couldn't even wait for daddy to take a picture. Oh well :)

Call An Exterminator!

2010-11-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

This bug is extremely tricky..... Don't let it's cute little face fool you. This little bug uses it's absolute cuteness to distract you and BAM...you never even see it coming. From blow out diapers to spewing spit up, this is one little bug that you have to watch out for. It's already too late for Bryce and I. This little bug has made a permanent nest in our home. There's still hope for everyone else though...beware of this BUG!!!

Movin is so Much Fun!

2010-10-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

We moved in over a month ago and we still aren't completely unpacked. It was bittersweet to see our little apartment being boxed up and taken away but we were so excited about moving on the the next chapter in our lives. My kitchen was pretty much useless after the movers came. It was very sad :( This is what our new living room looked like after the movers came and unloaded all of our things. There was obviously no room in our living room for our new couches so we had to put them in our dining area. One of the Big Lots out here was going out of business so everything in the store was marked down super cheap. The only problem was that they only had the sofa on sale so we bought it and went to another Big Lots and bought the love seat that went with the sofa for an on sale price. We ended up only spending $600 for the set. We really like them. They are the perfect addition to our new home. I love getting expensive things for cheap prices! This is what our living room looks like now except the TV is in the center of the wall instead of the corner. As you can see, Evelyn is enjoying her new home :) There are more pictures to come of the house but this will have to do for now.

Livin it Up in Washington

2010-10-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

Evelyn and I took a last minute trip to Washington to see my newest niece Marlie being blessed. I don't know about Evelyn but I had a blast and absolutely fell in love with Washington. (Sorry about the small pictures. My computer has not been uploading very well since we moved :) Madi was an awesome older cousin from the start. She always wanted to push Evelyn's stroller whenever she could. This was the first time that Evelyn had seen her new niece. Evelyn even got to spend a little one on one time with her Uncle David. All three cousins hanging out at the top of the Space Needle. On the tram :) It was cold outside but Evelyn was nice and roasty toasty in her University of Utah hoodie sweater. We had dinner at the Crab Pot. If you don't like seafood then you should not order the FEAST ;) Three generations! I love this picture! It looks like my mom and Evelyn know something I don't though. Why am I the only one looking straight?

We Made It!

2010-09-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

Ok so after a few set backs Evelyn and I made it to Pensacola (more details to come). Bryce and I have been living out of our suitcases for the past week or so. I am absolutely in love with our house! The movers came by and dropped off all of our things early this morning and now we have the fun task of unpacking...yay ;) That pretty much sums up everything so far. I'll be posting pictures and all of the exciting details sometime later this week.

I Just Can't Do It!

2010-09-15T21:05:00.000-07:00

(Picture Ace Ventura saying the title) :) Bryce and I have been extremely busy getting ready to move. Besides the normal house preparation we have been invited to many farewell dinners. Don't get me wrong, I've loved all of the extra friend time that we've gotten, but friend time equals pictures and pictures equal blog posts and I just haven't had the time to do those blog posts. I will be MIA for the next week or so but I promise that I will post again. When I do post next it will be from our new house in Florida. Crazy!!! Just try not to miss my awesome posts too much ;)

Another Full Weekend

2010-08-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

It's funny because before we announced we were moving we really didn't do much on the weekends but now that we are leaving every weekend is jam packed with activities. Bryce and I are loving it but sometimes we would just like to relax. Oh well! Friday we celebrated Kyle Passey's (a friend from the ward) birthday. We went out to dinner to an Irish Pub. It was pretty fun. The menu used real Irish food words like bangers (sausage) and mashers (mashed potatoes). My favorite was the lamb ribs appetizer which I was going to take a picture of but they were all gone within the first 5 minutes after they brought them out. Yummm!! We spent all day Saturday up at our Bishop's "cabin" with the rest of the ward. This place was huge and unlike any cabin I had ever seen before. The cabin was right next to Bear Lake (also known as the beach of Utah, but if you've ever been to a real beach then you would just call it a lake). The water was really pretty though. Evelyn wasn't as excited to be there as we were but she still had a good time. Bryce barely put her toes in the water and she started crying so Bryce and I waited until Evelyn was asleep before we went back in the water. I stayed back and tended to Evelyn while Bryce went water skiing for a few hours. He hadn't done that since he was in high school so he was pretty darn excited. It was nice to just relax and mingle with the other people in the ward. That was our last outing with the ward before we move. We will have fond memories of our trip to Bishop Sonnenberg's cabin.

Best Birthday Gift Ever!

2010-08-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

Bryce surprised me with a post on facebook saying that we have been approved for the house that we wanted when we move to Pensacola, FL. Here it is... Bedroom Living room Bedroom Dining area Main Bathroom Bedroom Master bathroom Kitchen (my favorite room ;) Backyard I LOVE IT!!!!!

Evelyn's first laugh!

2010-08-09T10:33:00.001-07:00

This is Evelyn's laugh. She puts so much energy into it so she can't really laugh for long but it's definitely more then she used to do when we tickled her.

Click here to view this video

Hello friend!

2010-08-09T10:30:00.001-07:00

Evelyn loves looking at herself in the mirror. I was finally able to get a video of it yesterday. Enjoy!

Click here to view this video

Evelyn at 2 Months

2010-07-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

Our little Evelyn is over 2 months old now. Here is what she's been up to :) She can't hold herself up yet but she loves to be propped up like this on the couch. Evelyn sleeps in the cutest but weirdest positions. She gets that from her mommy :P She has gotten too big to take a bath in our sink (we have a double sink so it's a little smaller then normal sinks are). She has now graduated to her baby bather which she absolutely loves. Plus it's nice not to have to hold her the whole time we are giving her a bath. She has never really been a big fan of tummy time but we have found that if we put a mirror in front of her she stays quite content. I guess tummy time with a friend is more exciting then doing it on her own. I can't believe how quickly she is growing!

Too Cool For Words

2010-07-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to the Gateway and hit the Gymboree store. Bryce picked these out for Evelyn. I think the picture speaks for itself :) SO CUTE!!!!

