We're Not Done Yet

Where Do We Begin?

2011-12-24T19:54:00.002-05:00

First, Merry Christmas! There are no Christmas lights up...no tree...no nativity scenes...but we do have stocking on the mantel. We just moved into our new home last week and unpacked the last box a few days ago. We didn't have it in us to unpack our Christmas items just to box them up again in a week or so.

My goodness. It's been quite a ride for our family since October. How about a quick recap?

I interviewed for a Corporate position at State Farm in October, was offered the position in October, Karen and I spent a week in Las Vegas for a CPCU conferment, Karen and I went on a house-hunting trip in November, we moved, spent a week in St. Louis for Thanksgiving, I started my job the Monday after while Karen and the kids stayed in St. Louis for another two weeks, and we moved into our new home in December.

Vegas was...eh, nothing that appeals to us. Everything outside the strip was fun and the food was incredible (and incredibly expensive). So we spent as much time as we could away from the "entertainment."

The temple was beautiful and a wonderful retreat. It backs right up to the mountain on one side of the valley. You can see the white spires from miles around against the brown rock.

And then when you go on the other side of the temple and look back towards the valley, it's quite a contrast with the temple elevated above the "world." The Church sure knows how to make a statement.

And they have built a Stake Center alongside the property of the temple. It has a beautifully landscaped desert garden. Making arrangements to visit the temple was probably the best part of the trip. :)

But the next best part was a quick trip over to Hoover Dam. It really is massive in person. If you look behind the dam, you'll see a solid white line on the mountains. That was the level of the water back in the 80s.

The bridge was completed recently. There is no longer through traffic on the dam itself...which makes it much safer for all the pedestrians!

It really is amazing how they just built into the rock. It was the best dam tour ever. The tour guides really enjoy using that joke in many different scenarios. :)

The lights of Vegas were beautiful. We stayed at Caesar's Palace. If you haven't been before and plan on going, watch out for the mini bars in the room. Everything is weight-sensitive so if you pick something up out of the fridge, it automatically charges your account. Nice.

And who needs to spend all that money for a show?!? There is plenty of free entertainment along the strip. The volcano is quite a production at the Mirage. And it was super hot, too!

Karen and I could have spent all night at the fountains of the Belagio. The music and water show was even better than Ocean's 11.

Larger than life doesn't even begin to describe what design engineers and architects have done in Vegas.

And this might have been the coolest intersection. We played the role of the tourist and walked up and down the strip.

It was fun to see this familiar face on a billboard. Karen noticed a nice touch on Gladys' finger...

See that? It's a diamond CTR ring. Love it!!!

So that was a quick recap of our trip to Vegas back in October. We have so much catching up to do on our blog. Maybe we'll get around to it...maybe not.

But we definitely need to share a few more select pictures. Our family left Virginia the weekend before Thanksgiving. A wonderful friend came over to take the kids after the movers drove off so we could clean the place. Karen and I (ok...mostly Karen) did one last deep clean in our attempts to make the house more presentable for potential buyers. Then we picked up the kids and brought them by the house one more time before driving west.

We had them take their shoes off and run through the house. Then it was time to say goodbye. It wasn't easy...and there were definitely some genuine tears. This picture pretty much captures it all. The three youngest don't quite comprehend what was happening. But the three oldest knew exactly what moving meant.

Leaving was hard. We made many good friends and created some incredible memories. It was a beautiful part of the country (though we won't miss the trees that towered over our house and dumped leaves in our gutters year round).

And 800 miles away and a month later, we can finally call this new house our home. Maybe we'll post more pictures of the new place. It's amazing how quickly we've been able to settle in. The neighbors are wonderful and the house will meet the needs of our growing family.

This last picture is an exact opposite of the kids leaving their home in Virginia. The roles were reversed - the youngest (represented by Luke in this picture) was emotionally over-stimulated and was excited to finally be with Mom and Dad again. The oldest (represented by Mark in this picture) couldn't wait to explore the new house. I remember that feeling when I was his age and my family moved to St. Louis.

Good times. Good times. We're excited for the new adventures that await us here. And we can't wait to record them here on our family blog.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T22:07:00.000-04:00

Halloween is one of those holidays that has created a lot of tradition and good memories in our family.

I can't lie - pumpkin carving is no picnic. But it's fun to take the kids and choose pumpkins. It's fun to choose a design. It's fun to clean out the pumpkin (it really is a satisfying feeling to completely gut a pumpkin). But the actual carving? Mom and Dad's hands hurt for a few hours afterwards!

But seeing the final product makes it all worth it. Neither Karen nor I remember carving pumpkins as a kid. So we're enjoying it now as bigger kids. Next year, we might let Mark carve his first one.

The costumes are another fun tradition. It is now requiring a "family council" as the older kids get older. And next year we might have to move away from the theme. But for this year, we still pulled it off. And Karen, as always, did an amazing job with the costumes. There are a few individual shots below...only because the faces are so darn cute. And then a couple of group shots.

Karen incorporated the theme into the candy bags, too. The cops had "evidence" bags and the robbers had money bags. How cute is this little robber?

I can't help but think of Barney Fife from the Andy Griffith Show when I see Peter and Luke in their cop outfits. This group was a hit when we brought them to State Farm today. It brightened up everyone's day.

Here's a group shot of the "Cops and Robbers." Mark's candy bag was his ball connected to the chain. And James' was the jail cell he was holding onto. There was a hole at the top of each of the bars that deposited candy into the compartment below. Brilliant.

And we converted the red wagon into a Paddy Wagon. Luke had Eliza in custody. She looks angry in the picture below...and Luke looks frightened because he's trapped in there with her! :)

We love these kids so much. And we enjoy dressing them up each year. Mark will be 12 next year...so this era may be coming to a close. We'll see what happens next year.

Hope everyone enjoyed a safe and happy Halloween!

Peter Michael

2011-10-30T19:39:00.000-04:00

It's still birthday season in our family. Peter is the last of the kids for a couple of months. He turned 6 last week and enjoyed time with family and friends.

His primary teachers came to pay him a visit. How sweet are they?!?

Karen and I were in Vegas during his actual birthday (don't judge...business conference with pre-determined travel dates). So Grandma took a picture and emailed it to us.

We love this kid. He's super lovable and pure sweetness. Happy birthday, Peter!!!

Luke Preston

2011-10-11T12:39:00.001-04:00

Our sweet little Luke has turned four! I can hardly believe it!

Very excited about birthday presents, does it get any cuter than that?

This boy loves Leapsters, Legos and Diego.

Cake time! He was very excited about his Captain America cake!

This cake was really easy to frost, but the baking was a challenge. In the end it turned out pretty cool.

See the cool layers?! Luke thought three colors of cake was pretty cool.

Mark Owen

2011-09-29T15:28:00.000-04:00

I think "happy" might be an understatement for this boy when he opened one of his birthday presents.

Rejoice much?

For the little entrepreneur . . . if he hasn't given you the business plan spiel, just ask, he will:)

He even loved the cake despite my lack of artistic skills when it comes to superhero heads. It is hard to believe that he is eleven, but we have certainly been blessed to be able enjoy watching him grow this far and we are looking forward to the future!

Eliza Rose

2011-09-22T13:14:00.000-04:00

Our dear little Eliza turned two last week! We can hardly believe how quickly the time has gone.

Here she is loving her new chimpanzee, and styling her fabulous bead necklaces.

Of course we got a shot of the whole crew getting very excited about a very pink cake. Birthday Season has begun:)

Old Rag

2011-08-21T21:04:00.000-04:00

There's a hike in Virginia...many hikers call it the best in the Commonwealth. And, though I'm no professional hiker, I enthusiastically agree.

Old Rag Mountain is in Madison County, Virginia...one of the more beautiful counties I've visited (both from a historical and geographical perspective). For our Webelos day hike to complete the boys' Arrow of Light requirement, we decided to tackle Old Rag. It's about an 8-mile hike round trip...and just enough of a challenge to make it adventurous for 10-year old boys.

We were at the trail head by 6:30AM. Next time, I want to be at the summit for sunrise. Even though the sun rose as we scaled the mountain, it was early enough to still get this view mid-way:

There is something about the rising mist in the Blue Ridge mountains that really stirs my soul.

Old Rag is definitely not family-friendly. I would hesitate to take anyone younger than 10 years old. In addition to needing some amount of strength to pull yourself up and through various parts of the rock scramble, long legs and arms are certainly a plus, too. I've hiked a lot of trails in my life, and I don't recall a trail where I was more dependent on the markers than I was with this one. Once you reach the rock scramble, there are blue arrows painted on the granite to indicate where the trail is and, at times, which direction to go. Here's one spot where Alex (one of the Webelos) got ahead and was unsure of the next direction:

So it was critical we kept an eye for the blue paint:

Yes, we fit through that crack in the picture above. It's a little bigger than it looks. And as you can see in the picture below, trees grow anywhere...even if there's nothing but rock (so it appears). It's really quite amazing.

If you lose sight of the blue paint, sometimes the best thing to do is to look both ways...

So look through these photos and see if you can find the blue paint to keep us on the trail!

I love this next picture. Garrett is just lifting Mark by his backpack to provide him a little more assistance. Are we still on the trail?

Do you see the blue paint in this next picture? What direction do you think we went from here???

And if we had had no blue paint along the trail, we still would have had our guide - Garrett Dudley. I love this man.

He was always one step ahead and always in a position to lend support or provide assistance.

Garrett knew when to stop and just chat. And when to press forward. He shared experiences he has had rock climbing and hiking in general.

This picture summarizes it well. Garrett is a good man...as good as they come. And the boys are fortunate to have him.

Garrett is the one who suggested we have a prayer before the hike. And, while I'm still unsure of what actually happened, I know Mark was protected as a result of that prayer. The venom of a copperhead is relatively mild for adults. But I'm glad we didn't have to learn how serious it could have been for a 10 year old. This copperhead was actually on the trail at one of the switchbacks. Mark was in the lead and the first to reach that particular switchback. He's convinced it fell out of the tree. The adults think the sound he heard was actually the copperhead striking at Mark. Either way, there were numerous factors that made this a little miracle for us.

The rock scramble was certainly the most fun. A solid mile of nothing but granite. We went up and down...we had to suck it in and maneuver through tiny cracks...we had to find the right hand hold...and even jump on occasion. It was everything a 10 year old boys loves to do (and the adults enjoyed it, too)!

This was the very beginning of the rock scramble. We had no idea what was up ahead! Good thing we took this quick break to enjoy some scenery.

We quickly learned that we needed both hands free for this part of the hike. The dad's couldn't carry their sons backpack during this time. And you couldn't hold your water.

At times, the boys would stand back and watch Garrett work his magic. Then they tried their best to follow his footsteps. You definitely don't want to misstep on these rocks.

The views were incredible - even near the beginning of the hike. This picture was taken during our first of many breaks. We found a nice flat piece of granite in the middle of the forest just a short walk off the path. The morning sun was just beginning to rise.

As we got a little higher, the views became more breathtaking.

And the rock formations are amazing on Old Rag. I would love to see how they have been formed over time.

During our lunch break, Scott Sims found a nice spot to sit alone and enjoy the scenery. Even in the late morning sun in the middle of August, the temperature and breeze were comfortable and refreshing. It was a perfect day.

The boys - Steven, Alex, and Mark. Steven is no longer officially a Webelos, but he's good friends with Mark and Alex and we thought he and his dad would enjoy the hike. We certainly enjoyed the extra company.

See how strong these Webelos are?!? They kept the rocks high enough for us to pass through. :)

Mark found some shade at the summit. The boys enjoyed some exploration when we got up there.

Me and Mark at the summit...4 miles from the parking lot.

Here's a nice shot of Mark, Alex, and Steven. They are good kids.

And here's the group - Steve and Steven, Scott and Alex, Garrett, and me and Mark. It was a great hike and we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. And it was a great way for the boys to complete their Arrow of Light.

It's Only a Bird

2011-08-14T22:23:00.000-04:00

But it's a domesticated bird...and it was just born today. Yes, our cute little Zebra Finches laid two eggs a couple weeks ago. One hatched today and the other will probably hatch in the next day or so. It's rare to have the nest void of both mom and dad right now...so when I saw both of them out stretching and eating, I decided to grab the camera.

The kids have been giddy about it all afternoon. I think James was the one to discover the egg had finally hatched. And then those poor birds had to put up with all 8 of us fighting for our chance to actually see the miracle. I'm amazed at how natural instincts come in to play and the birds just know what to do. Makes Karen and I look bad as parents! :)

It's Only a Deer

2011-08-10T18:37:00.002-04:00

And seriously, it is only a deer. I don't think they have deer at the zoo. So seeing a deer in the wild isn't that cool. And in Virginia, it's pretty common to see plenty of deer. But when they are grazing in your front yard, it's worthy of a picture, right? We have screens on our windows...so that's why the pictures look a little hazy.

Something startled the mom, so the two fawns were quick to follow. How cute are they?

I mean, IT'S OUR FRONT YARD.

Knutti Family Reunion

2011-08-08T16:25:00.000-04:00

From two people deciding to make a commitment to each other 43 years ago, their love has grown to a total of 48 individuals. And those individuals comprise one really cool family. 44 of us were able to come together under one roof this past week in Tennessee. It was a sight to see. I'll try to share some of it here...my apologies if you're not a fan of pictures (because there are a lot of them).

First, this is where we were and what we could see from the front and back of our cabin (and when I say cabin - it was three stories with 12 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms).

I thought we were going to be a little more secluded and only a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Appalachian Trail. But the setting did not disappoint.

Now, here's where the real fun begins when you're talking about such a large family: grocery shopping!

Since marrying Karen almost 12 years ago, I've heard the stories of powdered milk and food storage and apple-picking. I've heard about the assignments each child was given regarding mass food preparation. But to see it in action was awe-inspiring. Glen and Cheryl came home with the groceries (for 44 people for 3 days) and within minutes the car was unloaded. Almost as quickly, the counters were clean and everything was in its place. It was a well-oiled machine and no one skipped a beat.

Once the groceries were put away and dinner was prepared, Grandpa attempted to call everyone's attention for prayer. It took a little longer than usual, but eventually the room was quiet and a family prayer was offered. Every family had a responsibility at some point to help prepare dinner and clean-up afterwards (on a different night). It was so nice to just see it come together.

While the ladies went through the dinner line first, the boys played their hand-held electronic toys!

Much of the time we were at the cabin, there were small clusters of people throughout the place. Sometimes they were playing games, sometimes they were just talking, sometimes stories were being told. It was so fun to go from one floor to the next and see different groups of people...sometimes of random ages...just enjoying each other's company.

This next picture will look a little like a repeat. You see, there are 5 Knutti girl cousins who were all born in the year 2002. One of them couldn't make it to the reunion...so a younger girl cousin stepped in. The older girls were very accepting. And I think Brooklyn thoroughly enjoyed being a "big girl" for the week.

