News Flash: Major Holiday Approaching

There are only 17.5 weeks until Easter Sunday 2010!

My trees should look like this:



My flowers should look like this:



And I should look like this:

April 1999

Or maybe this:

June 2004

Or perhaps this:

October 2006

And now for some answers to the most asked questions:
When are you due? Spring Break, Easter, General Conference Weekend

Will you find out if your baby is a boy or a girl? YES! The moment he or she is born. Right now when we talk about the baby, on odd days he's a boy and on even days she's a girl.

Are your children excited? Yes.
How are you feeling? I feel pretty good most of the time now. It was tough at the beginning. I am really tired, so I try to take naps most days.

We are currently taking advice on boy names.

Days of Thanksgiving 13

1. I am thankful for Google Reader. I spend less time visiting blogs to check if something new has been posted. The only downside: I am less inclined to leave comments because it is not an option from reader, I still have to go to the blog.

2. I am thankful for the Interstate Highway system. We get to clip along at a fast speed to drive to visit family.

3. I am thankful for the family we got to spend time with over the weekend. I missed the ones we didn't get to see.

4. I am thankful that my talk on Service is in the past. It was great to share, however, I prefer to hear others speak.

5. I am thankful for Concrete. The kind you buy at Nielsen's Frozen Custard. I'm thankful that my Brother-in-law Glen treated us to one after attending the Bountiful Temple.

6. I am thankful for temples. Thank you Heather for inviting us to go with you on Saturday!

Days of Thanksgiving 12

1. I am thankful for adventurous children when it comes to trying new foods (occasionally, at least). Tonight they all tried Pumpkin soup and were pleased that it tasted good!

Soup is cooked and served in the pumpkin.

2. I am thankful for naps. I wish I had them more often.

3. I am thankful that Ryan found the lost camera tonight. It feels good to be able to take pictures again.

Days of Thanksgiving 11

1. I am thankful that my daughter said when she arrived home today, seconds after walking in the door, taking off her jacket and backpack, "I'm going to go outside and rake leaves."

2. I'm thankful that after she had created a large pile of leaves and jumped in them a couple of times that she raked them again and then invited her brothers and neighbors to join her in jumping in the pile of leaves. Then they started burying eachother in the leaves and then they cleaned them all up.

3. I am thankful that this flower is still hanging on to remind me of warmer days...

I hope this clemantis sticks around until Christmas.

Days of Thanksgiving 10

Day 9 will be posted when I find the pictures needed...

1. I am thankful for generous music arrangers who post their choir music on the web for free download. I found this one last week when I was searching for an arrangement of Far, Far Away on Judea's Plain for my ward choir to sing. It is awesome.

2. I am thankful for my local church leaders. Stake Conference was this weekend and Every. Single. Talk. in both the Adult and General sessions were on how the Scriptures have changed the speaker's life. Just what I needed to hear this weekend. The challenge given by the Stake President on reading in advance all the lesson materials for Sunday School and Relief Society was timely as well.

3. I am thankful for pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin soup and a myriad of other recipes to use up the pumpkins that Ryan harvested from our garden. YUM!

Days of Thanksgiving 9

Happy Veteran's Day!

1. I am so very thankful for the men and women who serve our country daily in the armed forces!

2. I am thankful for these 3 veterans in particular:

My grandpa, Glen H Christensen
he served in the army in Italy during WWII, leaving his wife and baby girl at home

My grandpa, Theodore W C Bateman
he served in the army during WWII and was on a boat on his way to Japan when the Japanese surrendered

My dad, Glen Earl Christensen
he served in the army in Vietnam leaving my mom and 2 children at home

3. Most of all, I am thankful that these 3 veterans came back home. That is why I'm alive today; because they came home.

Days of Thanksgiving 8

1. I am thankful for visiting teachers who bring me cookie-in-a-jar mix. I can't wait to bake them!

2. I am thankful that I had an opportunity to help my awesome neighbor tonight. She has been helping me a lot lately and it felt good to return the favor.

3. I am thankful that my (older) kids will wake up and get their own breakfasts made. Here is a favorite of Roderic's: toast with nutella. Doesn't he just look pleased that he made it all by himself? And the kitchen was not a big mess - just his face.