Catch Up

2010-07-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

Our little family has had a very busy summer so far. Being the mother of a baby that is almost 2 months old I only have time to highlight some of the things we have been doing these past 2 months. Click here to see more pictures of our exciting summer. Bryce graduated from the U and was commissioned (became an officer) in the navy last month. I am so proud of him and everything that he has accomplished so far. Evelyn went on her plane ride. Daddy had to stay home and work so it was a little tough for mommy to go all by herself but it turned out just fine. Evelyn was wonderful. I fed her as we were taking off and landing and she slept the rest of the flight. The reason for the flight was to visit my family in Cali. My little sis graduated from High School and my little brother ended his Junior High days. It was so much fun to be there to celebrate their accomplishments with the family. Plus they got to see Evelyn :) Bryce gave Evelyn a bath for the first time. I know that Evelyn will be embarrassed about the pictures when she gets older but it was too precious of a moment to pass up. Bryce was able to take some vacation days from work. Mixed with his 10 days of baby leave we were able to spend 2 whole weeks in Cali together. We spent the first week up at Bryce's family cabin in Washington, CA. We drove this time and Evelyn did surprisingly well. She got a little fussy near the end of the trip but it wasn't anything we couldn't handle. The whole family (Bollingers, Christensens and Fairbanks) swam a lot while we were there so Evelyn was able to get a good amount of time outside. She just looked so cute in her little sun hat :) Evelyn even put her feet in the water. It was way too cold for her to get all the way in but she didn't cry when her feet touched the water so that was a good start. Daddy modeled with our little one in the 4th of July outfit that Grandma and Grandpa Fairbanks got for her. Evelyn was the fifth generation to be at the cabin. Pretty neat! The second week of the trip was spent in Fremont with the Christensens and Fairbanks. We really can't spend enough time with our families. My little sis was being a goof at the Chinese restaurant that we went to the last night we were there. When we got home Evelyn went to church for the first time. It didn't surprise me that she did great which was a very good thing since it was first time I had been to church since she was born. It was nice to be able to see everyone again. We are moving to Pensacola, FL on September 18th so right now we are busy looking at houses online and getting our plans finalized for the move. I'm excited that Bryce will be able to get his career started but I will miss all our friends and family here on the west coast. East coast here we come!

Picture Perfect

2010-06-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

I have been blessed with an extremely talented sister. Not only is she beautiful but she is also an amazing photographer. She came to Utah a few weeks ago and did a photo shoot with our sweet Evelyn. Enjoy! I think the pictures speak for themselves. I will cherish these perfectly captured moments for the rest of my life. Thanks Chelsi!!!

We Are Pleased to Present

2010-05-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

the newest addition to our family...

Last Goodbyes

2010-05-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Bryce left for San Diego for 3 weeks. We tried EVERYTHING in the book to get Evelyn to come out before he had to leave but it is apparent that she has her our agenda. It's always hard to say goodbye to my wonderful husband but it's exciting to think that when he comes back I will be holding our sweet little new born baby in my arms. (Can you say waterworks) The last family picture with just the two of us. I know that our next meeting will be an emotional one so it's a good thing that I won't have to be the one in the driver seat when we pick Bryce up ;)

Don't Be Jealous

2010-05-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you all know by now how much I love my man... but it's moments like these when I simply can't resist him. I know what you're thinking ladies but you can't have him. HE'S ALL MINE!!!

FULL TERM BABY!!!

2010-04-29T10:05:00.001-07:00

Ok so I'm past full term but I figured I would celebrate it anyway :) Evelyn actually became full term last week. Oh well :) Last week at my doctor's appointment I was able to see our little one again. The baby is in the birthing position which so far has just increased the visits I make to the bathroom. She has also dropped so I am on my way to getting our little bundle of joy out of me. Yay! Bryce and I are just waiting now. We have all of the baby items and now all we need is the baby. We are praying that we can evict her before Bryce has to leave on his summer cruise.

Sharing The Wealth

2010-04-19T07:49:00.000-07:00

Today I received an email about a promotion that uddercovers.com is doing right now and so I thought I would pass it along to all of you expecting mothers. Just go to www.uddercovers.com and click on SHOP NOW. Once you have selected the cover you want you enter "Thanks" in the promo code box at the bottom of the page. It should take off $32 from the purchase price and all you pay is the shipping and handling. I already made my purchased and it worked just fine. Happy shopping ladies!

Just Because

2010-04-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

I had to share our Shopko find with everyone. I always thought that I would be the one to go shopping crazy when it came to the baby but boy was I wrong. Bryce is the one with that weakness. He saw this and instantly had to buy it. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was adorable but when it comes to our little girl he is the one who is puddy in her tiny hands :) This is Evelyn's space in our small room. It will be crowded but it works.

Baby Shower Weekend

2010-04-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

I have the most awesome friends ever! Two of the Navy wives threw me a baby shower. It was perfect! I got some really cute things for Evelyn and was able to get a lot of much needed advice. Oh and the food was delicious ;) I loved all of the clothing I got for Evelyn. SO CUTE!! The next night the Fremont gang threw me a second baby shower. I felt so special! So thank you to everyone who made my weekend so special :)

Recap

2010-03-20T11:40:00.001-07:00

So much has happened around here lately so bare with me as I try to quickly recap everything. I won't be offended if you don't feel like reading a long post right now but for those of you who do here it is :) I recently purchased these headbands off of eBay. Three dozen headbands to be exact. I wasn't going to get any but then I realized that Evelyn might not have much hair at first so I figured it's better to be safe then sorry. Now she is set no matter what. To go along with the headbands I've been making hair clips. I've had so much fun thinking about Evelyn wearing these. At my doctor's appointment last Friday Bryce surprised me with a trip to Cali while he was gone doing Navy stuff for a few days. It was so much fun! Besides the 70 degree weather I got to spend a good amount of time with my wonderful family. (For more pics click here) My sister and niece were there too. Madi turned 2 on Wednesday so we had a little birthday celebration for her while everyone was there. Isn't she a cutie!!! My sister is 14 weeks pregnant with her second baby so we had to take a tummy picture. She always looks so good :) I even got to visit for a little bit with my other mom. It was St. Patrick's Day so she was all decked out in green. I forgot about the whole green thing. Luckily she loves me so I didn't get pinched by her ;) My last night there I went miniature golfing with my parents. It's pretty much the only sporty activity I can do without pulling something. I hadn't been miniature golfing in so long and it was a beautiful day so it sounded like a good way to wrap up my trip. As you can see by the picture we had a lot of fun. After I got back home Bryce's mom sent us a rocking chair. I've wanted one for the baby but they can be so expensive so I had just forgot about it. Now we have one and I love it! I can't wait to use it with Evelyn. It will make rocking her so much easier :) Bryce put it together yesterday. He did such a good job! It's PERFECT! Now all we need is our little girl! Only 8 weeks to go!!!