Tuesday morning we ventured out for a hike. Not everyone came...but there were still probably over 30 of us. We took this particular picture simply because of Aunt Laurel on the Christensen side. How could we pass up this photo opportunity?

As we were waiting for everyone to gather, we snapped this picture of some of the cousins (and Aunt Nicole).

When we stopped to take breaks, we created traffic jams! We had lots of little people with short legs (which is always a nice excuse for the adults).

At the top, we took a nice long break. Some kids climbed the rocks to get higher on the falls, others took their shoes and socks off to enjoy the refreshing water. There were a lot of people at the falls. Funny how the place seemed empty when we left!

One afternoon or evening (the days kind of blur together), Grandpa shared a slide show with the family. He had pictures of the Knutti siblings as babies and kids...and he wanted the grandkids to raise their hand when they recognized their mom or dad. It was a great activity.

Later that same evening, the adult kids celebrated the 43rd wedding anniversary of John and Gloria Knutti. The Knutti siblings had a conference call prior to the trip and planned several mementos that they would share with their mom and dad to illustrate various memories they had of growing up. There were a lot of laughs!

One afternoon, we held a Knutti family talent show where everyone was both a member of the audience and a participant!

Some played the piano and some performed skits. Mark, on a whim, displayed some art he has drawn recently.

Grandma recited the poem "The Touch of the Master's Hand" that she had memorized years ago.

"The girls" spent hours and hours preparing for their own medley of skits and performances. They sang a little and did some skits they had seen at various activities. It was really cute. I wish these girls lived closer together.

I love families...and I love this family. I gained a greater appreciation for families during this trip. Everyone was helping everyone. There was always an open lap for a child who was sad or tired. The two oldest Knutti cousins (Rachel and Jared) were some of the best parents there. They were always spending time with one of their younger cousins playing a game or reading a book or helping with a meal or just walking a toddler up and down the stairs. And it was sweet to see Grandma and Grandpa spend individual time with various grandchildren.

It was a great reunion and we look forward to the next one!

Summer Storm

2011-08-07T23:16:00.000-04:00

Power just came back on. I'm grateful we'll sleep with air conditioning. We had a quick storm come through this afternoon...and it did a number on a couple of our trees. We spent a good portion of the evening cleaning up the mess below. I guess when you live in Virginia with the number of trees around the house like we do, you're bound to have one or two fall during a storm. We've been fortunate for 3 years...even with the two that fell today. No significant damage was done. But we'll soon learn how to replace a few pieces of siding. The branch (actually...it was the top of a dead tree) closest to the deck hit our gutter and then slid down the side of the house. If you have any experience with siding, we'd love a pointer or two!

Along with the small pieces of siding that were torn off, the only other damage was the screen on the kitchen window. It didn't stand a chance! Again...extremely grateful the window wasn't broken or more significant damage wasn't done to the house.

Unfortunately, the beloved trampoline that our kids lived on for a week is gone. I wonder if it will be replaced...

This really is a small, rather insignificant incident compared to what could have happened...or what has happened in places like Joplin, Missouri. Even on this small scale, I'm reminded of the force and power nature has. When you look at the trampoline up close, it's amazing how mangled the tree made those metal bars.

I do feel bad for the kids since they lost the trampoline. Of all places for a tree to fall! :)

And it's a good thing no one was sitting in this chair.

I borrowed a chain saw from a good neighbor. It's now on our "must have" list of emergency preparedness items. Do you realize how heavy trees are?!?

It's Only a Bear

2011-08-05T14:53:00.001-04:00

When you go to the zoo, is it really all that exciting to see the black bear exhibit? I mean, is that the main attraction? Of course not. After all, it's only a bear.

This past week, our family headed to the Great Smoky Mountains for the first ever Knutti family reunion. (More about that with pictures on Sunday.) On the day everyone headed for home, we took a detour through the National Park.

So back to the bear. Something changes when there is no longer a protective cage between you and the bear. All of a sudden, it makes seeing a bear something different...something exciting. It's no longer just a bear. It's an adventure. And James wasn't afraid (I think this is my favorite shot). I can hear all the Grandma's in the audience gasping right now.

There was a mama bear with her three cubs high up in the tree. I assume that's why the mama bear wasn't too concerned for the safety of her cubs. (And why is there never a papa bear around?) I didn't realize cubs were such good climbers. And I had forgotten that bears were omnivores. That makes me like them even more.

Here's one of the cubs...sorry the picture is a little fuzzy. I had never photographed bears in the wild before.

Isn't this cub cute? And he/she is such a good climber.

Here's the mama bear up close.

And here is my family watching the bears. Mama bear is that black spot at the base of the tree.

Anya makes a good "rawr" face. Seeing the bears was a fun way to end a great trip. More in a couple of days...

Playing Catch-up

2011-07-18T11:36:00.001-04:00

Recently, some good friends of ours moved away and in the process of moving they were giving away several things. One of which was a trampoline. My friend told me it had been well-loved, but still had some good bounce to it, so we took it. I drove over one evening and we two ladies had it down and in the car in about 30-45 minutes. It went much faster and easier than I thought it would. So I resolved that I could easily put it together by myself the next day with no problem. Well, in case you ever wondered it is about a million times harder to put a trampoline together than to take it apart. Though that often applies to most anything, I think. In any case, after about 2 hours and some near swearings on my part, it was up. It has been about three days, my soreness is fading, but it's all been worth it.

With the cooler temperatures we have been having they have almost lived out there on that trampoline. They are finding that it's not as fun when it's super hot, but this fall will see some very bouncy kids.

Then when they get tired they beg for a movie and sometimes we let them. We just got the third Narnia movie on dvd, so they all snuggled up to watch. How cute it this?

Lil' Pipsqueaks

2011-06-26T18:27:00.000-04:00

For mid-summer's eve this year, the fairies brought our family two Zebra Finches. As we were transferring them from the fairies' cage to ours, the male escaped. He enjoyed a few minutes of flight...but quickly grew tired.

They both quickly adjusted to their new surroundings. And the kids made them a permanent address.

In case you can't read it, it says, "The Robins 733 Branch St. Nesting Hallow. While they were creative with the address...they don't seem to be as creative with the names. They named the male Christopher Robin...Chris for short. And they named the female Becky after the main girl character in Disney's The Sorcerer's Apprentice. When they name anything, it really depends on what they've read or watched recently.

But James likes to call them both lil' pipsqueaks. You'll hear why in one of the videos below.

And yes - having a male and female means that we will soon have eggs in the wicker nest. That was one reason we allowed the fairies to leave such a gift. Not only are they entertaining and fairly easy to care for...but it will be educational for the kids seeing eggs in the nest and watching them hatch and then watching the little chicks grow. We've been told that each clutch will include 2-5 eggs on average. Oh boy!

We were surprised at how quickly they adjusted to the new nest. Chris has already begun using the cotton balls and paper confetti that we provided to make a soft bed for the eggs. This picture is looking into the nest from above:

The picture with the kids was taken specifically for the "fairies" who brought us the finches. I'm sure with the number of eggs in each clutch, we'll eventually give away a few finches of our own.

Finches are not song birds. They sound like squeaky baby toys. Although, the male does learn his mating "song" from his father and then adds a few sounds of his own. But the female just squeaks. It's cute when they play tag and squeak at each other. And it's really funny when we play a video of finches on the computer...that really gets them going!

This video is the mating song of Chris (he has the orange cheeks...Becky is listening from her window):

This video demonstrates how "squeaky" they can be!

Parenting and Discipline

2011-06-23T08:27:00.000-04:00

We would like to think that we are fun parents. We try to enjoy our children. While going through old home videos I found this little bit of fun. I think the "game" was more for Daddy's amusement than anything else, but Mark and Anya did enjoy it when it went right. Enjoy a few laughs on us.

Now to the present. Luke is a charming and somewhat difficult young man. Some things he will simply refuse to do and wig out if forced. Most of the time he is extremely obedient. So when he jumped on Mark's bed and broke something Mark made we asked Luke to apologize for his poor choice. He refused (as usual) so we sent him to stand in the corner of his room. He went and he stood. We continued with the nightly pickup and most of us left the room for a few minutes as we got things all put away. Then James called us all back to see that Luke had changed position.

Lest you think ill of us, we did scoop the little guy up directly after this snippet and put him to bed, where he stayed for the next twelve and half hours. It would appear that the poor guy was just tired:)

We're Not Campers...Yet

2011-06-12T15:11:00.001-04:00

Our family went on our 3rd annual camping trip this weekend. Each year we have learned from the previous experience. And they will continue to get better. We're working towards becoming "professional" campers and looking forward to the day when we camp for two consecutive nights (that's how professional we're willing to get).

This year, we decided to visit the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

I've always wanted to drive across the 17-mile bridge/tunnel that connects the mainland of Virginia to the peninsula...and I wanted to see the sunset over water on the east coast. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (longest bridge/tunnel complex in the world) was everything I had hoped for. The sunset was a little disappointing due to an overcast.

As we drove through the northern portion of Virginia Beach, the thunder clouds gathered and a severe storm caused several motorists to pull over. The raindrops were huge and, combined with the wind, it became blinding. Then the hail began. We got to the toll booth right in time as we were one of the last cars to get through before they closed the bridge due to 40 mph winds. But after a few miles, we saw clear skies ahead and the storm didn't follow us across the bay.

As we set up camp, Luke got pretty sick and he actually slept for a couple of hours. The rest of the kids enjoyed relaxing around the campfire.

The storm clouds didn't stay away very long and there was a steady rain fall for a couple of hours as well. So everyone retreated to the tent...except for Eliza. We quickly learned that she had difficulty getting out of the camp chairs. So if we needed her contained, that's where we put her! By morning, she learned how to wiggle out of those chairs.

Fortunately, it was only rain - no hail or severe weather. And by the time it stopped, the kids were ready to head to the beach...even Luke. There was enough of a break in the clouds that you could see the pink hue as the sun set across the Chesapeake Bay...but it wasn't the kind of shot I was hoping for. Still, pretty cool, right? A sunset over the ocean on the east coast?!? It can play tricks on your mind.

We stayed until dark and then made the short walk back to camp. Luke fell asleep rather quickly. And for safe measure, we had him sleep with Mr. Bucket.

Eliza was wide-eyed until 10PM or so.

Anya couldn't get her nose out of a book most of the trip!

Eliza crawled over everyone and finally collapsed at Dad's feet. But she started to get fussy around 12:30 so Karen took her to the van until she settled down. At 2AM, James had to go to the bathroom. But between 2AM and about 5:40AM, Mom and Dad managed to get some sleep. There was a surge of people (James, Anya, Eliza) waking up just before 6AM and then somehow we all fell asleep again until about 7AM.

Fortunately, the morning brought nothing but sunshine! We enjoyed a little breakfast and then headed back to the beach.

This was the view of the bay from the boardwalk...it was beautiful:

The bay side is much more calm than the seaside. And low tide was coming in so the kids could walk out 75 feet and I could walk out about 100 feet. The temperature of the air and water were perfect.

James started collecting rocks and that got me looking for hidden treasures as well. I had found a few pieces of driftwood...exciting, right? As the low tide came in, a perfect kiddie-pool formed for Luke and Eliza.

By the way, off the shore there was a line of shipwrecked boats. That's what you see in some of the photos. It was pretty cool. Anyway...back to the hidden treasures. If you look closely, there is a darker object in the water about 2-3 feet to the left of Karen. Without thinking it could be anything else, I tried to pick up what I thought was a large piece of driftwood.

When I lifted it up, I thought I felt legs moving and I saw a long tail "wagging" back and forth. Startled, I dropped it and the creature burrowed itself back in the sand. Curiosity got the better of me, and I was determined to learn what I had found. So I got my flip flops and attempted to pry at the corners. But no luck. I did, however, uncover its tail. And this is what we pulled out of the water:

Do you like my new tattoo? There was a guy next to us with his family. They gathered when they saw me trying to get the horseshoe crab out of the water. As I've grown older, I've become more hesitant to touch a wild animal with my bare hands. I didn't have the guts to just grab the tail. Who knew if the tail had spikes or if the crab could curl around and snap at you with it's claws. But this guy just grabbed the tail, gave a couple of good tugs, and lifted it out of the water. I guess tattoos make you brave like that!

It was pretty cool. The kids were fascinated and Karen was a little freaked out that she and Luke and Eliza had been sitting so close to it the whole morning!

After a full morning of fun in the sun, we headed back to camp.

So another camping adventure was coming to a close. We packed up camp...

...and headed back to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT). It really is an incredible work of engineering.

There is nothing but ocean all around. On the man-made island of one of the tunnels, a fishing pier jets out. On our way home, we pulled off to do a little sight-seeing. If you look above Anya just to the left, you can see the other end of one of the tunnels. Each tunnel is a mile long.

Here's a close-up of the other end of the tunnel:

The southbound side of the bridge curves out to the left while the northbound side is directly behind the tower on the island. It was really fascinating.

Each year we make a list of things we learned so that the next camping trip will be better. Somehow, the list continues to grow! But we enjoy the outdoors and we like to pull our family out of the usual routine at home. Plus, we really appreciate the comforts of home each time we return!

Anya and James

2011-06-04T14:10:00.000-04:00

Anya participated in the Spring recital with her music school last week. It's so fun to watch her perform. Not sure what inspired Mark...but he did a trial run with guitar lessons and enjoyed them. So he has his own electric guitar now. Dad might learn to play with him. :)

We always enjoy taking pictures when all six kids are willing to be photographed. We might not get picture-perfect smiles from all of them at the same time...but that's not real life anyway! :) So this was our best shot given the minimal attention span of the younger ones.

We finally got around to getting pictures of James since he turned eight a couple months ago. He's a pretty cute kid. Here's a sampling:

And here is Anya playing (I think her teacher is smiling because Anya likes to sing when she plays):

The Capitol - Day 3

2011-05-21T13:17:00.001-04:00

The National Zoo was a bust...I'm not gonna lie. The only time it rained was Wednesday morning - when we were at the zoo. It wasn't a downpour, but it was enough to make it unpleasant. Fortunately, the zoo had an event recently and white tents were set up everywhere. So we had plenty of shelter. In addition to the rain, we learned that the kids really weren't that interested anyway...after the fact, of course! But we spent a couple of hours there and had a good learning experience.

Because of the rain, we were planning to just skip Arlington Cemetery and the Jefferson Memorial and head home. We had lunch in Arlington and watched the clouds open up to blue skies. So we asked the kids what they wanted to do. Karen and I were tired...but we didn't want to leave DC on a soggy note from the zoo. So we decided to postpone Arlington Cemetery for a day trip (we weren't really prepared to know what we wanted to do there anyway) and we headed to the Jefferson Memorial.

I had never been there before. It's one of those monuments that looks really cool but is just out of the way...aka not on the National Mall. But I'm so glad we went. The kids really wanted to go because they feel like they know Thomas Jefferson really well. It's kinda cute.