Girls Night

2010-03-09T09:15:00.000-08:00

Saturday night was girls night. The Navy wives got together and enjoyed a fun and relaxing dinner at Tepanyaki. I love these girls! This is probably going to be the last meal together before all of the babies start coming. (Can you tell who the other two wives are who are pregnant?) Our chef was hilarious! He was making it difficult for me to eat my food. It was like a delicious meal and an ab workout at the same time. (The blazing onion was just one of the fun tricks he performed for us while he was cooking our food.) I was trying really hard to get a good picture of him but he was moving around too much. I should have just taken a short video...oh well:) What a night!

Better Late Then Never

2010-03-02T11:41:00.000-08:00

This month I've been a slacker on taking my monthly pregnancy pictures so to make up for it Bryce and I have been taking lots of random pictures these past few days of me and my growing belly. Enjoy! Taking these pictures has been a lot of fun. I probably should be making it a point to take more pictures so that our little one can see how much fun I am having being pregnant with her.

Baby Fever

2010-02-24T10:13:00.000-08:00

The stork will be here soon! I am having so much fun being pregnant! I still can't believe that we are going to have a baby. It's always been my goal in life to get married in the Temple and then have a family. The first part of that goal was achieved almost 2 years ago and now I am so close to achieving the second part. It's been a crazy 29 weeks and I still have a little while to go, but it's going to be well worth the prize at the end.

Reason # 5

2010-02-13T07:03:00.000-08:00

I love my man because he is a strong and worthy priesthood holder. Yesterday Bryce and I had the opportunity to go to the Temple and do sealings. Even though we've been there quite a few times it's always amazing to hear the promises that we each made on the day we were sealed to each other for time and all eternity. It's so comforting to know that I married a man who is worthy to go with me to the temple and together we can share in the wonderfully peaceful spirit that can be felt in the temple. I feel incredibly blessed to have Bryce in my life.

Reason # 4

2010-02-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

I love my man because he always does his best to put me first. In the Navy that is a hard thing to do sometimes but I never feel second place with him. He always makes me feel like the most important thing in his life. It's been especially evident during this pregnancy. When he comes home I know he just wants to relax and yet he still helps me with anything and everything I ask him to. He's so good to me and sometimes I think I take him for granted. I really hope he knows how much I appreciate him and everything he does for me. I'll be sure to remind him tonight when he gets home :)

Reason # 3

2010-02-10T13:43:00.000-08:00

I love my man because he is the only one that I can be my complete self with. It's difficult sometimes to let the real me out in front of new people. Sometimes I don't even let the real me show with people I've known for a while, but Bryce has always excepted me for who I am. He even loves the silly things I do that to some would seem strange or annoying. I can just be me :)

Reason # 2

2010-02-09T10:19:00.000-08:00

I love my man because he makes me laugh :D I love that I have someone who knows exactly what to do or say to brighten up my day. What a corn dog!

Reason # 1

2010-02-08T13:06:00.000-08:00

Ok so I figured since Valentine's Day is on Sunday I would use each day this week to brag about my man and tell everyone some of the many reasons why I love him so much. From day one (well day one after he came back from his mission) I thought he was an extremely good looking guy. Then, I saw him in his white summer choker. All I can say is who doesn't love a man in uniform! Of course looks aren't the most important thing but I personally believe that you need to be attracted to the man you marry and I am definitely attracted to my man :) So as shallow as it might seem. I love my man because he is a HUNK!

100

2010-02-03T10:39:00.000-08:00

I think this post is pretty ironic but it works. Today starts my 100 day countdown until our little Evelyn Elizabeth is born. The ironic part is that this is also my 100th blog post. Pretty funny how things work :) Yay for the number 100! (that kind of sounds like something you would hear on Sesame Street...oh well)

The Best Breakfast Ever!!!

2010-02-01T09:48:00.000-08:00

I haven't really had much of a sweet tooth during this pregnancy. I'll have the occasional piece of chocolate and bowl of ice cream but sweets haven't been on the top of my favorites list. I do however have more frequent cravings for Village Inn's LEMON SUPREME pie. Every Wednesday night there is free pie night, so after a delicious and filling meal we get to order one of their divine tasting pies. I never have enough room in my tummy for a whole slice so I eat a few puckering bites and then take to rest home with me to eat for breakfast the next morning. I don't know why but leftover lemon supreme pie tastes even better after being left in our refrigerator over night. To me it is the BEST BREAKFAST EVER! My mouth is watering just thinking about it! YUM YUM IN MY TUM TUM!

Flashback

2010-01-24T18:26:00.000-08:00

I was looking through my pictures today and thought it was fun to see how my pregnancy has progressed over the past six months. I figured it would a fun thing to share. I wasn't showing at all in month 2. Even in the tightest shirt I own you couldn't see much going on in month 3. Month 4 wasn't much different but that was when I could no longer fit in my skinny jeans. It wasn't until the middle of month 5 that I all of a sudden poked out. Yay...I finally had a baby bump! Month 6 is definitely going to be a growing month for me. I can no longer fit any of my bigger sized jeans. It's maternity pants all the way, but I am perfectly OK with that :) I know this will probably change in a few weeks but I LOVE being pregnant! I love feeling our little one moving around in my tummy. It's amazing how much personality she already has. As much as I love being pregnant Bryce loves it even more. He loves feeling the baby kick and he was even able to hear the heartbeat one night. He loves how I have to kind of roll out of bed and take my time getting off of the couch. You gotta love him! We both can't wait to meet our little girl in a few months. Until then, we will have plenty (everything) to do to prepare for her arrival.

A Toast To Love!