Here is one of my favorite pictures from the trip. Peter can't see but everyone else is genuinely happy--after three days...can you believe that? They really were great considering all the walking we did. In fact, they seemed more energized Wednesday afternoon than they had the rest of the trip (with the exception of Tuesday night...they really had fun that night). So did we.
Here's a unique view of the Washington Monument as we walked around the Jefferson Memorial. I love shots like this.
Like I mentioned before, everything is so big in Washington DC. Seeing our kids next to these massive columns really illustrated that.
There are various quotes throughout the memorial. This one happened to be Mark's favorite of the group. If you want to read it, you'll probably have to click on it to enlarge the picture.
Again, watching our kids walk up and down the steps really illustrates the size of these memorials.
This picture was taken by Mark. Not bad, huh? :)
And here are most of the kids with Thomas Jefferson. I'm so glad we live where we do. Our kids are being exposed to some great historical sites. Hopefully, it will make the events of the founding of this nation more real to them. It's important for them to know that this country was founded by good men inspired by God. The Constitution and Declaration of Independence are holy documents.
Three days was just right. Maybe more for the parents than for the kids. It was a great experience for us and a lot of fun. I forgot to mention that during day two, I was taking a picture of the kids in front of the Spirit of St. Louis (the picture is the the previous post). After I took the picture, an Asian woman approached me with her camera. She pointed towards the plane and I assumed she wanted me to take her picture with the plane in the background. As I was getting ready to take the picture, she wrapped her arms around our kids and pulled them in close. It was so funny...and very sweet. Our kids ended up being in several Asian tourist photographs during the trip. I'm assuming they were all Chinese. I'm sure some hearts ache due to the laws of their land. I'm glad they were able to see what real freedom is all about.

The Capitol - Day 2

2011-05-18T20:14:00.008-04:00

This might very well have been the longest day EVER for our family. It was certainly a good day...a very good day. But it was LONG. We were amazed the kids were still so active at 10:30PM. I don't believe we've ever kept all of them up that late. We left the hotel at 9AM and got back a little before 11PM.

As I've been thinking about our trip to DC this week, it occurred to me how big everything is there. Everything is "larger than life." The buildings...the statues...and the Air and Space Museum is no exception. The exhibits they have of satellites and rockets and planes...even the IMAX theater. Our kids look so small next to them.
Museums are an interesting thing. Sometimes people race from one exhibit to the next. Sometimes you hear something like, "Hey, come here! Take a look at this!" Children like to feel and see. Adults like to read. There is so much to take in. While it was fun to go for the kids and watch their excitement build, it would also be nice to go back to these museums without little kids to read and learn. On several occasions, Karen and I both commented how nice it will be a few years from now when all of our kids can use their own strength sufficiently to get around. We would say that after hours of carrying either Eliza or Luke (occasionally Peter) around the museums...or the miles and miles of walking!

But it is so worth doing these kinds of trips now. It's fun to spend time with our kids. And they enjoyed this trip as well.
The Air and Space Museum is very hands-on. And the museum has the latest technologies...I have a feeling our youngest kids are going to grow up without a keyboard.
They learned about flight. They learned about lift and thrust and drag and weight. There was one exhibit that was really fascinating. There was a tube blowing air with a beach ball globe above it. No matter which direction you pointed the tube, the globe stayed in the air.
The kids got a real feel for how a plane flies. James tested his pilot skills at this station.
We went to the IMAX and watched Hubble 3D. It was the first 3D movie any of us watched. I've never been interested in 3D and still don't get all the hype. But the theater only shows movies in 3D...so we got a taste of it. And it was really enjoyable. The kids got a kick out of the 3D illusion. They spent half the movie trying to touch the astronauts and Hubble telescope. We learned fascinating things about Orion's Nebula and how it is a nursery for new stars and solar systems. I got a new perspective of space. I think it will be a posting in my personal blog.
At lunch time, we decided to take a break, grab a bite to eat, and head over to the Capitol. And the 100% chance of rain for the day? It turned out to be a misting for about 3 minutes. The rest of the day was partly cloudy skies and lots of sunshine. Because of the 100% chance of rain, we left the sunscreen and hats in the van. Oops!
Turns out, when you go to the Capitol, the back of it is what faces the National Mall. So after a healthy hike, the friendly security guards directed us to the front of the Capitol. But then the front of the Capitol isn't the "entrance." Once you hike around the Capitol, you have to walk a block away from the Capitol to go underneath the ground and into the entrance. Oh, and I learned why it's called "Capitol Hill." Ya, while we were walking around the Capitol...we were also hiking up quite a decent incline. Boy, was it a long walk. We were resting often wherever we could find shade. The kids were slowing down. The stroller was getting heavier. And we were tired (and only about half way around the Capitol). So imagine the humor as we were resting under a large tree to hear Peter exclaim, "Look! I found an ant!" He was so excited. And it was so cute. And such a good reminder of how wonderful kids are.
So the picture below is the front of the Capitol. I don't think I had ever seen the front of the Capitol before. I had always seen it from the Mall. From the front of the Capitol, you can see the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court building. It's a beautiful plaza.
We got passes from our Representative a week ago and toured the House Gallery - the picture below. So we didn't see the original Capitol building (the center part) or the Senate. And it was really probably the best option for our family. The Capitol tour includes a 13-minute film and then a 30-minute guided tour. You can't tour the Capitol on your own. While our kids are well-behaved...they're still very young and get restless easily. We had to go through several security checkpoints and nothing was allowed inside. I mean nothing. There was a cute elderly couple sitting near the restroom enjoying an apple. A security guard walked up, put on latex gloves, and abruptly confiscated the apple. He threw it in the trash and then threw his latex gloves in the trash. I felt awkward for the couple. We went through two different metal detectors at two different times. James set the first detector off and had the guards scratching their heads. He had no belt. And James assured them he had no metal in his pockets. But it turned out that James had a fake penny about 3 inches in diameter that Grandma Christensen had given to him when we visited Lincoln's Tomb in Illinois. He brought it with him because we were going to the Lincoln Memorial that day. It was cute and the guards got a kick out of it. No cameras allowed inside either...so we have no pictures to share.
After our visit to the Capitol, we headed back to the Air and Space Museum. We walked past the Botanical Gardens and it set a nice foreground for yet another picture of the Capitol.
Back at the Air and Space museum, there were a few other exhibits the kids wanted to check out. While we were walking around, we saw the Spirit of St. Louis and had to take a picture.

Luke has been begging to go to Chuck E Cheese for weeks now (more like a month or two...it's the first thing I hear from his mouth every day I walk in the door after I come home from work). So we left DC for dinner and treated Luke to Chuck E Cheese. That part of the day was probably the most exhausting part! But the kids absolutely loved it and got plenty of play time. We headed back to DC around 8PM. We've read that the memorials are beautiful at night. And since the rain had held off all day and the kids were well energized after such a kid-friendly dinner, we decided to make a night of it. And it is true - the memorials are breath-taking at night. Do you like Peter's little salute below?
At the WWII Memorial, the kids all found the state where they were born and we took their picture. They were all cute...but this one of Peter and Luke was especially adorable.
The fountain at the WWII Memorial is absolutely beautiful. Just above Anya and James' head, you can see the Lincoln Memorial. It's about a mile away. But talk about a fun walk! I hope this memory stays with the kids for a long time.
We still had the stairs to climb, but here we are at the base. Did you know there is an elevator inside the Memorial? And there is a visitor center with a ton of information?!?! I had no idea. The elevator was a life-saver since we had the stroller. And I wish we had more time to read everything in the visitor center. The entrance is on the south side next time you're in the area and visit the Lincoln Memorial.
Another cute picture.
Complete family pictures during family vacations are few and far between. We almost missed Eliza's head in this one because she was starting to sink down in the stroller. But we are all here.
"Larger than life." This man certainly was. And I love how these statues and memorials are so HUGE. These men that we honor in reverence and remember with awe impacted all of humanity. Abraham Lincoln lived his life so he could be close to the Spirit of God and be inspired to lead this nation and set an example for the world. He was more than just a man...he was a spiritual giant among men. And the inscription above him speaks truth. This memorial certainly is a temple. And I loved the spirit that can be felt there...especially at night.

The Capitol - Day 1

2011-05-16T20:35:00.004-04:00

We're exhausted. I hardly have the energy to post...but if we didn't post each day, one post would be crazy long. So we made the short drive to Washington DC today. They called for rain in the afternoon. But there wasn't a single drop until after we got back to the hotel in the evening.

We started the day at the Museum of Natural History. And I knew it would be a good day when we found an open parking spot on the street right in front of the building! Free parking, free admission to the museum...our tax dollars at work! :)
We rushed through the various exhibits and still managed to spend nearly 3 hours here. We saw how the oceans work and what lives there, crystals and gems, dinosaurs, mammals, lots of models and bones and more bones and a real mummy. Anya especially liked the Hope Diamond that was on display.
Our stomachs started to growl before we could get through all the exhibits. So we walked outside to the car and enjoyed a little picnic on the National Mall. It was picturesque.

And since we hadn't done enough walking already, we decided to do a little more. Actually, Eliza was confined to the stroller for most of the day. So any chance she had to walk, she took advantage.
And she wasn't afraid to play chicken with a large group of school girls three times her size! She went head on and made them clear a path for her. Anya finally pulled Eliza back. It was really cute...and gave the school girls a good laugh.
After the picnic, we went back inside to finish a couple more exhibits.
Mark was especially excited to see a real mummy. But our 3-hour limit for the free parking spot was about to expire...so we had to rush out.
Then we found another free parking spot right between the Washington Monument and the White House. And still no rain. It was such a good day! :)
After we got this shot of the kids in front of the White House, a group of Asian tourists were awestruck at the number of children we had. They saw four and their eyes were huge. Then they saw another....and then one more. They were speechless (probably due to the fact that they spoke no English). They showed us their cameras and asked for permission to take pictures. Eliza was in most of them. One lady tried to lasso as many of our kids as she could to have her picture taken. Peter wasn't too thrilled about it. But Eliza was trapped in her stroller. And Luke put on his best face. It was really kind of cute. And very sweet. Our kids will be in some strangers photo albums for years to come.
It's always a fun challenge to get 6 kids under the age of 11 to cooperate and be photogenic all at the same time. So, while there weren't many, we got as many pictures as we could with all of them.

It's so rewarding to see our kids enjoying these kinds of experiences. We don't have an opportunity to go on any exotic vacations. But that's ok. Because we find as many opportunities around us as we can to enjoy together as a family. And we've been blessed to live in such a historic setting the past 3 years. Our kids enjoy the little things in life...probably because Karen and I have learned to enjoy the little things in life. But being in the Nation's Capitol is certainly no small thing. And we're soaking in as much as we can.

Rip Van Luke

2011-05-14T14:35:00.007-04:00

In case you're illiterate like me, Rip Van Winkle is a fictitious character who slept for 20 years. Maybe this is why toddlers don't remember their childhood. Karen and I captured Luke in various sleeping arrangements over the course of a year: from March 2009 - June 2010.

I'm sure all toddlers go through this phase. Luke slept when he was tired of eating.
He slept when we took him on hikes.

Luke slept just for the sake of sleeping.

How in the world could this even be comfortable?

He slept when he waited for a diaper change.
And he slept when he was waiting for someone to open the fridge.

Luke slept and he slept and he slept. But this is the child who refused to take naps. :) He probably didn't want to miss out on anything. He hasn't done this for about a year. I suppose he has grown out of this phase. It was fun while it lasted.

I Love You No Matter What

2011-05-08T17:43:00.003-04:00

The Primary children all wrote a simple statement why they loved their mom. And then those reasons were simply listed by "author" in our program for church today. It was very sweet. It was titled, "I love my mom because..." This is what our kids wrote:

Luke - She makes cookies and gets donuts.

Peter - She gives me fun snacks especially donuts.

James - She's nice.

Anya - She helps me stay on the right path.

Mark - She comforts me and talks me through problems.

And I just have to share Mark's letter to Karen last night. It reads:

Happy Mother's day!

I'm glad that every year we kids get to express how much we love our moms. Every fight that we get into, even if I won't admit it, I love you no matter what. I'm glad that we are mother & son. Thanks for being my mom. I love you. (He even drew a flower.)

Mark

Our really good kids have a really incredible mom. And I'm glad I have both! :)

Little Immortals

2011-05-01T12:54:00.003-04:00

There is something about two tiny feet sticking out of the blankets that makes a parent take a picture. :) This probably has zero meaning or significance to any one other than mom and dad. But it evokes a flood of emotions for us. Here are those two tiny feet in shoes. Luke wanted to take his sister for a walk. Eliza was happy to follow him.
This is Peter and Luke "hiding." I don't think Luke quite gets the concept. But Peter was showing him how it should be done. Not sure what they were supposed to be hiding from...but they are boys. And boys can make a game out of anything.
Now these three...they can't wait to be young adults and soak in all that life has to offer them. If they knew I was taking their picture, they would have run away. So I had to take the shot from behind. It was a beautiful afternoon. And they decided to sit on the front lawn. They changed positions often...watched the cars go by...and just talked. It was fun to watch.
James bore his testimony for the first time today. It's always a sweet sound to hear your own children bear testimony of Gospel truths. Mark and Anya both got up and bore their testimonies. Several minutes later, I noticed James was trying to stand up. And then he quickly sat down. It happened several times before I whispered in his ear that he could do it. He gave me a grin that only James can give...waited a little longer...and then mustered up the courage to actually leave the pew. It was probably a very long walk for him. But he did it.

It's good to be reminded on occasion that these "kids" are nothing less than immortal spirits in training. Who knows how long their spirits have been alive? Their intelligence has always been. And though they've only been in these physical bodies for 10 years or less...they still have an eternity to live. They'll die for a season, yes. But the glorious truth is that these bodies will rise again and be reunited with their spirits, never to be separated again. And they will remain immortal beings forever.

As sure as the sun will rise again tomorrow, that fact is true. What a blessing it is to know them now. And be a part of their mortal existence.

"I have a family here on earth. They are so good to me. I want to share my life with them through all eternity."

It Really IS The Greatest Show On Earth

2011-04-24T15:50:00.004-04:00

Oh boy! Oh boy! Where do I even start? First, I think the circus was made for adults...we just use kids as an excuse to attend. It was SO MUCH FUN! The sights, the sounds...it was non-stop entertainment. After the first performance, Mark screamed over the applause - "We need to come to the circus more often!" I took the 4 oldest - Mark, Anya, James, and Peter. And I think it was a good choice to stop at Peter. It was almost a little too much for his little mind to absorb. But he enjoyed it as much as his older siblings.
I don't know how these high wire acts do what they do. There were standing on each other's shoulders, jumping from one set of shoulders to another...it was amazing. The act below didn't stop with the girl just sitting on the chair. Oh no...that wasn't enough. She stood ON TOP of the chair, then stepped down and let the chair fall to the ground. She stood on the wire resting on the other gentlemen's shoulders while they rode their bicycle's to the other side.
In between each major performance, the clowns came out and made light of the previous act by doing their own stunts. It was really entertaining. None of those pictures turned out especially well. So you'll just have to imagine the kinds of things clowns do for your mental picture.
There were two super strong guys (who were also quite nimble) who tied together two telephone poles and then lifted it up on their shoulders while four women sat in swings at the end of each pole and a clown sat in the middle. It was very impressive.
Then there were these hamster guys. I don't know what else to call them. But they went round and round. They jumped rope and did flips and made them go faster and faster. And they could stop them on a dime. Just amazing!
Mark was giddy about it all. Anya was captivated and Peter thought up was down and down was up. I don't think he's ever seen anything like this. During the intermission, Peter told me he was exhausted and wanted to go home.
But then they pulled out the tigers following intermission. And Peter forgot how exhausted he was.

And what is the circus without elephants?!? Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey know how to make the best circus event ever!

James almost couldn't contain his excitement! They all loved it...and so did Dad. I took a lot of videos. This one below is probably the coolest of them all. It's the human cannonball. Enjoy the show!

It's Great to be Eight

2011-04-22T17:54:00.004-04:00

March 30, 2003 - 03/30/03

Wouldn't that be a great day for a birthday?!? Well, it is for James. He turned 8 this year. There is something special about 8 year old kids.

Eight years of age is a special day for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It's the age of "accountability" and children can choose to be baptized. Even though James has a severe fear of going under water, he chose to be baptized.
His favorite color this year has been white. How cute is that?

Have you ever been to Cracker Barrel? A year or so ago, we got Mark that game they have on every table. That was the inspiration for James' cake this year. He wanted a cake just like that game. So that's what Karen made!
James has some of the best expressions when he is opening gifts. We captured one of them as he was opening his new Lego set.
Another gift he got was an RC Hummer. The box was big enough that the kids were crawling inside of it. Here's Luke:
James is so good. On his birthday, he was folding everyone's laundry. He made his brother's and sister's bed. He wanted to make sure everyone else was happy. He's thoughtful like that.

He's also very emotional. Over the years, he has learned to better control his emotions. But when he was baptized on April 16, 2011, his emotions got the better of him. And not in a good way! He has a real fear of going under the water. He was scared. And every eye was focused on him. So it was a lot for him to take in. After he was baptized, the emotions were overwhelming for him. And he wasn't happy about it.

Karen and I have learned to remain calm as we talk with him and try to help him in those moments. Fortunately, James kept his composure and allowed me to confirm him a member of the church after he was baptized. Part of me wonders if we should have waited till the next day. But everything turned out fine. After the service was over, James broke down and cried. He was scared and was being brave for everyone else.

He's thoughtful like that.
And we love him immensely! We are so happy for the choices he has made. Happy birthday, James!

Worth Recording

2011-04-08T20:17:00.002-04:00

I stayed late at work studying for my next exam. As I talked with Karen on my drive home, she mentioned that Anya was finishing up the dishes. I walked into the house and noticed Anya reading a book while standing in the middle of the kitchen. Dishes covered the table and filled the sink.

I smiled at her as we said our hello's. Then I asked, "Aren't you supposed to be doing the dishes?"

Anya said as well as any bothered teenage girl, "I KNOW."

I looked at her, surprised by her attitude. Then she muttered, "You can be so annoying." I asked, "what?" and she repeated her comment.

I looked at her again with disappointment and bewilderment.

Then she sighed as only Anya can. And she confessed, "it's been such a hard night."

I gave her a big hug as she tried to keep her composure. It was so sweet. She is such a good girl...and even when she wants to be rude and defiant, her tender spirit knows that's not right. It's an internal struggle. But her spirit always prevails.

I love our Anya!

Monroe and the Super Moon

2011-03-20T16:14:00.004-04:00

James Monroe became close friends with George Washington during the Revolutionary War. He was 18 years old. He's in that famous painting of Washington crossing the Delaware River. He also camped at Valley Forge. After the war, Monroe met Thomas Jefferson, who was Governor of Virginia. They became lifelong friends...and neighbors. Jefferson's Monticello is adjacent to Highland, Monroe's plantation. James Monroe was the fifth president of the United States from 1817-1825. He died in his daughter's home in New York City on July 4, 1831. His home is 15 minutes from ours...so we decided to take advantage of a beautiful day and explore.
Since living here in Virginia, we have visited the Monticello and Mount Vernon. Both are situated on beautiful land and are large estates. We were surprised at how small James Monroe's house was. It was very practical...but small. As we walked from the dining room to one of the bedrooms, there was a tiny toilet. The kids noticed there was no flushing mechanism...and the bowl of the toilet looked like a pot we cook Macaroni and Cheese in. They were curious how they cleaned the toilet. And I was reminded how many blessings we have because we live today.
The yellow two-story portion of the estate was built after the Monroe's sold the plantation in 1825.
The property was beautiful with a large garden surrounded by a white picket fence. The next time Karen and I plant a garden, we want it to be surrounded by a white picket fence. It added so much charm. And there were plenty of fields for the kids to run around.
The kids got to see peacocks, chickens, and sheep (with cute little lambs). I don't think Eliza has ever been to a zoo...so we'll be planning a trip to the National Zoo soon.
The trees were majestic. And perfect for climbing. Hopefully, we'll own property some day with a HUGE tree for the kids to climb. The trees in our neighborhood are sticks that go straight up.
Completely unrelated to James Monroe...we heard that tonight would be a super moon. The moon would appear larger and brighter than it has in 19 years. I love the night sky so I wanted to watch the moon rise with the kids. At 7:45, we drove down the street to an open field, pulled off to the side of the road, and everyone got out.
Of course, pictures never do nature justice. But in the picture above, depending on the angle of your computer screen, you might be able to see a fence below and a tree to the right. The moon really was big and I was trying to provide perspective. It didn't really work. :)

In the picture below, I zoomed in as much as I possibly could. It was a very red moon...so it looks like Mars. But it was beautiful, big, and fun to watch. We were all surprised at how quickly the moon rises. The kids were excited. And that always gets Karen and I excited, too.

Doldrums

2011-03-11T16:45:00.002-05:00

For some reason the time between mid February and mid March is essentially a boring time. There just hasn't been anything blog-worthy going on. Or maybe I just haven't been paying attention. Hmm . . . well in any case here is a short of what has been happening around here.

Mark decorated this cake (with only a tiny bit of help from Mom) for the Blue and Gold Banquet in February. He was pretty proud of himself:)

James (my doesn't sit still and read kid) has become a real bookworm and his older siblings gladly introduced him to Fablehaven which he is loving.

I love getting shots when they don't know I'm there. The first picture both of them were unaware, in this one Anya is trying not to smile because she noticed me with the camera.

Eventually they do notice the flashes.

Peter and Luke are great buddies and spend a lot of time getting into trouble together.

Beans prefers Luke's clothes bin to anyone else's. She unloads his clean clothes and gets comfortable. She will sit there for an amazing amount of time considering she is an active little 18 month old. She is one cute little stinker.

Lincoln's Birthday

2011-02-14T12:31:00.004-05:00

For the last few years, we have celebrated Abraham Lincoln's birthday by adding to our collection of Lincoln Logs. However this year I decided that since the container holding said logs is full, it was time to try something different. I purchased one of Lincoln's favorite books, Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan, and have begun reading it with the kids. I am thoroughly intrigued by it beginning with the author apologizing in case you don't like his book. I'll let you know how it turns out.

For a more kid focused and fun activity, I got big pretzels sticks, peanut butter and graham crackers and let the kids go crazy in an attempt to build logs cabins.

It was a rather messy, but interesting experience.

Of course we built the cabins whilst the Beans was sleeping, but here she is in all her silliness.

January

2011-01-23T17:43:00.004-05:00

This is usually a fairly calm month for us, but it has been a little busy this year. January 8th was the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. Mark entered his "Iron Racer" and won one heat he raced in, but mostly he just had fun. Anya's birthday was Jan 9 and she is loving being 9, on January 9th. She got an ice cream log cake, made by Mom, and had fun opening all her gifts.
Way back about 1 year ago, Aunt Laurel took a little trip to China. She brought back gifts. One was matching dresses for our little girls. However being halfway around the world, it was a little difficult to size match, so Eliza is just now big enough to wear hers. Since Anya is simply enthralled with matching her baby sister, they now have two Sunday outfits that are identical.

Eliza Beans

Princess Anya

A week ago a stomach bug invaded our home. James was first, early on Saturday morning. It lasted about six hours and he was fine. Later that night Luke had the unfortunate experience of being next. He is only three and had no idea what was happening, and this was his expression after the fact. Clearly a sad boy. Thankfully everyone is better now.
I have come to realize that we have reached a point in the life of our family that things are only going to get exponentially busier as kids get older. We'll try to keep with our lives and share it too.

Personal Family Treasures

2011-01-02T21:50:00.011-05:00

Karen and I take this family business seriously. :) Over five years ago, we created a family mission statement. It's not perfect - but it came from our hearts as our tiny family was growing. And then two years ago we created a family standard. We review them both as a family the first Monday night of each year. If we create any other family documents in the future, we'll review those as well. Since this is our family blog, we wanted to share them here:

The Christensen Family Mission Statement

The Christensen family knows that Jesus Christ is our Savior and the literal Son of God. We believe that grace works through the daily application of the atonement; through which we may return to live with our Heavenly Father. We know that the sealing power of the priesthood has been restored to the earth and through that power husband and wife are joined together for time and all eternity. We strive always to bring the spirit of the temple into our home as a protection from the temptations of this life.

As parents, we have determined the proper order of events for the lives of our children. Our desire is that: each child receive their baptismal covenant at the age of eight; each boy receive the Aaronic Priesthood at twelve years of age, to be followed by the Melchizedek Priesthood prior to leaving home; each child receive his or her endowment in the house of the Lord; each son, and each daughter who chooses, serve an honorable mission; each child pursue continued education at a college or school of their choice; each child be sealed to an eternal companion in the temple. But if not, we will love each child dearly and praise God for the blessings our children have brought into our home.

We believe that the purpose of life is to have joy. Our family hopes to create joy by having a spirit of honesty, forgiveness, service, and charity; as well as a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of work, a house of order.

Christensen Family Standard

We are committed to living according to standards that will set us apart from the world and help us live a more Christ-like life. If ever there is a question as to whether or not something fits within our standards, we will use these three questions to determine if it is right for us as a family:

What do the Latter-Day Prophets say?

What do the Scriptures say?

What does the Spirit tell you?

=======================================

These two documents are treasures for our family. They are personal testimonies that help us stay on course. Karen and I are special stewards of these sweet children. And we take that responsibility with reverence and joy.

A Sixth First

2010-12-13T20:50:00.002-05:00

Here's an advanced warning for our two sets of grandparents in St. Louis. Prepare your homes now. Because...

ELIZA WALKS!!! :)

And we couldn't be happier! You'd think after 5 kids, we wouldn't be as excited for number 6 to walk. But the first "anything" never gets old. Enjoy!

A Visit from Saint Nick

2010-12-08T08:41:00.006-05:00

We have celebrated Saint Nicholas Day for several years now. But this year we did things a little differently. Since Santa has been overworked for some years, we offered to ease his burden by letting him bring his gifts, and grandmas's and grandpas's too, on his birthday. So the evening before the kids put their shoes by the front door, with a plate of cookies and carrots for Santa and his reindeer.

David is learning to play with the camera and here is the tree after Santa's visit, but before the littles woke up.

This is our Advent Wreath, we just started it this year, and each Sunday we add something to our little garden in the center of it. Right now we have rocks and mini pinecones, next we will add tiny animals and then Mary and Joseph, all in preparation for the birth of Christ.

Santa even left little treats in the kids shoes as well as gifts under the tree.

Santa always leaves a lovely note to let us know if he liked the cookies and to let us know how good or bad we have all been throughout the year.

Since Daddy had an early morning dentist appt. and most of the country in which we live doesn't consider Saint Nick's day a really official holiday, we had to wait until Dad got home from work to open presents. Yes, for some it was a very long day:) However, it did eventually end and here they all are ready to dash for the presents.

Luke got a cool superman truck from Anya.

James got a Teddy Bear from Mark.

Mark is only a little excited about the Creationary game that Luke picked for him.

Eliza just loved the doll that James gave her.

They each received just fours gifts, but when there are six kids, it equals a lot of mess.

Anya showing off her new Granddaughter bracelet from Grandma and Grandpa Knutti.

Whatever Mark was opening certainly caught James' attention.

Peter just loved everything, he usually does.

The Gigantigest Pile of Leaves

2010-11-29T15:43:00.008-05:00

It's a long story. Really it is. But I'm going to tell it anyway. It begins on Sunday evening(last night) with a certain 10 year old boy was let's say, less than energetic in his responsibilities. There was a certain kitchen floor that needed to be swept, so a warning was given and then it was ignored. Needless to say, Mom swept said floor, which was waay nasty and Mark earned a major maintenance. I decided that he could rake a portion of the backyard to fulfill his consequence. Stop right there, I know what you are thinking and really, how could you? Of course I didn't make him rake the whole thing! However, realizing how much it needed to be raked, I went out with him to work on it while he worked on his appropriated section. I had made one full loop around the outer edge of the yard, separating our leaves from everyone else's, when it hit me. You see in the back of my mind I am almost always trying to think of ways to have fun and to do fun things with my kids. I do want them to be happy and enjoy life, despite what they may have told you. So I thought wouldn't it be so crazy fun to rake all the leaves from the front, bring them to the back and rake all the backyard leaves and put it all together in the most gigantigest pile of leaves in the history of the world? I proposed, they were overjoyed and we raked. It took about 3 1/2 hours total, but we did it. We really did it. I have the pictures to prove it.

Do you see how huge this pile is? It's higher than Mark's head and he is over four feet! Once all the leaves were raked, I let them at it.

They sat, fell, dove, swam, and Mark even tunneled through the pile. That was kinda cool. All the while we were popping in and out of the house to take turns taking care of Beans.

We did bring her out and sit her in the leaves and she screamed, a lot, so I put her back inside. As you can see, part of her still really wants to be out there with the rest of the crew, someday little one, someday.

Oh, yeah, in case you were wondering, my hands feel like they have been pulverized, I am sure full mobility will return in time and the muscle ached hasn't completely hit yet, but I am sure I will be feeling it tomorrow. With all that I gotta say, watching them play in the gigantigest pile of leaves ever, I would do it again. Probably not tomorrow, but it was worth it.