2010-01-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

There is a lot to celebrate for our family in the month of January. Not only do we get to toast in the new year but we also get to celebrate 2 anniversaries. One of them for my parents and the other for my wonderful big sis and brother-in-law. My parents celebrated their 25th Anniversary on Tuesday. My big sis and brother-in-law are celebrating their 4th Anniversary today. Yes there is definitely a lot to toast to in the month of January. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

A Condensed Christmas

2010-01-13T08:27:00.001-08:00

Lots of family, friends, the cutest niece ever (at least for now sis), really good food, an endless supply of laughter, an overwhelming amount of love, a lot of driving, NO SNOW and a ton of memory making would be the best way to sum up our vacation in California. Of course we took tons of pics but there is no way I can even post the highlights of our trip because there are so many. To see all of our pics click HERE. ENJOY!

Sorry!

2010-01-02T11:20:00.000-08:00

Ok I know this is a long time coming. Most people already know from facebook but I figured I'd post it here too. WE'RE HAVING A GIRL!! Don't worry I'll post the pics when I get home next week.

The BIG Question of the Day

2009-12-18T08:54:00.000-08:00

What are we having? I don't know but we're going to find out.

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-12T11:43:00.000-08:00

Thursday night was full of Christmas activities. First Bryce and I went to the Navy unit Christmas party. The Taylors were nice enough to let us take a picture of their cute family. Thanks guys! Good food, good music and good company. What more could we ask for? Right after the Navy party I hightailed it over to the church for the Relief Society Christmas party. There was a dinner served and then everyone broke off to do service projects. I loved the theme for the night! I helped with the quilting project. What better way to celebrate Christmas then to give service. This is a picture of the finished product.

Diving In!

2009-12-09T07:51:00.000-08:00

Bryce and I didn't waste any time getting ready for Christmas. For us it is the most anticipated season of the year but not because of the presents but because this is the time of the year that we get to spend with our wonderful family. Unfortunately we have to get through more then half the month of December before we get to head home. To help the weeks along Bryce and I have decided to fill our schedules with as many fun Christmas activities as possible (minus Bryce's finals);) So far it's been working! Our Christmas tree was actually up in November. I know that's early but we love the feeling we get when all of the lights are on. This nativity scene was painted by my grandma Jean. This is the first year that we have been able to set it up and I absolutely LOVE IT! We even went to our first Christmas party of the year. It was for our ward and it was awesome to say the least. They even provided appetizers. The food was catered by Isabella's. I had never heard of it before but everything was delicious! Of course what ward Christmas party would be complete without a visit from Santa Clause. As I was watching all of the kids taking turns to sit on the big guy's lap I couldn't help but think about our little one doing that for the first time next year. The night was officially made awesome when we got to take home some (a lot) of the leftovers. What wife wouldn't love to not have to cook dinner on Sunday?

Oh Baby!

2009-12-05T16:23:00.000-08:00

To: Our baby From: Your mother Dear baby, I don't know what I have done to make you feel like you have to play tricks on me but for some reason you feel it necessary to mess with my sanity. One night I look in the mirror and I FINALLY have a small belly bump and then I wake up the next morning to find that bump has disappeared. I just don't understand. I feel I have been more then accommodating to you and your inconvenient foods cravings. I have also tried the best I could to stay away from any unpleasant foods or smells. If I am not meant to have a belly bump right now so be it, but I would greatly appreciate it if you would please stop torturing me! Love, Your loving mother

Giving Thanks

2009-12-01T07:08:00.000-08:00

This year Bryce and I spent Thanksgiving with the Kuzmich family in Denver. We had such a great time! I got to meet some of Bryce's cousins that I had never met before and got to know the family a little better. I am very grateful that we were able to spend the holiday with such a loving family. I felt right at home with them. I spent a lot of time with little Forster over the weekend. He had me hooked the second I saw him. Cousin Reva had a very cute baby boy! Even Bryce was a victim of this little guy's cuteness. After a grueling turkey bowl the boys relaxed in the hot tub. Bryce tried out his mom's recipe for Apple Yams. It was a hit and everyone had seconds. Thanks mom! The weekend was so packed. We even got to throw Reva (one of the cutest women I have ever met) a surprise birthday party. Everything couldn't have gone more perfectly. Needless to say she was very surprised. Sushi night was the cover up for her birthday party. There was some pretty yummy things to eat. What a great Thanksgiving! I can't wait to see the Kuzmich family again. Now on to Christmas!

2009-11-29T09:21:00.000-08:00

There is more to come from our exciting Thanksgiving weekend with the Kuzmich family. I promise!

The Birthday Boy!

2009-11-23T10:14:00.001-08:00

I got to decorate the living room for Bryce's birthday. It was a lot of fun to make the day a little more special for my love. Bryce holding his new birthday present. My yummy dinner from Olive Garden. It was a good night!

Another Year Older

2009-11-16T08:55:00.000-08:00

It's my Dad's birthday today so I thought I should post something to celebrate. Love you Daddy! I hope you have a wonderful birthday :)

It Could Have Been So Much Worse

2009-11-01T09:37:00.000-08:00

This week ended with Bryce getting sick. He had off and on fevers and a bad cough. To say the least it was not fun. I was nervous that I was going to get sick being around him so much. Luckily, two men from our ward sacrificed some of their time to come over and give Bryce a blessing. In it we were assured that Bryce was going to get better. That's all I needed to hear. From then on I was optimistic about him being sick. Even though Bryce didn't get over whatever he had right away I knew he would. I also knew in my heart that the Lord would take care of me and keep me healthy so that I could take care of Bryce and not get sick myself. Bryce is feeling much better now and I know that we have truly been blessed by the Lord. It could have been so much worse. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to practice my faith and trust in the Lord. It was truly an uplifting experience.

A Different View

2009-10-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up to this outside my front door. View from my bathroom window.

Little Blessings

2009-10-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

I was blessed as a child to grow up in a home where music was a part of daily life. Whether it was playing in the background while my siblings and I cleaned the house or if it was my mom singing to us before we went to bed, music has been a constant thing in my life. As I've grown up I've come to really appreciate the feelings of joy that a song can bring. I love musicals and have my whole life (my siblings can vouch for me on that one). I remember spending endless hours watching one musical over and over again until I knew all of the songs by heart and then once I knew them well enough I would sing along. I am looking forward to being able to share my love of music with our little one just like my mom did with me. I really do feel blessed to have that love of music in my life.