Park Day

2010-11-24T12:31:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday we had a family Cub Scout hike planned. So up we all got and out the door ready for a morning of exertion. When we got to the planned location we discovered that the wooded area we had intended to hike was being hunted that day and since we value our lives and those of our children, as well as other people's children, the hike had to be postponed for a time. To make up for it, we took the kids to the park before going home. Usually when we got to the park, it is me and the kids, but with Dad there, we could take pictures and have a little more fun.

Wait your turn doesn't mean much to a three year old.

Mark and Anya made friends with a boy who had a kickball and the three of them had a great time.

Snacking on pistachios.

More kickball.

James has learned to swing! He struggled for a time, but that day at the park really made a difference for him, By George, I think he's got it!

Guess who is learning to walk:)

How can something be so cute and yet so scary at the same time?

Peter is our monkey boy.

He wishes he was frightening instead of adorable.

This girl loves to swing, and she is awfully cute.

When we heard Luke "reading" we had to capture and share it. Enjoy!

Pretty Girls

2010-11-22T12:08:00.003-05:00

We have been blessed with two very pretty daughters. And sometimes daughters just need to be highlighted. Why every pre-toddler has a deep desire to unload things I will never know, but they do and then afterwards they are intensely proud of themselves for doing it. Beans is no exception to this mysterious behavior.

Ok, so this is a little bit about a boy as well as a girl, but it was so sweet I wanted to share. Earlier this month I turned the life altering age of 30. Mostly we tried not to talk about because for some reason I have yet to discover I really don't like my birthday. However in an effort to be the sweet and loving child that sometimes hides under video games and snotty attitudes, Mark made me a birthday crown just like the ones at Burger King and I let him take a picture of me wearing it.

Um, me again, but only because my hair really looked good and since it was still styled from the hair stylist who cut it the day before it's a good idea to document because I have no feminine skills whatsoever with hairdryers and it will never look like this again. And David thought it was really picturesque, with the whole settee and book and everything.

Now to the really pretty girls! Our little Anya got her very poor eyesight from her father and as a result needs new glasses every year, so she just got her new ones and they are so prim and cute. They are a light blue with flowers on the stems.

Our quasi-twins. Anya was desperate to be dressed identically to someone smaller than her and since I refuse to spend 100 on a doll . . . we used the next best thing: her sister. We found nearly identical dresses at Old Navy for them to wear to church on Sundays, plus matching shoes, tights and sweaters. So, here is Eliza:

and Anya,

And both together, so cute!

Lastly, Eliza Rosa Bean is a ham beyond words. Anytime the camera comes out she pulls out the gaping teeth and dimples. We tried to trick her, she was not getting her way and as any good drama queen would, she cried. Hard. Dad grabbed the camera cause a crying baby (who isn't hurt) is super cute and he didn't even get one shot in before she pulled this out:

She then proceeded to attack the camera which greatly improved her overall mood, seeing as it distracted her from whatever in the world had previously caused her such angst.

Pictures of Peter

2010-11-06T13:15:00.003-04:00

As we blog, I realize how many traditions we have accumulated over the years. One of them is pictures. For whatever reason, Karen and I decided to have professional pictures taken at ages 2, 5, 8, 12, 16, and 18/19. It's been amazing to see the difference in their faces between the ages of 2 and 5.

Peter turned 5 a couple weeks back and we had his professional pictures taken today. So we're posting newborn, 2, and 5 year pictures for your viewing pleasure.Peter was our tiniest baby at 6 pounds 8 ounces. Tiny tiny...and so fragile. And yet, he had a cute old man face at the same time. His blackened eyes were still recovering from a traumatic birthing procedure. It's amazing any of us survived! :)

Here he is at 2 years old:

And then Peter at 5:

They grow up so fast. It's a good reminder to enjoy each moment of this experience called life.

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T18:04:00.006-04:00

We don't have much in the way of Halloween decorations. Usually it consists only of the carved pumpkins at the front door. We mixed it up a bit by getting a white pumpkin. It made an especially cute ghost.Karen and I are becoming a little better with experience each year. She still does the harder carvings. This year, the wolf was a new addition so she tackled that one with ease. James asked for the spider in the moon. He was very complimentary the whole time Karen and I were carving. I think he recognized how hard it was to carve and it was cute that he was doing his best to be supportive.

Karen went to the attic and dug up this spider to spice things up a little more.

We hosted our first-ever Halloween party. We let the three older kids invite a family of their choice. Karen did a great job at planning the whole event. Lots of games and lots of good food. The donut eating contest always brings a few laughs. No hands allowed as you try to eat a donut tied to a string.

Steven (the baseball player) was a pro and had clean techniques. Ethan (the pirate) thought he could just intimidate the donut into non-existence. Aargh!!!

Luke (Raggedy Andy) decided not to play by the rules and enjoyed his donut like any normal 3-year old would.

This was a family event, so the teenagers and adults who were brave enough took a stab at it. It couldn't be that hard, right?!?!? Hehehe

Another game was a walnut boat race. We stuck little candles in half of an empty walnut shell. The objective was to blow your boat to the other side without blowing out the candle. James (Dracula) won in the kids round.

The Ashby's are a competitive bunch. They almost started a water fight. :)

And Tim (the engineer) knew exactly how do get the job done right.

This year, we decided to recycle through the years of accumulated costumes. So no theme. But the kids didn't care. Anya chose to be a witch (same costume she wore when Luke was born 3 years ago). It still fit...but the dress was now a knee-length skirt. It showed off her black, orange and purple striped socks very well.

Eliza was Raggedy Ann. This was Anya's costume when she was Eliza's age.

And what's Raggedy Ann without Raggedy Andy? Luke was super cute. This is what Mark wore 6 years ago.

This was the only new and original costume this year. Mark was....can you guess? It's a capital E with the universal sign for male. Mark was E male....e-mail. :) He loved it!

James was Dracula. I think this was Mark's costume from a couple years ago. (The teeth were not recycled.)

And Woody! Peter was excited to be Woody this year. This was James' costume from several years ago.

No group shot this year. Just a bunch of mismatched characters who look really cute dressed up. From the pumpkin carving to the party to the dressing up...we had a fun Halloween this year.

Peter Pumpkin Eater Pan Michael Christensen

2010-10-26T11:17:00.002-04:00

Peter is a funny man. Here he is wearing an origami hat that was a gift from James, our resident Origami Master. It's hard to believe that this boy is five now.

Pre-opening

Post-opening

Love, love, love this shot. It was so random, I think he was laughing at his Dad's silly singing, or maybe at his own very cute struggle to blow out the candles. Either way it showcases the heart of this very sweet and happy little guy.

He was very excited about his Diego cake, and Mark was trying really hard to duck out of the shot, to bad buddy, you didn't make it:)

Wendy the Bunny

2010-10-24T13:46:00.006-04:00

We ask that Mark and Anya each produce one original piece of writing a week. Anya got an idea from her cousin Alyssa to write about Wendy the Bunny, whose life is a startling mirror image of hers. Wendy even has four brothers just like Anya . . .

Here are two of Anya's, I mean Wendy's adventures:

How Much Fun Can Be Packed Into One Week?

2010-10-15T10:29:00.012-04:00

48 pictures is how much fun...and that's after being very selective and cutting out many others.

The 2010 Christensen family reunion was held at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. And this was the view we enjoyed from our house each day:There really are 48 pictures in this post. After seeing the Sunday morning sunrise above, you're now down to 47. :) But I think it will go by fast (as fast as our week of fun went by for us). If you want to break this out into segments, this post is broken down by day. So here we go...

SUNDAY

We drove in on a beautiful, sunny Saturday. (We did not see the sun again until we drove away the following Saturday.) Sunday morning, we headed to church. After church, we let the kids explore on the beach. But most of the day was spent exploring the house and enjoying each other's company.

The kids created a "cousin's club" on the top deck and enjoyed their ice cream.

Then we had a family devotional Sunday night. Aunt Laurel kicked it off in classic Christensen style...with the giggles. Anya and Peter were very supportive and encouraging.

Grandpa gave the lesson. The grandkids love to gather around Grandpa and listen to every word he says.

Thanks to Laurel, we had a devotional every day. Each family was given an opportunity to share a spiritual thought. It was a nice close to each day and gave us a chance to relax from the daily activities and just be with each other. I liked it.

MONDAY

Monday, we headed north up to Corolla - almost to where the public road access ends and the wild horses roam free. But we didn't go that far during this trip. We stopped at the Currituck lighthouse. It's privately owned so there were no height restrictions...which meant that all of our kids could climb up. Grandpa "held down the fort" below for good measure.

Once we reached the top, the wind was ferocious! Poor Eliza couldn't breathe and the kids held on to the railing. There wasn't much room to move around so Karen and I were a little worried as well. :) But we enjoyed the view before heading back down the 214 steps.

It is a beautiful lighthouse!

TUESDAY

Tuesday we learned how to make paper airplanes. Yep, no joke! At the Wright Brothers Museum in Kitty Hawk, you learn how to make 3 kinds of airplanes. And boy was it fun! And the instructor was very serious! The adults definitely had as much fun as the kids.

After the Wright Brothers museum, we spent the afternoon on the beach. Eliza didn't last long. She wasn't a fan of the sand.

If Peter knew a picture was being taken, he made a random pose.

Peter took full advantage of his two older brothers buried in sand. And he didn't think they were buried enough...so he started dumping a little more on James' head. What little brother wouldn't take advantage? :)

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday was a lazy day. No planned activities. Just a day to lounge around. We played games, read books, went to the beach, and played some more. The adult kids got to go out to dinner that night without any of their kids. When we got back, we snuck down to the beach to enjoy a few more minutes of freedom. While we were down there, we saw a family with flashlights chasing after something. So we grabbed our own flashlights to see what was out there. We had so much fun, we had to get everyone else involved.

So Laurel and I ran to the store to get enough flashlights and glow sticks to keep track of the kids. Then we came home and got everyone to the beach.

And this is what we were chasing. These little crabs were ALL OVER. And they were all different sizes. And did I mention that they were everywhere?!?!? It was so much fun.

Everyone grouped around someone with a flashlight and chased after the crabs. It was an activity I will never forget.

THURSDAY

Thursday was a very full day. We headed to Manteo Island. This is where the "Lost Colony" of Roanoke was. There was lots to do and see and explore.

James got to try out some armor. He could hardly keep his balance with it all on.

Anya made friends with the local blacksmith and watched him make penny nails.

Mark made instant friends with a man with a hook. The kind man assured Mark that he was not a pirate. I think Mark would have made friends with him either way.

Peter and Luke found the games.

And we were told that this tree was over 500 years old.

There was a museum that was all hands-on. There was a dress up area. So Mark and Anya had some fun with that.

And we couldn't resist dressing up Eliza. I think she looks cute in anything, though. :)

We had never seen such an aggressive side to Peter before! But if you give him a sword, a hook, and a pirate hat--watch out!!! Good thing Grandma knew how to defend herself.

Then Peter got out a little more aggression with a shotgun. I think he's smiling. Does that mean anything?!? :) Luke did a good job with collecting all of the ducks and geese.

Also on the island was an aquarium. Peter's bravery continued as he cautiously placed his hand in the alligator's mouth. I'm pretty sure there was a part of Peter that believed it might actually be real. So he tested it before inserting all of his hand in the mouth.

Luke become best friends with Uncle Harvey.

And Eliza was practicing new sounds with Aunt Laurel.

There was a petting area. I had no idea how soft and velvety sting rays were.

Luke was not afraid to stick his hand in the water. I think he really liked how sting rays felt, too. Each time he touched one, he would cackle with laughter!

Luke's bravery encouraged Aunt Laurel to be brave. But she could never reach down far enough to actually touch one. But she gets props for trying.

There were starfish, too. They were rough...just like I thought. But it was cool to touch one.

The picture below was not part of the petting area. But the glass made everyone feel very safe. It was incredible to see these sharks swim past the kids. They were HUGE!!! And they were just as scary as they are in the movies.

Even after a full day, the neices and nephews begged for a story from Aunt Laurel.

FRIDAY

Some of the family went home on Friday...which was sad. We live so far apart that it would be nice for time to stand still during these reunions. I guess that's why we take pictures. We took a picture of all the cousins first.

Then we got a family shot. With the number of little kids, I'm amazed it turned out as good as it did.

After breakfast, we had one last family gathering before two of the families headed home.

That afternoon, those of us who stayed headed to the beach one last time.

I don't think it's possible to get enough of the beach. Now that we've done all the sightseeing, the next time we go to the Outer Banks, we'll be able to just enjoy the beach. And next time, hopefully we'll see the sun more than the first and last day!

SATURDAY

On Saturday, we knew the sky was clear so we got up early enough to watch the sun rise. It was so worth it!

Then on our way out of town, we stopped at the Wright Brother's museum again. The first day we went, it was raining...so we didn't get to see the Memorial outside. And it's a beautiful memorial. The kids enjoyed playing on the plane.

Boys will be boys.

We hiked up to the monument on the hill. It was a beautiful view from up there. And this shot below really sums up the whole experience for the Wright Brothers. This memorial expresses well the triumph and accomplishment these men made. And the monument in the background is a nice tribute to their persistence and never-give-up attitude.

Then we drove home and left the Outer Banks behind us. It was hard to leave. Which means it was a great trip and a wonderful family reunion! :) Can't wait to do it again.

One of Our Favorite Traditions

2010-10-06T19:39:00.003-04:00

It's birthday season at our home. Eliza turned 1 last month, Mark turned 10 last week, and Luke celebrated his 3rd birthday this week. We have one more to go this month...then one in November, two in January, and one in March before we take a six month break.

But I think Karen and I would both agree that the 3rd birthday is one of our favorite traditions. It's the first time they get some real one-on-one time with Mom and Dad. It's all about them. Since Mark turned 3, we've taken each of them to Chuck E. Cheese's for that particular birthday. No siblings allowed! And I think it's just as fun for the birthday kid as it is for Mom and Dad.

And if you ever want the place to yourself, check out your local Chuck E. Cheese's at 11:30AM on a Monday morning. Boy was it GREAT!!! There were only a handful of people there...so Luke got to spend as much time as he wanted on any game.

He enjoyed watching the show...

and riding the bulldozer from Bob the Builder...

and beating us both at air hockey...

and climbing through the tubes high above the ground.

There's something very satisfying for us as parents knowing that we successfully wore our kids to the point of exhaustion! We had lots of fun and the trip home was very relaxing.

But the fun wasn't over! We opened presents at home. And birthday presents aren't just for the birthday boy when there are other little boys close by. All of his siblings were curious and "helpful" when opening the gifts.

Here's a shot of the whole family. There are six kids in our family...but they sure don't take up a lot of space. I wonder what we'll be thinking when they're all teenagers!!!

We got the puzzle for Grandpa Christensen...I mean Luke. If you want to be best friends with Luke, just offer to do a puzzle with him.

And here's the most unique gift. I'm not sure how Karen found it. But we're still trying to figure out what to do with it. Maybe James will use it for his Halloween costume. So far it's been used as a hat, a rocking chair, a turtle shell, and just something to spin on the floor. If you've ever seen anything like this, let us know how you've seen it used!

Happy 3rd birthday, Luke!!! Thanks for letting us play with you at Chuck E. Cheese's.

Mark's Double Digit Day

2010-09-29T20:14:00.001-04:00

As frightening as it may be for his parents, Mark has turned 10. He has grown into quite a young man. This year was a little bit of a deviation from normal birthday celebrations as we were in the Outer Banks on his actual birthing day, so he got to open his presents 5 days early so that I would have an excuse to not let him bring legos on vacation. So he opened gifts at home and we celebrated the actual day with cake and ice cream at the beach. We are pretty lucky to have him in our family. When he wants to he can be a superbly helpful and sweet boy. So without any further ado, here in living color is our very own Double Digit Preteen.

Birthday Princess

2010-09-20T21:22:00.003-04:00

My oh my has the time flown! It feels like only yesterday we brought this little angel home from the hospital and here we are celebrating her 1st birthday. We tried to keep the number of gifts low since kids this age are usually happier with the cardboard box containing the gift. . .

. . . and well, she clearly thought the paper was for licking.

Now I get the satisfaction of her chewing on the toys and not the wrapping paper:)

No, she wasn't overwhelmed by the, ah, "help" her siblings provided.

Though she was a little unsure of what the large and dark thing was we gave her to eat, it didn't take long . . .

She really enjoys the feel and taste of different textures.

One of her gifts was a toy that I always thought was tons of fun for kids. Don't tell her but they now only manufacture bumbleballs to market for pets. So yes, I bought my infant a dog toy, but she really, really likes it!

The Spider-Froggy-Scooty Crawl

2010-09-05T15:58:00.002-04:00

Eliza has always been very happy to just sit back, relax and watch everything going on around her. Eventually though, she decided that the whole moving thing looked fun. Personally I think she has a fear of falling on her face, but whatever the reason here in all its glory is Eliza's very unusual crawl.

The Conclusion of Shopper Mom's Adventures

2010-09-02T14:58:00.007-04:00

The idealistic promise of 1 day shipping, was almost more than Shopper Mom could bear. It seemed too good to be true! Could it be? Could the infamously elusive box make it here with only one day of processing and one day of shipping? As Shopper Mom checked email and the Walmartwebsite religiously her hope waned. It continued to predict a delivery date farther into the future than she could believe. Would there be no end to this madness? Little Blue Eyes began to feel the loneliness of not sharing a room, while Skinny Princess longed for her own flower covered walls.

It was a long and lonely day of waiting on the edge between hope and despair. Shopper Mom feared that the promises of the desk employee at Walmart would prove faulty. Then out of the swirling dark, a ray of light appeared. Her near constant email checking finally bore fruit. Indeed the processing time was over at last! The website registered the beloved box as having been shipped! With trembling fingers full of anticipation Shopper Mom clicked the link to Track this Order. As the Hallelujah Chorus filled her mind, she read the beautiful words, Shipped FedexPriority Overnight. Ahhh, the peaceful relief filled her soul with the affirmation that the box wasguaranteed to be on her doorstep by 4:30pm the next day. Hope gleamed brightly in her eyes as she informed dear sweet Skinny Princess that tomorrow night she would have her bed. SP replied with "Beeeeedddd!" The joy was evident in her beaming smile.

The last email/computer check for the night revealed that the box was in fact in transit from Kankakee, IL. With peaceful thoughts of bed assembly Shopper Mom drifted softly to sleep. The next morning the package tracking continued. From Illinois, our box stopped in Indiana before heading out to Richmond. By 9 am it was on a truck and out for delivery! With feelings of certainty Shopper Mom and the Team ran their morning errands, even though the chances of the box arriving before 4:30 were slim. Then to everyone's surprise a few minutes before 12, there was a knock at the door. Sure enough the box had arrived at long last.

After a few quick preparations, Shopper Mom and the Team opened all three boxes to reveal beautiful white bunk bed parts. Each was in perfect order with no scratches or other imperfections. Everyone pulled together to help. Shopper Mom, Skinny Princess, Electro Boy, Creator Kid and the Yellow Comic each carefully moved numerous wooden boards upstairs. The different pieces were sorted into SP's bed and LBE's future bed. Little Blue Eyes' bed was put into storage and between Shopper Mom and Skinny Princess the new bed was assembled in about an hour. A second hour saw the completion of the room with toys and books finding their proper places. The joy was full for all as the room was completed. It had been long, long journey with many hopeless moments, but in the end they had overcome the Incompetence Drone once and for all! Emerging victorious, Shopper Mom, Cool Dad and the whole Team felt the joy of a purchase finally completed.

Little Blue Eyes demonstrating her super cuteness standing in her bed skills.

The much anticipated new bed.

Buster Brown expressing the joy of his new digs.

Skinny Princess overjoyed to be in her new bed, in her old room, and happy as can be.

The Adventures of Shopper Mom, part 2

2010-09-01T11:59:00.005-04:00

We find our heroine where we last left her, disappointed and downtrodden in the Customer Service area of the local Walmart.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, but the box just isn't here, It's probably on the truck and will get here tomorrow. You should call after 1pm, to see if it's here." They broke the news as gently as they could. She felt optimistic, and lovingly escorted the two boxes she did have home to the cozy garage to await the arrival of their final component. It was during the storing and examining of the two boxes that Shopper Mom realized that the one that was missing was the box that had arrived first, all by itself, a full 7 days ago. That being the case, surely it wasn't on the truck, but somewhere in the store. She detected the odious scent of the evil Incompetence Drone. But it was late and since nothing more could be done, she went to bed.

The next morning Shopper Mom and the Team were heading home from battling the Evil Mouth People, when they decided that stopping by Walmart was a good idea. Surely the missing box was in the store since it had arrived over a week ago. They marched in there sure of their common sense logic. The Walmart employees looked high and low, and Shopper Mom resisted the urge to insist on looking herself, or telling them to try looking with their eyes open. After all the missing box had dimensions of 7x10x80. How do you lose a 7 foot box?

To no avail, they once again left empty handed with the promise that someone who was more likely to know where the box ended up would call that evening. They went on about their day. After a few hours, Shopper Mom realized that in her haste to remove the Team from the store, she had given them her name and number without the area code. Feeling sure that they would not be able to contact her she called them. There was a great deal of angst as she tried to explain the situation to someone new and panic overtook her when the lady on the phone offered to refund a portion of her payment and then Shopper Mom could reorder that part. She quickly explained that as the box was part of a set of bunk beds, she would not be able to reorder the missing part on her own and the lady understood. Shopper Mom was assured that the someone who knew more would in fact call, just later in the day. With exasperation and chagrin she hung up the phone and tried to concentrate on other things. As the evening drew near, Shopper Mom's agitation began to increase due to the fact that she had not received a call from said Walmart employee. Then shortly before her patience ran out, the phone rang! Walmart, at last! Her joy was soon shattered as the voice on the other end of the line informed her that regardless of their best efforts of searching high and low, the box was nowhere to be found. Frustration now took over as the man on the phone offered to refund the price of the box, just as the lady had earlier in the day. Shopper Mom quickly explained why that was a most backwards idea and he offered that she could call and talk to a manager the next day. Feeling defeated she acquiesced and retired for the evening.

With much anticipation and high strung nerves Shopper Mom dialed the phone. Asking to speak to a manager, she went on to explain once again the pickle that she was in through no fault of her own. He told her he would personally track it down and call her back within the hour. A spark of hope flared up as she sullenly agreed. In the interim she and the Team began their day, and tried desperately to focus on the task at hand. A mere 30 minutes later the call came. The box had been found! The joy was exceeding and the gratitude profuse. In a moment of haste Shopper Mom placed LBE in the pack and play with strict instructions for Buster Brown and the Yellow Comic to get dressed, whilst Electro Boy, Skinny Princess and Creator Kid strip beds and fold laundry until she returned from the desperate mission. She flew through the roads to the store. Once inside the Elderly Greeter Man told her that no one would be back to the Customer Service area for at least 15 minutes. This would not do! She hunted for a manager, someone with authority exceeding that of the EGM. The manager was found and the box was placed on the cart and happily wheeled out to the car. She drove home hurriedly full of anticipation for bed assembly upon her arrival. Once safely in the garage, she carefully removed the box from the car and set it on the garage floor. Immediately she realized there was a problem. Shopper Mom had made a terrible mistake. The box rattled with the sound of metal striking metal. O Horror, she thought, but my beloved bunk beds are made of wood. Sure enough upon further examination she discovered that this box was NOT her box.

Unbelievable! Insurmountable! Outrageous!

This box was a brass bed frame for one Kim Palmer. What were the chances that two people had issues with site to store bed orders at the same time. No really, what are the chances? It's got to be like one in a thousand or something!

Feeling crushed she entered the house. Action was needed, but food was needed first. Little Blue Eyes needed a bottle and Shopper Mom in her haste had neglected to feed herself this morning as well. Sustenance was inhaled and plans were laid. She and the Team would storm the store and sort this out once and for all. No more phone calls, no more pointless trips, this would be resolved today! They piled into the Shopper Mobile, and were on their way. Upon arrival, they managed to enter the store with minimal damage to property or life. (You try maneuvering a 7 foot box on the back of a cart through doors that are only 4 feet wide while keeping track of 6 Team members.) The one salvation for Shopper Mom was the employee working at the desk who had previously been a party to this particular issue, so thankfully less explaining was needed. Managers were called, discussion was had. The desk employee called the website people and after 40 minutes of discussion and Shopper Mom reminding the Team to stop running around the Customer Service area, a solution seemed on the horizon.

A new box, the right box, would be sent. But when? and How long would it take? The questions burned on her lips while the desk employee skittered back and forth between the computer and the phone. Absentmindedly, Shopper Mom noted how terribly inefficient it was to have the phone and the computer twelve feet apart. Nonetheless success was imminent. Shopper Mom learned that in order to right this great wrong, the missing box would need to be entered into the computer as received and found wanting or broken. It could then be returned and a replacement box would be shipped as swiftly as Walmartly possible. When she received the information that the computer system would need about 2 hours to process and recognize the return, she opted to remove the Team from the pandemonium that was nearing.

Once safely retired to the secret lair, they waited with baited breath for the phone call that all was well and would bring the joyous news of the box's departure. Shopper Mom picked up on the second ring and followed the instructions to electronically sign an affidavit acknowledging the return of the nonexistent box in order to move forward with the release of a new box. Emails were sent, and speedy delivery was promised. In the meantime, Shopper Mom and the Team scurried off to Skinny Princess's piano lessons and a very brief trip to the park, per the request of Creator Kid for great waiting skills during the morning's excursion. All that was left to do was wait and check email, then check the website and wait some more.

Though victory seems near, Who can tell? Will the bed arrive? More Importantly, will it arrive soon? and Will Skinny Princess ever feel the joy of sleeping in a real bed again?

This and more on the next adventure of Shopper Mom!

The Adventures of Shopper Mom

2010-09-01T11:32:00.005-04:00

This is the story of Shopper Mom and her courageous team of Shoppers in Training: Electro Boy, Skinny Princess, Creator Kid, The Yellow Comic, Buster Brown, and Little Blue Eyes.

Together they strive for sanity and simplicity in the dangerous realm of Purchasing.

One day Shopper Mom noticed that Buster Brown was having a difficult day. Hmm, she thought, perhaps he's not getting enough sleep. This continued for several days and when checked in on at night BB was never to be found in his bed. His first choice of accommodations was usually snuggling into the extra large sleeping area designated for EB(Electro Boy), though he did on occasion bunk with SP(Skinny Princess), and with Shopper Mom and Cool Dad. He even resorted to collapsing for the night on the floor. After some deep and introspective conversation, Shopper Mom and Cool Dad deduced that BB needed a bigger and better bed.

The Search Was On!

They looked high and low on every website that Shopper Mom could think of, while still keeping the price in the ballpark of "not crazy'. Finally she narrowed it down to four options, which she naturally entered into a spreadsheet for pro/con and cost comparison viewing. Once again she met for deep discussion with Cool Dad and the Bunk Bed Solution was chosen. A new set of white bunk beds would be bought for the current and future use of SP, and LBE(Little Blue Eyes). The chosen set was purchased on Walmart.com using the ever savvy site to store option.

A few days passed.

As the bunk beds which were shipped in three separate boxes began their journey to the destination store, Shopper Mom felt certain enough to purchase the next piece of the Solution, a mattress for BB. The chosen item was checked out online with Sam's Club's very nifty buy online and pick up in store option. Since Cool Dad was away on Top Secret and therefore uberimportant studying time, Shopper Mom was obliged to bring the entire team for the retrieval of the mattress. Despite the hardship of a 40 min drive with a mattress over their heads, Electro Boy, Creator Kid and The Yellow Comic survived the lack of breathable air, while Buster Brown, Skinny Princess and Little Blue Eyes handled plastic flapping in their faces so that BB could have a new bed to sleep in. The boys room was rearranged and cleaned and in no time at all BB had a big boy bed which was very comfortable.

All was almost well in the Shopper household except for . . . the new bunk bed set. Despite Shopper Mom's certain feelings all did not go as expected. Six days after ordering 1 of 3 boxes arrived at the destination. With all good intentions of saving gas and time, Shopper Mom let it sit and wait until the other two boxes arrived. Days passed. Email was checked, repeatedly. Again and again she checked thinking surely by now they will have arrived. After all how does a one hour drive take 2 days? How many coffee and donut stops do these guys need anyway? While her agitation ratcheted up a notch at a time, SP passed the nights on her lonely mattress on the floor of the boys room. In the beginning it was exciting and fun, but after a time the fun began to fade.

Eventually, (okay about7 days later) the much anticipated boxes arrived at their destination and cried for retrieval. Being always ready to roll Shopper Mom strapped up and headed out into the dark at 9pm on a Monday evening. She maneuvered deftly over the twisting and turning roads, always on the lookout for the occasionally suicidal deer who try their best to impede any trip at all. Before long she found herself safely at her destination. She proudly presented her paper to claim the much planned for boxes. They were here, the store guys assured her, they just must have been put in the back. No problem! she exclaims, I need to buy some diapers, I'll meet you back here in 5. Diapers were bought and a few other odds and ends(this is Shopper Mom you know), and she returned to find not three but two boxes waiting for her. As her spirits sank, she worried, disappointed but unaware of the nightmare before her.

What will happen to Shopper Mom? Will she find the third box? Will Skinny Princess be doomed to sleep on the floor forever? Or will Buster Brown be forced to bedless again?

Tune in next time for the exciting conclusion, same Shopper Mom, same Shopper Blog!