All The Proof I Need

2009-10-19T15:41:00.000-07:00

I had my first doctor's appointment today! They did an ultrasound and Bryce and I got to see our growing little one for the first time. The doctor said that everything looked great. I'm 10 weeks and 3 days along. Pretty exciting stuff!

St. George

2009-10-17T12:49:00.001-07:00

This week Bryce and I spent a few days in St. George with the Karrattis (family friends of Bryce). One of the daughters of the family was a cast member in the play Aida. It was pretty neat to see her on stage. We learned that the Tuachan theatre (where the play was) is the only kind like it in the entire country. The picture really doesn't do it justice.

6 Weeks Down and 34 More to Go

2009-09-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know. I'm pregnant! I just hit my seventh week today. I found out this exciting news a little over a week ago. Bryce and I are super excited! These take home pregnancy tests are supposed to be really easy to read and with the help of my wonderful big sis I was able to read it. I was equally shocked and excited to see the second lighter pink line. I think I was so shocked that I had to get a second opinion just to be sure. Also with the help of my sis I was able to decide on a cute and simple way to tell Bryce. It was a very good idea but for some reason Bryce had to reach into the refrigerator a few times before he saw it. My silly boy! So there you go. We're gonna have a baby! So far I haven't had any morning sickness but I won't cancel it out just yet :) I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will stay that way. I am really not a fan of leaning my head over my toilet bowl.

Sorry Bed :(

2009-09-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

Yes I'm sorry bed that we couldn't sleep on you last night. Just as we got on the bed one of the bed lifts broke. We've been using the same lift for a while now so it was probably just worn out. I didn't really want to try to sleep on the bed with no support so we decided to bring our mattress into the living room and sleep on the floor last night. SLEEPOVER! There is never a dull moment in this marriage. So sorry again bed for not sleeping on you. You're fixed now so tonight we will be reunited again :)

Thank You For Saving My Husband's Tush Dinner

2009-09-07T09:38:00.000-07:00

While we were in Cali at my parents house Bryce realized that he had forgotten our hotel and food vouchers for when we went to Disneyland. Luckily we have reliable neighbors that were willing to break into our house and mail the vouchers to us. We owed them BIG time for their service so we took them to Red Lobster for dinner on Saturday. Bryce and Han had the endless shrimp and Kyle and I ordered something off of the fresh fish menu. It worked really well. Kyle and I got to eat some of the shrimp and Bryce got to eat some of my fish. It was the perfect way to thank our good friends for saving Bryce's behind. Thanks Passeys!!! P.S. Remember next time is the dollar menu at McDonalds ;)

A Very LONG Time Coming

2009-08-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am finally going to attempt to recap our trip to California. There is no way I could post all of the pictures and vidoes so click HERE to see more of our wonderful vacation. I flew out early so that Bryce could study and finish his finals for school. The night I got there my family and I went to the IMAX theatre in Dublin to see the new Harry Potter. It was pretty darn neat. Bryce and I went to Sacramento to visit my Grandma Jean. She took us to a little Bar-bq resturant. She was telling us that when she was working for the reserve she used to come to this place all the time. They had super good ribs. It was a lot of fun. We also got to spend a lot of time with Bryce's family. Chloe (the dog) pretty much stole the spotlight in all of our pictures at their house. We even got to go see their soon to be new house. Very exciting! Of course no visit to Cali would be compete without a guys night. That's ok us girls got together as well. Visiting with friends is always a lot of fun. Bryce and I got to hang out with my good friend Celeste Hornberger and her husband David. It was so much fun. My dad went to girls camp and my brother went to Scout camp the week we were there but luckily we got to see them for a few days before we left for Southern Cali. The day they returned we had a welcome home/happy birthday to me dinner. We ordered Moutains Mike's Pizza, which so far is my favortite pizza. Yummy, yummy, yummy! My family even bought Marie Calendar's key lime pie and I got to blow out my birthday candles. It was so good!!! It was so much fun to be able to see our families. We were really missing them. In Southern Cali I got to meet and visit with lots of Bryce's family. I even got to meet Pop, Bryce's Grandpa. The Christensens are a woot and I am proud to be one. As part of our Disneyland trip we got to stay at the Clarion hotel and resort located just two blocks away from the park. It just made the trip even more exciting. We got to Disneyland at 7:30AM pumped and ready for our long 16 hour day at the most magical place on earth. Because we went on my birthday I got in free and thanks to Aunt Rosanne so did Bryce. I even got a birthday button. I was so excited!! We went everywhere. It's a small world afterall... The firwork show and Fantasmic were so awesome! We tried but the pictures and videos we took didn't do them justice. AMAZING!! After our crazy day at Disneyland we got to rest at Grandma and Grandpa Bollinger's house. Bryce's Aunts and Uncles came as well. Aunt Lori brought all of the party favors including all of my princess attire. After a wonderful dinner I was surprised with a delicious carrot cake with birthday candles to blow out. It was a really fun night. Of course we had to stop at the Angel's Stadium while we were there. Look at how happy Bryce is. He's so cute! Our last stop in Cali was Palmdale where Bryce showed me around were he grew up. It was pretty neat to hear all of his stories and memories. The picture is the street that he used to live on. What a crazy and exciting two weeks full of family and fun. We had such an amazing and unforgettable time in Cali. We can't wait to get back there for Christmas. Only 3more months :)

The Reason Why

2009-08-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

I've been sick since the day after Bryce and I got home from our trip to California so I have not been up to blogging about it. I am still trying to get over whatever it is I have. When I do I promise I will have an amazing post about our trip. Until then I will continue to read all of your wonderful posts. They keep me smiling :D

Farewell to the Wolfleys

2009-07-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

The Wolfley's through themselves a farewell barbeque. They had to get rid of a lot of meat before they moved so they decided to share with everyone in the ward. Bryce looked so cute eating his hot dog I just had to take a picture :) Of course we took some silly pics of us as well. This one was one of my favorites.

Mission Reunion

2009-07-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

Bryce and I spent a few hours at a cabin in Provo Canyon with a few of his mission buddies and mission president for a mission reunion. Bryce really enjoyed catching up with his friends. Bryce and I with his mission president and wife. The Nelsons! We ate some yummy food and we even got to bring some home with us. I love mission reunions :) We all played horseshoes for a little bit. I had never really played before. Of course Bryce got most of the points but I wasn't half bad. Bryce with his mission buddies. I'm glad that he was able to see them again. He really loved his mission.