School Pictures

2010-08-18T17:45:00.004-04:00

Every August we have school picture day. I started the tradition a few years ago, once Mark and Anya were old enough to be in "grades". Mostly I do it for their baby books, to help chronicle their growing up in a way that only annual pictures can. So without further ado, or nonsense of any kind, this year's portfolio. (Also, we have been watching ALOT of Lois&Clark on Netflix, hence Mark's best superman impression.)

Liken the Scriptures

2010-08-11T17:48:00.004-04:00

A few months ago we instituted a new family government of sorts. We made some firm changes in our discipline techniques. It's all about teaching kids (and adults) to have self control. That can seem fairly obvious, but we break it down to the point of helping them understand that they do in fact have control over how they react in any given situation. Getting angry is a choice, just like choosing a blue shirt or a red one. Granted it is a much more difficult choice, but it is a choice.

Anyway, as part of this new government we have some set consequences for certain "offenses", such as an extra chore for disobedience. One of the more severe consequences is a designated amount of scripture reading time followed by an oral report and discussion. This is one that they sometimes don't mind and sometimes hate. However this past Monday we had several altercations between certain small, male family members, which in the end required the enforcement of said consequence. Mark earned 10 minutes and James earned 15 (he was involved in both altercations).

Incident #1 - Breakfast time - Mark asked Anya to move from a certain chair that he "sits in half the time." Anya didn't hear him and didn't move. James jumped in and told Mark he was lying about how much he sits in that chair. Mark responded with the ever brilliant "You're a stupid dummy." Creative, I know.

Incident #2 - Peter was putting stickers on cars. James thought this was a bad idea, so he took the book of stickers away. Peter responded by throwing the cars at James, who replied by grabbing Peter's arm until he cried.

So, after all was said and done Mark got his reading done with 1 Nephi 7 (purely random). In that chapter Nephi is teaching righteous things and Laman & Lemuel don't like it. So they tie him and plan to leave him for wild beasts. A son and daughter of Ishmael plead for his release and eventually after many prayers, hearts are softened and Nephi is untied. (This is all according to Mark, by the way.) Somehow I was greatly blessed with inspiration and through my discussion with Mark we talked about whether he was being Nephi, or Laman/Lemuel about his situation. He clearly didn't like what James had said to him, but he realized that he had chosen the Laman/Lemuel response of striking out at what you don't like. We talked about choosing to be better and how he could choose to be like Nephi and not get angry regardless of what anyone says to him.

Now James, who is easily overcome by emotion was having trouble just knowing where to read, so I pointed him to Helman 5, cuz that's the first thing that came to mind. This is what James got out of the chapter, which he didn't quite finish: Nephi and Lehi, sons of Helaman, not the first ones, were teaching people who were being very bad. They were sad and remembered what their father had told them about having faith. The bad people threw them in prison and probably threw things at them, they prayed and Heavenly Father sent a pillar of fire to protect them. Remember I was really on a roll, so we jumped right in with remembering what his (James) father has taught him. He declared that David had taught him absolutely nothing, so I prodded with a few questions to lead him to realize that while his Dad doesn't sit down and formally teach him everyday, that he teaches through his example. He teaches him to have faith, and to be nice, etc. Then we moved on to the people who were coincidentally (okay maybe) throwing things at Nephi and Lehi. We talked about how they didn't grab anyone's arm, or even get angry about it, they just prayed. He knew pretty quick that even if he prayed that Heavenly Father was not likely to send down a pillar of fire when Peter throws things at him, but that something else would happen that would help. Perhaps something as simple as a prompting to leave the room, or to speak kindly to Peter. Either way, if he prays, the Lord will help him through anything.

I honestly don't know if those discussions had any effect on my boys, but they did on me. I have never really had an easy time with 'likening the scriptures', so it was rather enlightening to have it be so clear so suddenly. And the fact that Mark picked his own chapter to read that fell right in line with what had happened, plus me picking Helaman 5 out of the air, well it was amazing. I am really glad that we picked this as a consequence, and I hope that it will, over time, help our children to have experiences of turning to the scriptures for help with life's problems. I never really saw how that worked before, but now I know it does.

Mount Vernon

2010-08-07T09:31:00.008-04:00

Not sure why we chose the end of July to visit Mount Vernon...but it was still a fun trip. We didn't even see half of the estate so we'll go back again (in the Fall when the weather is cooler).

George Washington is exactly right - "No estate in United America is more pleasantly situated than this..." 8000 acres of fields of grass, woodland, pastures, livestock, gardens...all overlooking the Potomac River. It was absolutely beautiful.

The trees were no mighty redwoods of California, but they were massive for the east coast. These trees lined the several paths that led to Washington's estate. He was all about formality...and you can see that in the landscape, architecture, and gardens.

Here's a closeup of the house. I always thought it was stone. It's actually pinewood that has been grooved to look like stone. When the paint was wet, they threw fine sand on it to give the appearance of stone. Rustification is what the practice was called. And it looks really cool!

Just behind the house, the backyard gradually descends and then drops off to the Potomac. Not a bad view. We couldn't take pictures inside the mansion but we could take pictures in the two seperate wings attached to the mansion. The one in the picture below was their kitchen.

Here's the back of Washington's mansion.

And this is what the Washington's saw as they sat on their back porch:

There are even better views than this, but I already have a lot of pictures in this post. You'll just have to visit the estate yourself to see it all. :)

As was common for the time, the Washington's were self-sufficient. They had sheep and hogs and horses and chickens...maybe someday we'll have our own little estate. Luke enjoyed exploring it all.

What is it about piglets that are so cute? There were about a dozen of them and for some reason everybody was attracted to the hog pen.

While we were waiting in line to walk through the mansion, we came across the "necessary." I won't go into the details...but it's the most sophisticated kind of outhouse around.

After touring the mansion, we strolled down to the Potomac.

And secluded in a wooded area between the mansion and the Potomac lies General George Washington with his wife, Martha. During the 100 year anniversary of the Boy Scouts, these young men have an opportunity to participate in the official wreath-laying ceremony at the tomb. And they earn a special patch. Wouldn't it be cool to be a boy scout this year?!?

Washington's hand is at the perfect level for little boys. :) Peter and Luke were anxious to go on a walk with Washington and his family.

In one hallway of the museum, there were photographs of all the U.S. Presidents who have visited Mount Vernon. I especially liked this particular photograph of Ronald Reagan with his wife, Nancy. I miss the leadership of Ronald Reagan.

And I long for another leader like George Washington. This is the original painting of "The Prayer at Valley Forge" by Arnold Friberg. He recently passed away on July 1, 2010. Since his passing, this original work of art has been valued at $12,000,000. So here's a picture of $12 million dollars. :)

Although George Washington considered himself a farmer above everything else, he was so much more. He was a humble and inspired servant of the Almighty God. What a treat to be able to walk in his yard and in his home. We look forward to meeting him one day.

Mount Vernon Posting Delayed

2010-08-01T21:17:00.007-04:00

I don't think I have time to tell you about our little adventure to Mount Vernon yesterday. So to maintain your interest until then, here are the two youngest in our family to entertain you.

Luke is a firecracker and always fun to play with. He'll be 3 in October.

And here is a real treat. Eliza is 10 months old. I refer to her as our lazy baby. Think about what a typical 10 month old does--Eliza doesn't. But she makes plenty of noise and has figured out her own unique way of moving around. She recently discovered the air vents. And although she can't breath when she puts her face over it...she just can't resist. Enjoy!

Faith and Prayer

2010-07-26T21:43:00.002-04:00

The purpose of this blog is two-fold.
1) To share current events for family and friends who live far away.
2) To be a family journal for us.

The blog today is simply for family journal reasons. If you choose to continue reading...just know that nothing exciting or funny will be shared. There's no punchline or profound statement embedded here. If you get bored--it's your own fault. :)

Tonight, Karen taught the FHE lesson (in part to achieve her Young Womanhood Recognition award as an adult leader). She tied in the principles of faith and prayer with the scheduled topic of Solomon. Solomon prayed for wisdom to be a better servant of the people and he had faith that his prayer would be answered. So we all took turns sharing our personal stories.

Anya went first and shared that she had lost her word search puzzle book and couldn't find it. So she decided to pray. She looked some more and found it. Karen and I were able to point out that answers to prayers sometimes requires action on our part. We can't pray for something and then just wait for the answer. We have to continue to search after we pray.

Then James reminded us of the time when Peter and Luke were especially fussy and cranky one night. It was keeping him from falling asleep. So he prayed that they would settle down. And Heavenly Father answered his prayer for a few minutes. Then they got fussy again so he prayed...again. And they calmed down...again...and this time fell asleep. We testified that perseverance is an important quality when praying for an answer.

Mark said that he recently lost all of his "business" papers for a venture he has developed. He told himself that if he couldn't find them, he would pray. Well, he couldn't find them so he prayed. And he had a good feeling for about 5 seconds. But he still couldn't find them. Karen encouraged him to clean his room today. When he was about half way done, he found his business papers. It was an opportunity for Karen to point out that because he was obedient and cleaned his room, Heavenly Father was able to answer his prayers. Sometimes prayers aren't answered immediately like they were for James and Anya. But all sincere prayers are eventually answered.

Karen talked about how she lost a horseshoe when she was about Mark or Anya's age. She looked everywhere but couldn't find it. Then she prayed. And she looked in the very same spot she had looked before...but this time she saw it. That provided us an opportunity to help the kids realize that sometimes prayers are answered by Heavenly Father helping us to see things differently.

And then I shared how my prayers were answered about when to serve a mission. And the spirit testified to me of that sacred event in my life. I had been praying about when to serve during my first term in college. I happened to tell my mom and dad about my search for the answer during conference weekend. My mom joked that maybe the answer would come during the Priesthood session of conference. I remember walking to the building where conference was being broadcast. I remember sitting down on a folding chair in the back row near the door. And I remember the feeling I had as the Missionary Training Center choir was introduced...and the continued feeling as talk after talk after talk focused on or mentioned missionary service. My answer was clear. We were able to emphasize to the kids the importance of being in the right place as we desire answers to our prayers.

It was a wonderful night filled with personal accounts of faith-building testimonies. Karen is an incredible matriarch for this family. Our prayer tonight is that this little family will continue to be protected, strengthened, and blessed by the tender mercies of God.

Spiders Aren't Invited

2010-07-11T20:19:00.003-04:00

Sorry--no pictures for this post. My stomach couldn't handle it. Plus, if you saw the size of this spider, you'd realize it doesn't take much to make me squirm.

Sometime between sitting down on our bedroom floor to change Luke's diaper and getting ready for family prayer tonight, I sat on a spider. But the story is a little better than that.

After I changed Luke, Anya shared her first written story with me and Karen. And that got us into a discussion about sentence structure and components of a sentence. If you knew me while in school, you would know that I absolutely LOVED dissecting sentences in English class. That and geometry were my two favorite subjects before discovering music theory and history.

Anyway, as I was energetically talking about sentence structure, Peter called my attention to a spot on the carpet that had the looks of a squished spider - you know, the ones with the body intact but legs curled. I backed away like any protective patriarch would...and Peter calmly went to get a tissue and pick up the "dead" spider. But when Peter picked it up and looked at the tissue, his eyes got wide.

And I backed up further...leaving my 4 year old to fend off the spider alone.

What kind of a father am I?!? I left Peter in a time of need. Fortunately, Karen was close and grabbed the tissue to finish what I had started when I sat down.

The kids wanted to know how to dissect my colorful expression: Oh my holy freakin' cow!

I'll never like spiders. I'm glad Peter is brave.

Luke Doesn't Nap Anymore

2010-06-27T21:34:00.005-04:00

Why do we even have beds for little people under the age of 3? I've lost track of time...but Luke quit taking scheduled naps quite a while ago. You know that phase of childhood--where the toddler just runs his or herself on raw energy until they collapse? Yep, we're 5 for 5 with this phase. Luke did not disappoint.

Even at bedtime, he usually prefers someone else's bed. James was the lucky candidate on this particular night.
At least Luke is obedient. We'll ask him to come lie down for a diaper change. Only sometimes Karen or I will get distracted with something else and forget we told Luke to come lie down. We have found him several times in this position:

I suppose sitting exerts some energy as well. He uses these chairs to catapult himself onto our bed. He's good entertainment awake or asleep.

I'm not sure why he would have chosen the middle of the kitchen floor. Perhaps he asked someone to open the fridge...no one heard...and he got tired of waiting?

This one is another unique position. He'll pull the piano bench up to the computer to watch. But no one was around when we found him like this. Good thing he doesn't squirm when he sleeps. Those wood floors have no buoyancy.

But here's Luke when he's wide awake! Two year old little people are by far my most absolute favorite. I'm glad we have one more coming up through the ranks before we're done with this phase of our lives.

Here's a bonus video footage. Luke jumps out of his seat in the car whenever he sees an American flag. And the way he says it is worth recording. Luke says, "Mewica flag." This isn't his best example...but it's what we've captured on record so far. And apparently, this particular flag he's referring to is Mark's. So it's "Mawk's Mewica flag."

Innocence Lost

2010-06-25T23:29:00.004-04:00

It was midsummer this week. And we celebrated in traditional style. It was even more authentic because a strong storm had knocked the power out.

"If you want to introduce this delightful summertime custom into your family's repertoire of pastimes, begin by telling your children that legend says that on Midsummer Night, the fairy realm holds its annual revels and is visible to human eyes (if you're lucky enough to notice), as William Shakespeare reminds us in A Midsummer Night's Dream. And the fairies expect a party." --Mrs. Sharp's Traditions So we pulled out Anya's tea set and provided the fairies a muffin, raspberry, and jelly bellies...with a cup of juice. If we provide refreshments, the fairies provide a gift.

This year, however, Mark saw the gift "the fairies" (i.e.: Karen) were making out in the garage. So did James.

It's tough growing up.

Mark was pretty upset to learn that fairies weren't real...or Santa...or the Tooth Fairy...or...and I wasn't prepared in the slightest for that kind of conversation. But we had it. Mark wanted Karen to lose her privileges for 24 hours for lying (that's the consequence in our home for lying). He told us that he had some doubts all along...but still believed. He took it pretty hard.

Anya came up to Karen a few weeks ago and stated/questioned, "Fairies aren't real, are they?" Karen answered truthfully and shared the importance of childhood fantasy and make believe and imagination. Anya took it very differently than Mark. She knows Santa and fairies aren't real, but enjoys believing simply for the fun of childhood. I wish I could remember what that phase of life felt like.

But Mark's ok now. And he has promised not to spoil it for the younger ones. James never said anything. I think he still wants to believe, too.

This year we also found that the fairies moved into one of the trees in the backyard. Anya was the first to discover it.

The light by the door turns on at night to let us know when they're home. :)

I think this is one of Anya's favorite celebrations. She was holding onto one of her fairy dolls while looking out the window watching for the fairies to begin dancing in the yard at dusk.

What if adults exercised a little more childhood innocence?