A Crazy Night!

2009-07-13T17:49:00.001-07:00

A few nights ago Bryce and I were just not tired and did not want to go to sleep so we passed the time by taking goofy pictures. It was really fun and now we have a ton of fun pictures to share with everyone. Enjoy! Bryce was really getting into it. I didn't know that he was making a funny face in the pictures. Silly boy! We made sure to take a few of us using the timer mode on the camera. Funny faces are so enjoyable to make :) I absolutely love Bryce's face in the picture on the right. Look it's mommy's special boy! We even modeled our hats. I was trying to mock a picture that was taken when I was 2 years old. It didn't really work. I guess I need the cute factor to make that picture work. Oh well...Bryce looks pretty cool. Rock on baby!

Scruffy

2009-07-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

Bryce decided to be lazy and not shave. I don't think the picture really even looks like him. I had never seen him with scruff before. He shaved it off after he took this picture but it was fun to have mister scruffy around for a few weeks.

A Wonderful Weekend

2009-07-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

Bryce and I were able to spend the Fourth of July weekend with his family up at the family cabin. It was one of those last minute things but we were both really glad that we were able to go. We left at 8:00pm and arrived at the cabin at 4:00am. We were pretty tired. Bryce didn't have any trouble falling asleep. It's always nice to spend time with grandma and grandpa Bollinger. They always make a trip to the cabin special. Mom and Cole also brought the famous Jack and Chloe with them. Those dogs are a riot to watch! My dad suprised us when he decided to come up to the cabin and spend a day with the family. It was so nice to see him. What trip to the cabin would be complete without guns. All of the guys had a blast shooting off those things. It was driving the dogs crazy but at least the guys had fun. We had a whole lot of fun. I definitely wish we could have stayed longer but I'm glad that we were able to spend Independence Day with family.

Update

2009-07-01T05:33:00.000-07:00

OK so we still haven't been able to figure out the whole computer thing so I am still unable to download any pictures from my camera and update everyone on what's been happening since Bryce got home from his Deployment. Having Bryce home has been wonderful! I've had to adjust on some things like making bigger portions when I cook. I was used to being the only one here to feed so I got used to making smaller portions and now I have to go back to the way it was before. Don't worry Bryce isn't going hungry but there have been times when the amount of food that I give him just isn't enough. I'm still watching the kids which has turned into my job. Bryce started school last week and so far he is enjoying all of his classes. For Independence Day weekend we are heading to THE CABIN. Bryce's grandpa (maternal) owns one so most of his family will be celebrating the holiday there. We're heading out tomorrow night AS SOON AS Bryce gets home from school. I'm super excited! Well that's the update from the Christensen home. Hopefully we'll be able to fix my silly computer so I can post the pics I have taken. Maybe my computers time has come. We'll see.

Computer Problems

2009-06-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

I've been having computer problems. The other day I almost got a virus but it turns out that I didn't. The only problem is that the people who were trying to give me a virus got mad because Bryce figured out how to stop them, so they gave me a little something to remember them by. My computer is now blocking me from certain websites. I really don't understand people these days and I don't get why people would spend all of their time creating viruses that destroy other people's computers. It's very baffling to me. Oh well...at least I didn't get a virus.

Father's Day!

2009-06-21T21:23:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to wish all of those wonderful dads in my life a Happy Father's Day! Words can't express how blessed I feel to be the daughter of such a wonderful man. My Dad is amazing! My love and respect for him has only grown stronger as the years have gone by. I am so grateful for him and all that he does for me. I LOVE YOU DAD!

A Proud Moment

2009-06-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

OK so Bryce was supposed to be coming home tonight. About 10 minutes after his flight was supposed to take off I got a call from him telling me that he wasn't going to be coming home tonight afterall. I was obviously pretty bummed about that until he explained why. Apparently there is a pretty bad storm over the Colorado hills so there would have been no way for the plane to fly straight through to Salt Lake. Instead the plane would have to take a detour around the storm. Because of this they asked if 8 people would volunteer to get off of the plane. Naturally everyone went bonkers about this. Bryce was tried and really didn't want to hassel with everything so he volunteered to get off. The airport put him up in the international hotel close to the airport for the night. His flight will be leaving in the morning so he will for sure be back tomorrow. I was so proud of him for getting off of the plane. He is of course extremely eager to get home but he was willing to sacrifice one more day to make it easier on everyone. How could I be mad about that. What an awsome man!

Time With Family in Cali

2009-06-11T13:03:00.000-07:00

My trip to Cali was AMAZINGLY wonderful! It was so nice to be with my family especially while Bryce is gone. The time flew by. I can't think of one time when I thought that the days were long. They were all short but filled with fun things to do. After my dad picked me up from the airport he took me to a famous Italian restaurant called Francescos. Oh man was their food good. I got the Captains Platter. It was unlike anything I had ever tasted before. I didn't know that there could be so much flavor in one dish. I will definitely have to visit again. Every Sunday my parents invite a family or friends over for dinner and because I was there they decided to invite the my mother and brother in law. It was such a fun night. We had pork roast, baked potatoes, salad, and bread for dinner. Then for desert we had Apple crisp cobbler with whipped cream. YUMMMMMMM! Bryce even called and was able to talk to his family. What a wonderful evening! My mom and I drove to Sacramento one of the days and went out to lunch at the Elephant Bar with my grandma Jean. We had a so much fun talking on the drive there and back. Some good quality time together. Of course a trip to Cali wouldn't be complete without a day at the beach. James was able to bring a friend along which made it even more fun for him. My dad was loving digging in the sand and making walls that the waves couldn't get over. I love my dad! I enjoyed taking pictures and putting my feet in the cool water. There is nothing like feeling the hot sand in between my toes and then feeling the cool water wash up on my feet. I love the beach. I went with my dad to work one day. It was so much fun! We got to talk about so many things and it was just nice to have that one on one time with him. For lunch we went to Mountain Michael's pizza. It was some of the best pizza I had ever tasted. Why do all of the really good places have to be in Cali. Oh well I guess I'll just have to visit more often. For fun we went to Pebble Beach (for those of you who don't know what that is it's the golf course that all of the celebrities play on when they have their annual golf tournament. It was really cool. We got to go down to the famous 18th whole and took a picture in front of the legendary Cyprus tree. I felt special. As a family we went to Kayla's seminary graduation. It was fun to see everyone so grown up. It's weird to think about how much time has gone by since I was in high school. We were very proud of Kayla and her accomplishments. My dad took the family out to Uncle Chongs for our last night together. Kayla was there too she was just taking the pictures. I love that restaurant! The staff there always makes you feel so special. It was the perfect dinner for the end of a wonderful visit. Of course there were other things that we did while I was there but I couldn't post something for all of them. I will definitely treasure the time I was able to spend with my family. I SURE DO LOVE THEM!

Update

2009-06-08T08:01:00.000-07:00

I realized that I haven't updated anything on my blog since I left for California. I've been having a blast with my family. They have been making my time here very enjoyable. I'm sorry I don't have any pictures to go with this post but I forgot the cord for my camera so you'll just have to wait until I get home. (I know...way to be prepared.) I'm heading home on Wednesday. Time flew by so fast since I got here. That was kinda the point of coming here but I didn't want it to go by that fast. Oh well. The upside is that I'll only have a week until Bryce comes home. With a little help from my wonderful friends I'm sure that week will go by just as fast ;)

A Late Night Call

2009-05-29T06:31:00.000-07:00

Ok so last night at like 3:00 in the morning I get a call. When I answered it no one said anything so I hung back up. My phone rang again and it was the same number so I figured that it was a pranker and hung up on them right away. They left a message so I called my voice mail and checked it. Nothing! The phone rang about 2 more times so I just hung up immediately and they left more messages. The 4th time they called I picked up the phone and told them that I would call the police if they called again. That's when I heard Bryce on the other line. It turns out that the phone he was using was like a walky talky so he had to hold a button to talk to me but he didn't know that at first. Silly guy! So I got to talk to my hubby. He said that he had a great time in Bali and now he was getting on the ship. It was so good to hear from him and hear his voice. I miss him a lot but I'm glad to hear that he is having such a blast doing the thing he loves.

A Month Without My Love

2009-05-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

Bryce left yesterday for his summer cruise (every summer the men in the unit go on a trip where they get to sail on a ship and follow around Officers for a month or so.) Bryce is the only one in his unit to go foreign and he is stoked. They sent him to Bali Indonesia. This is the first time he's done this so it's all new for me. I've actually been doing a lot better then I thought. There are times when I shed a tear or two but it's getting easier. Yesterday my dad called and told me that he missed me and wanted me to fly me out to Fremont to stay with them for a little over a week. At first I thought that I should stay here and see if I could toughen in it out but I did miss my family and going to see them would make being away from Bryce so much easier. I'm Fremont bound! It's been so amazing how everyone has stepped up and helped me. I feel so much love and support from everyone around me especially my family. I can't wait until Bryce comes home!

The View From Under The Water

2009-05-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

Bryce and I took a trip to the Aquarium in West Jordan. They had so many different types of fish from all over the world. It was so cool to watch the octopus move up and down the glass. At first glance I didn't even know that there was a fish in the right tank but then as I looked closer I could see it. Pretty cool huh! We even saw Nemo and Jock! I thought they were just fish that looked like the characters in the movie but the parents kept telling their kids that they were the real fish. Parents don't lie :) They even had a stingray pool and we got to touch them. They really liked Bryce. They would always pop their heads up just so he could tough them. Ok I know that sharks don't like people but I think someone should tell these sharks that. "People are friends, not food!" Bryce and I are definitely planning on going back soon. We had a blast looking at all of the fish.

Anniversary Weekend!

2009-05-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

Saturday night we went out and ate at Red Lobster. The food was so delicious! Bryce and I were having fun taking pictures of each other while we were waiting for our food :) Sunday morning started off with a big breakfast. I made the spinach omelets and toast and Bryce handled the meaty part of the meal. We make a pretty good team. The breakfast was super filling so we just skipped lunch altogether. Sunday night we made a fancy dinner that consisted of steak stuffed with cream cheese, ricotta cheese, and spinach. Along with that we had crab and pasta salad. The dinner was to die for. To make the dinner a little more special we set the table with our nice place mats and napkins. We also used our fine china plates and our crystal glasses which were filled with red grape cider. I don't think dinner could have been more perfect. We didn't have anyone to take our picture so we set our camera on Bryce's desk and set the timer. It turned out pretty good. A toast to an amazing first year. I absolutely love being married to Bryce. I couldn't love anyone more. He really is my real life prince charming and I always feel like royalty when I am with him. He is my everything and I can't imagine my life without him. I love him more then words can express and am looking forward to an eternity with him. I love you Bryce Christensen!

Guess What Today Is

2009-05-17T12:45:00.001-07:00

Ok I'll give you a hint. A year ago I was doing this. Yep a year ago today I was getting married. One year down, an eternity to go.

Delicious Potato Burgers

2009-05-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

Start with a qwik-cooker. Then add two years of old school work and light it on fire with matches. Form your ground beef and potato shavings into patties. BURN BABY BURN! Cook patties for about 5 minutes on each side. Place on a bun. Add condiments and veggies and enjoy. I love having Bryce home to cook me these yummy meals and am thankful for his wonderful mother who taught him all these WONDERFUL tricks that he is able to cook so well for me.

A Shout Out to Moms!

2009-05-10T09:12:00.000-07:00

This is for all of the Moms and Grandmas in my life and for all of the other wonderful Moms out there. The world would not be the same without you wonderful women. Thanks for all you do.

Whipped Cream

2009-05-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

What a treasure! My new favorite treat is whipped cream. I just love how light and satisfying it is. So far my favorite way to eat it is in a bowl with a little lemon zest on top. I never feel stuffed or bloated after eating it and I have found that it satisfies my sweet tooth better then anything else does. I'm sold.

I DID IT!!!