2nd Annual Family Campout

2010-06-12T10:06:00.007-04:00

Last year we finally got a tent that was big enough for our entire family. And we're determined to do at least one, if not two or three, campouts each year. This year we chose to go to Luray Caverns (the largest cave system east of the Mississippi) and enjoy a little portion of the Shenandoah Valley.

Before we share how wonderful this weekend was (and it really was), we must first be honest and state that camping is sometimes over-glorified. :) Karen noted that the magazines never show the hikers and campers hot and sweaty...and rarely do you see little kids tagging along. :)Unless you luck out and get the perfect weather with 70s during the day and 50s at night...calling it the "great outdoors" is a bit of a stretch. It was hot and humid but at least there wasn't any rain. And we continue to learn how to be better campers with each trip. So by the time our kids are older and we can do longer trips, we'll be pros!

Mark, Anya, and James really are the best three amigos around. They've always been close and they tend to stick together no matter where we go. We found a campsite that was minutes from Luray Caverns. When we set up camp, the larger fire pit was in sunlight...so we chose a fire pit closer to the trees for some refreshing shade. :) We might be crazy and camp with a 9, 8, 7, 4, 2, and 9 month old...but we're not afraid to make life a little more comfortable while we're at it.

Eliza really liked the grass. And of course, everyone really likes Eliza. :)

Although it wasn't anywhere near bedtime, the kids enjoyed a little break inside the tent once everything was set up.

In Luray, there is a Carillon of forty-seven bells. And each Thursday in June there is a live 45-minute recital. It was absolutely beautiful--the setting and the music. We've included one of the many recordings we made at the end of the post. After the recital, we got to meet the Carillonneur, David Breneman. I wanted to take his picture (for this post, of course!) but when he exited the tower he was friendly but shy. And it was very clear he wasn't comfortable talking with people so I didn't want to make him uncomfortable by asking for a picture. We thanked him and that was what really mattered.

After the live recital, we headed back to camp and enjoyed the cool weather and fire before going to bed. There's something really cute about a 2 year old camper.

The next morning we headed to Luray Caverns. It's somewhere underneath this building! Inside the building, there is a door that leads you right down to the cavern. At it's greatest depth, we were 164 feet below the ground.

The tour itself was a strange morph between a live tour guide and an audio tour. It was kind of obnoxious because the tour guide walked us through the cavern but then stopped us periodically and told us what number to type in to our headsets to learn about what we were looking at. So it was usually quiet and we had to stay with our group. If we were running Luray Caverns, we would just let people go at their own pace and have tour guides throughout the caverns to make sure people were safe and keep everyone moving along and answer random questions. But we're just a family who had to sell our first-born to afford this overly-priced experience so why would they listen to us. :)

The audio tour was really fun for the kids. There was a kids version that had them look for different formations in the cavern. With the headphones on, Peter couldn't hear himself talk. So it was especially cute when Peter found what the audio recording told him to look for and he yelled it out. There were many giggles in the crowd. Mark chose to do the adult version and really picked up some cool facts. All-in-all, it was an incredible cavern.

Peter couldn't stop looking up at everything. And as you look through more pictures, you'll notice one other thing he couldn't stop doing the whole tour...

Anya was very studious with a bit of sass.

In the next couple of pictures, there's a small body of water in the background which gives the illusion that the cavern is much bigger in this area than it actually is. It was amazing to see.

The water is to the right of the walkway. Even seeing it in real-life, it was difficult to convince the eyes that it was a reflection because the water was so still.

Ok, can you pick up on what Peter needs to do by now? A long tour can feel like an eternity to a little boy who has to go to the bathroom! :) We're trying to break him of the habit...

Eliza slept through most of it. And everyone around us was wishing they could be in one of these by the end of the tour. Sometimes I wish I was a baby again just to remember what it felt like to be carried everywhere.

And look! A picture with the entire family! You can even see Eliza's sleeping head poking around my shoulder. Soak it in...because it's rare that we actually have a picture with the ENTIRE family. It may be another few years before you'll see one again.

We can't wait to learn where our tent will take us next year! Actually, we learned so much this camping trip about how to make things go smoother that we might do another trip this Fall so we don't have to wait another year before implementing some of those things we learned. Is that sick or what?!? :)

Here's the video of the Carillon. There were so many classical songs played that we were pleasantly surprised when we heard this tune...sorry, Blogger is having technical difficulties and I've been sitting here since 10AM waiting for this to load. I guess the computer won the patient contest.

Business Trips May 2010

2010-05-23T19:35:00.008-04:00

Two week long trips in the first three weeks of May. God bless Karen, right? :) In a few years from now she'll be able to join me on some of these trips while Mark and Anya take care of the kids...but that's down the road a little. This month I've been able to see two cities I've never visited before. So I took advantage of my evenings...and an afternoon here and there...to see the sites.

How can you visit Seattle and not walk through Pike's Place Market?!? I felt like a tourist with my camera...but I got over my issues because no one I saw there would ever see me again. So I enjoyed being a tourist!

This farmer's market is massive! Level upon level and a never-ending walk way...it was awesome to be there. And we all know about the flying fish there. Here it is:And there was live music that was actually pretty good. Seattle was a very different city than others I've visited. I loved the atmosphere. And the architecture was amazing. So unique.

I was surprised to see how the Space Needle was separated from the rest of the city. I thought it was closer to downtown. The Needle was fun to see.

The last day of the trip we got out of our meetings early in the afternoon. So I took advantage and headed south to the Capital building in Olympia. It was a beautiful setting.

And Mount Rainier. What a sight to behold! It took the entire week before I could see it. I was asking EVERYBODY where the best place to see it would be. And everyone kept saying "you can't miss it." But with the slightest overcast in the area, the active volcano blends in and is hidden from sight. It's over 14,000 feet...and from where I took this picture in Tacoma, it was easily 60 miles away. Imagine how giddy I was when I finally saw it. Yep...pretty giddy. :)

I drove and I drove and I drove...trying to soak it all in. On a clear day, you really can't miss it. And it was as beautiful as you can imagine. It was even more amazing as the sun set.

And then flying home, I was hoping to be on the side of the plane that Mount Rainier was on. But no luck. So I snapped this picture of the Cascades in the distance. From a landscape perspective, I don't think I've ever been to a more diverse city. Seattle was beautiful.

This past week, I took another business trip...this time to Philadelphia. Being enamored with history, I spent an evening at Valley Forge. If you're interested, this blog better describes my feelings. I loved walking where George Washington walked during that pivotal turning point of the Revolutionary War. This was his headquarters from December 1777-June 1778.

This is where his guards were stationed...twelve men to a cabin.

Although not a single fire was shot here, 2,000 men died for our country. This was hallowed ground.

Unlike Valley Forge, Independence Hall was crawling with tourists! I thought a Thursday afternoon would be rather quiet, but every school district in the area must have planned a field trip for the day I went. Once most of the kids started the tour and went inside, I was able to hear myself think and enjoyed the atmosphere a little more. The Declaration of Independence was signed here on July 4, 1776. Eleven years later on September 17, 1787, our Constitution was completed here at Independence Hall. Some of the best men to ever walk the earth were right here a little over 200 years ago.

On the west wing of Independence Hall, two original documents of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were on display (they weren't the ceremonial documents). They were in a dark room and no flash photography was allowed. There was an incredible spirit of reverence in that room. Following my historical treat, I walked down the road about a mile to view the future site of the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 1739 Vine St. And it appears to be a parking lot. :) I checked my coordinates on the GPS and looked at the street signs on either end of the block. If the address is correct, this has to be the place.

This is what you see looking across Vine St. It's near the heart of Philly...and only a mile from where this nation was founded. A prime location. I wonder when they plan to break ground?

And then on my drive home from Philadelphia, I saw the D.C. Temple. Yes, I took the picture while I was driving...some would say it's a talent. My wife and mother may disagree. But this was a beautiful site after being away from home so much.

Now I'm off to Virginia Beach, Newport News, Lynchburg, and Abingdon, Virginia. Followed by every city and town found on the map of North Carolina. I know...Karen deserves anything she wants after all these trips.

Bonding Is More Important Than Comfort

2010-05-16T13:16:00.005-04:00

And a pretty setting helps balance out the lack of comfort, as well. This past weekend, I took the three older boys (Mark 9, James 7, and Peter 5) to a yearly Father and Son camp out. The campground was just beyond the silo and barn in the pictures below.

And this is what was coming towards us as we drove into camp. Personally, I love rain when camping. But I prefer to get the camp set up before the rain comes. And dealing with rain while camping is much easier when I'm not responsible for three little boys. When did I grow up?

I took advantage of the scout tents and cots they had available. Scout camp begins in another two weeks so we did the camp a favor by setting up the campsite and we had the benefit of a little added comfort. Cots are so much better than rocks and roots and miscellaneous bumps in the ground. Mark and James stayed in one tent.

And I got to sleep with Peter in the other. Mark and James are certain that they stayed up till 1:15 in the morning...regardless of how many times I remind them that they had no watch in their tent. But "it was pitch black..." so in their minds, it HAD to be 1:15 in the morning. Regardless what time they fell asleep, Peter and I were out by 10:30 listening to the last drops of the evening rain.

Morning came and things were a little wet outside, but there was no more rain in the forecast. And the rain brought a little cooler weather so that was nice. We enjoyed some breakfast and other activities that morning.

Like finding walking sticks (James has an unseen power that draws him to the best walking sticks around. I think we have a collection of about six in our garage.) and hiking over creeks and on bridges.

Mark and James always stayed together as we were walking. I would love to know what they talked about! I stayed behind with Peter. As you can see, he enjoyed taking his time with his hands behind his back.

The boys got to check out the shooting range.

Since I had three boys with me, I could never find a convenient time to take a picture of them actually shooting the gun. My job was to make sure they kept the gun pointed TOWARDS the target. So I took a picture after the fact...more for them than for the blog...so they could remember. Mark and James have been to a shooting range before but this was Peter's first time. I aimed the gun and he pulled the trigger.

And then we pulled off the highway on our way home to enjoy some more scenery. Maybe next year I'll try to get in one of these pictures so it looks more like a Father and Son camp out.

Despite not having the comforts of home, I look forward to spending some time with my boys...slowing down the hectic daily schedule of life and being reminded of what really matters. And next year, I think I'll even give up the comfort of a scout tent and cots so we can all sleep in the same tent and enjoy even more bonding. Then Mark and James can prove to me that they can stay up till 1:15 in the morning. :)

Comic Book Artist

2010-04-29T17:39:00.003-04:00

Mark decided to write and illustrate a comic book. Then he came to me with a list of lumber and supplies, asking to build a stand of some sort and copies of his comic book so he could sit at the end of the driveway and sell his comic book. No, he's not ambitious or anything:) So we compromised and scanned his comic book for all to enjoy.

What Happens In A Month?

2010-04-24T10:27:00.006-04:00

Recognizing how busy our lives are becoming will help us keep things in check. Although we haven't found time to blog lately, we're enjoying lots of family time. And that's what really matters. But we thoroughly enjoy blogging because this is our family journal. So I'm making time on this rainy Saturday morning to share what has happened over the past few weeks.

James' birthday was March 30. He turned 7...and boy has he grown up lately. He's learning to control his emotions and he's excited to get baptized next year. Speaking of baptisms, we got to visit cousins in Northern Virginia a couple weeks ago for Alyssa's baptism. We didn't take our camera...but it was a great visit.

James absolutely loves hats. I can't wait to visit him when he's 30 and see his hat collection. Happy birthday, James!For April Fool's, I stayed home from work and surprised the kids with a day of bowling. How cute are they in bowling shoes?!? One round of bowling for everyone took nearly two hours.

It will be a while before we go bowling again...maybe when they're all teenagers. But it was a fun experience.

And it's been a while since we posted a picture of Eliza. She is 7 months old now. And she seems to be staying a "baby" a little longer than the others...which we're totally ok with. :) We call her our lazy baby and we enjoy watching her develop in what seems like slow motion.

Mark earned his bear badge in cub scouts on April 14th. He has become close friends with Steven and Alex.

Last weekend we headed to Kentucky to enjoy the Opening Ceremonies for the Kentucky Derby that will be held on May 1st. And how can you visit Kentucky without going to a horse park?!? So we did.

Oh my goodness!!! Is this actually a picture of the whole family?!? Actually...it's not. 'Cuz you can't see Eliza in the stroller. But it's close. Sorry for the teaser. :)

And what else would you see at a horse park than beautiful horses? The painted horse was one of my personal favorites. And after the allergies hit from all the dust and horses...that's saying a lot...because after the visit, I was no longer a big fan of horses. :)

The Arabian horse was another beautiful breed. Probably, in part, because it was in the traditional tack. There were many other breeds...but since we're catching up on a month, I had to be very selective in the pictures.

The whole reason for going to Kentucky was to experience Thunder Over Louisville. It's the official kick-off for the Kentucky Derby festivities. Downtown Louisville along the Ohio River, Thunder Over Louisville presents a 6-hour air show and boasts the largest annual pyrotechnics display in North America. And, despite the chill of the April evening, they didn't disappoint.

We saw all sorts of aircraft--but I'm not an aircraft buff so I don't really know how to describe them. :) But there were bombers and choppers and civilian aircraft and parachuters and traditional air show stuff. It was all very cool.

One of the cooler acts was after sunset. A plane displayed its very own fireworks show from what appeared to be its wingtips. And it wasn't just a one-and-done type act. This plane flew around for a solid 5-10 minutes with fireworks. It was an amazing sight. Grandma and Grandpa Christensen drove from St. Louis to meet us there. In the picture below, you can see all the boats in the river. It's a huge event that brings in about half a million people each year.

And another cool event that took place after sunset was two huge American flags flown in on airplanes and circling downtown Louisville for the National Anthem. The picture below shows one of two barges brought in carrying all the fireworks. If you click on the picture and blow it up, you'll see how HUGE the barge is. And this is one of TWO. Let's just say there were a lot of fireworks.

And, of course, the camera died at the beginning of the fireworks show. So the picture below does not do the event any justice. There were 3 or 4 finales that literally would have filled this picture frame completely. You can see the little moon above these fireworks. Well, during any of the finales, those fireworks went well above where we could see the moon and covered the entire span of the bridge. It was amazing. And lots of fun. But boy did it get cold after the sun set!

We've learned to be very relaxed when we take road trips. Fortunately, we still make good time. But we don't feel rushed and I think it helps the kids enjoy the trip a little more. Peter is in the process of being potty-trained...and we learned quickly the importance of finding a rest area just as soon as possible after he announced he had to go. This particular rest area in West Virginia was especially beautiful. So we stayed a little longer and let the kids run around while Karen fed Eliza her bottle. When I retire, I want to buy a motor home so we can travel the country.

So that's what has occupied some of our time over the past month. I loved all the snow we had this past winter. But Spring is one of my four most favorite seasons. :) And we're taking advantage of everything Spring has to offer us.