2009-04-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

I BOUGHT NEW SHOES! For those of you who don't know, this is a huge deal for me. I don't like spending money especially on material things. Another thing you need to know is that I wear the clothing and shoes I buy for a really long time before I even think about getting new ones. This was the case for some really beat up and squeaky old shoes of mine that I refused to replace. Yesterday I put on those ancient shoes and realized that there was a hole in the toe of the shoe. I was just about to leave my apartment to go to Queli's house to hang out so I made the decision that I was going to go with her to buy some new shoes. If I had tried to go shopping alone I probably wouldn't have gotten anything but I knew that if someone else was there with me there was a better chance that I would actually purchase something. With the help of Queli I bought not one but TWO pairs of shoes. They were having a BOGO sale at Payless so I was able to spend less money for two pairs of shoes. I love Payless! Ok so these are my old shoes. I know they are disgusting. I've had these shoes since my Sophomore year of high school. That's almost 5 years! I didn't realize how nasty my shoes were until I started trying on shoes at the store. I picked these out with a lot of Queli's help. She was a lifesaver! I love the way these shoes fit me. Oh and look NO HOLES! I fell in love with these right away. They are perfect for the summer. These shoes were only 8 bucks! I know I said this already but I LOVE PAYLESS! I love you Queli!

Aren't Friends Wonderful

2009-04-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we got to see and hang out with a lot of good friends. Some were from Fremont and others were friends we have made in Utah. We started of our Saturday with this little guy. I went with Queli to the temple while Bryce and Robbie were doing navy stuff. Bryce and I love hanging out with their son Trenton. Who wouldn't?! We ended our day with our Fremont friends. Michelle and Daniel drove out to Utah for the graduation of their friends from BYU. A few of us went to dinner at the Mayan. it was so much fun hanging out with them again. Good times! More of the Fremont group DeeDee and her Brother Ryan and his fiance. We love hanging out with friends. They make life so much more enjoyable. Don't you think?

My Wonderfully Busy Weekend

2009-04-21T18:31:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was anything but relaxing. I was constantly on my feet doing something. It was also one of the most rewarding weekends I've ever had. It started with Friday night when me and the rest of the Stake Relief Society Presidency got together at our church building to set up and make the lunch for our Stake Enrichment Activity on Saturday. We were there for a good 4 hours but we had a blast preparing everything for the activity. We had 8 guys from the stake come to help us set up tables and chairs that way we could get all of the food prepared. They did a great job! Lisa is an amazing president. I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her better. The whole presidency really bonded over the weekend. After a 2 hour nap Bryce and I went to the Navy Dining Out Dinner. Bryce wore his uniform and I got to get all dressed up. We sat with our good friends from the unit. All of the wives looked so gorgeous! The wives even had the pleasure of hearing all of the Navy men sing "You've Lost that Lovin Feeling" to Queli, one of the Navy wives. It was so much fun! Sunday was of course full of meetings but that's what happens when you get called to a stake position. Even though it can sometimes be a little busy I absolutely love my calling and everything it entitles. I am so blessed! Cheers to a wonderfully busy weekend.

Unemployment

2009-04-08T19:53:00.001-07:00

On Monday I was let go from my job at the University of Utah. It was all very surprising. I was obviously having a hard time and felt pretty bumbed. Bryce was a sweet heart throughout the whole day. He was always asking me if I needed to talk or if there was anything that he could do for me. That night I had him give me a blessing and that made all the difference. It was so nice to have him during this hard time in my life. The next day was a lot better then the previous one. I woke up and decided to just be grateful for the things I had in life and not dwell on my unemployment. I said a prayer and read my scriptures which is always the best way to start off your day. After I was done with that I made a few phone calls and tied up any loose ends I had with my job. I turned on my music and had a blast singing to the songs while doing the dishes and organizing our filing drawer. Bryce came home around 3:30 and told me that someone from the unit had a sister that worked for Kinder Care Learning Center in Sandy. Apparently they had just opened up a new facility in West Jordan that is extremely understaffed and are desperate for staff members. He also informed me that the sister was willing to have me come in for a pre-interview that day. I was soooooo excited! I went in and talked with the sister for a little bit about what the position would entitle and all of the fun little details. She scheduled me to come in today for a complete interview but before I left she gave me the application and background form along with the finger prints card to take home and complete. I was feeling a whole lot better about everything by the time the interview was over. I knew that the Lord was watching out for me and that he knew exactly what I needed to be doing at this time in my life. My day ended with an email from my Dad which said: Celeste, Just wanted to drop you a line. Was just thinking about all of your great qualities and thought I list a few. You are: Loving, Kind, Creative, Inspirational, Hard Working, Thoughtful, Brave, Determined, Dependable, Considerate, Beautiful - inside and out, Fun to be with, A Great Daughter, A Leader, A Great Example, Charitable. Just a short list of some of your qualities. I am so proud of who you are. I hope you have a great day!!! Love DAD All of my family has shown me so much love during these past few days. I know that they are always there for me. I know things are going to work out and Bryce and I will be able to take this experience and learn so much from it. Life is good.

Conference weekend

2009-04-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

This year General Conference was better then ever. The messages were so uplifting and motivating for me. I feel so blessed to be able to listen to our chosen leaders and receive knowledge and power from there talks. This year Bryce and I got to go to the Saturday afternoon session of Conference. It was so wonderful to see the Lords servants sitting in front of us. I felt the spirit so strongly when the they spoke. After Priesthood session Bryce and I made our way down to Mapleton to spend the rest of the weekend with my best friend Natalie and her family. On our way there we stopped in Provo and met up with the Karati family. This family and Bryce's family grew up together. Bryce considers them members of the family. We went with them to a small dinner and got treated to delicious smoothies. It was a lot of fun to see them again. Sunday afternoon after the morning session of Conference was over we had a huge meal to eat with lamb and mashed potatoes and salad. It was so good. After that wonderful meal we all dyed eggs. That brought back some good memories. What a wonderful General Conference weekend!

Pizza Surprise!

2009-04-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

Bryce needed the car today for some errends he had to run. He came and picked up the car from me at work and then brought back about an hour later. When he dropped off the car he told me that there was a surprise waiting for me in the car. I went to the car to go home for lunch and sitting in the front passenger seat was half of a Little Caesars pepperoni pizza. I loved that he had thought of me and wanted to make my day a little happier. I LOVE MY BABY! He is soooo good to me! The drive home was torture with all of that good pizza smelling up the car. Sadly on my way up to our apartment I dropped the box and ruined 2 slices of pizza. I still had plenty to eat but it was a sad moment. That passed very quickly when I finally sat down to eat my delicious pizza lunch. Yummy!