Birthdays and Blessings

Ok. The first picture has absolutely nothing to do with this post. But are those not the two sweetest faces you have ever seen?!? Seriously. We are so incredibly happy that our kids love each other (most of the time). I think Anya is the best big sister ever. And who couldn't love Peter? We've had a lot happen since we came home with Eliza. Two birthdays and one blessing to be exact. So here's a visual history of the past few events.

Mark turned 9 at the end of September.

Eliza Rose Christensen was blessed on October 1, 2009. Both sets of grandparents were able to be here for the special day.

We broke tradition...and it wasn't an easy thing to do! All of our other children have been blessed in Grandpa Christensen's home. Living in Virginia presented a distance challenge. So Eliza was blessed in our home. But both sets of grandparents were here...and family is all that matters. Traditions are over-rated! :) It's kind of cute that Anya snuck in the picture. But it's fitting. She was probably the most excited for Eliza's arrival.

And then we celebrated Luke's birthday on October 5. He turned 2. Good thing James is in the background of this picture. All 6 kids are represented in this post. Whew! We wouldn't want anyone to get a complex about being left out. :)

So that is what has been happening the past month. We have one more birthday before all the holidays hit. I'm sure we'll have more to share soon.

Everyone is home!

I'm not sure why...but it was really fun to have a full van. Eight seats and each one of them is filled. Crazy. :) We brought Karen and Eliza home from the hospital this morning. The bassinet has been set up in our room for the past month or so. It's nice to have somebody to place in it.

And our "baby" is no longer our baby any more. It's amazing how much bigger and older the former baby looks when you place him next to a newborn. Luke loves Eliza and can't get enough of her.

He's fascinated by Eliza. And so are we.

Tender Moments

It's true that Anya was most excited. She was just beside herself thinking about being a big sister to a little sister. And today she was able to experience the reality of that dream for the first time. Anya's mothering instincts have been coming out more and more lately. She is so pleased with what her mother has accomplished. And she is anxious to become a mother herself someday. This shot of Anya hugging Karen, completely on her own, truly is priceless for me. It wraps up so many emotions in one act.

Here's kind of a sneak of how tiny newborns are. It's amazing how big the former "baby" becomes when there's a new arrival! Luke was hesitant at first--not quite sure how to soak it all in. But he warmed up quickly and became engaged in the excitement of Eliza's birth.

The boys oohing and aahing over their new baby sister.

"Be gentle, Luke" was said on more than one occasion. :) He has recently become fascinated with other babies he sees...and now he has his very own.

Here's a nice close up. She's clean and oh, so very soft! The hair is like silk. Anya says it feels like cotton. The nurses had a hard time drying it last night after her bath.

Each sibling, who wanted to, got a chance to hold Eliza.

Eliza was very alert during a good portion of our visit today.

And here is our most recent family picture. I love these introductions...or re-acquaintances...however you want to look at it. All I know is that I love it!

Introducing Eliza Rose

Eliza joined our family Wednesday, September 16 at 8:51pm. Karen only pushed twice. Yet another miracle. Thank you to Dr. Wolanski and Kim. They were both wonderful to work with.

Here is Eliza only minutes old. She has a full head of dark hair...just like Anya had when she was born.

Life is truly a miracle. What a blessing God has given us. Karen and Eliza are both doing extremely well.

For those who live far away, here's a quick video for you.

There She Stands

What do you do when . . .

Your children begin designing their own discipline techniques, borrowed from animated movies?

You let them and enjoy the hilarity of it.

Look a Like

We always looked at Peter and weren't sure who he really looked like. This isn't the most convincing shot of him, but he does make that same face alot.

Halloween Costume Planning meeting

It happens every year.

I figure if I start in August, I can get all six done in time. Besides we all know how overboard I like to go:) (See last year)

The choices for this year are as follows:

Star Wars - Luke, Leia, Padme, Anakin, Yoda and Han Solo, potentially with a stuffed chewie

Bugs - Ladybug, spider, bee, mosquito, tick, ant (specific bugs are subject to change and open to suggestion)

Mario Brothers - Mario, Luigi, Daisy, Peach, Waluigi, Wario

Greek Gods - Zeus, Athena, Aphrodite, Hades, Poseidon, Ares

I just spent two hours meeting with the people so now we need help making a decision. Please chime in and feel free to make other suggestions as well. Thank you!

Humpback Rocks

See that rock protruding out at the top? Peter climbed all the way up Humpback mountain...he's 3 years old people! :) It was a great day for a family hike...although Karen stayed home with Luke because we didn't want Eliza to come too early (Karen reached the 8 month mark this week). Today's activity was this month's cub scout pack meeting. We had a quick meeting in a grassy field and then started the 700 foot assent to the rocks.

The really nice thing about the Blue Ridge mountains is that when you go hiking, most of the hike is in the shade. Peter and I brought up the rear of the group. His little legs could only go so fast. And we really did need that blue marker on the tree at times. This wasn't a man-made trail. Which made it even more fun because there were plenty of things to explore along the way.

Here's the four of them at the top. The Shenandoah Valley is behind them.

Jeff Waite hiked over to another ledge to take a shot of the group. Can you spot him? I'm curious to see the picture he took.

Mark is our daredevil. There was another woman not a part of our group that couldn't bare to watch him...Mark kept taking her breath away. Good thing Karen wasn't with us! :)

James always finds a walking stick on our hikes. And I guess for the photo op it was a gun.

The view was well worth it. It was a full 360 degree view. We enjoyed lunch, one boy in the pack earned his Arrow of Light with a simple ceremony at the top, and the hike down was a bit easier than the hike up. :) I'll admit, I got a little worried at the top with four little kids. But there were plenty of adults to help. And the Waite's walked down with us...Anya talked their ears off. I just hope she didn't disclose too many family secrets!

Montpelier

These kinds of scenes quickly take me back 200 years. It was a beautiful day to visit the home of the fourth president of the United States - James Madison. Although noted as "Father of the Constitution," I don't hear as much about Madison as I do the other Founding Fathers. To learn more, visit here.

Here's the view of the front yard from the south terrace. No pictures were allowed inside. Had it not been a cloudy day, you could have seen the Blue Ridge mountains in the distance. Regardless, it was a beautiful site.

These were life-size statues of James and Dolley Madison. James was only 5'2" and weighed about 110 pounds. His character certainly made up for his lack of physical stature.

Mark was fascinated with the book Mr. Madison was reading. I wonder what book it was? :)

Madison erected a "temple" near his home. Thomas Jefferson suggested carpenter's for the job. Below it was a 2-story ice well so they could enjoy cool drinks and ice cream all summer long.

The kids, in true Christensen form, strike peculiar poses. James and Peter regularly win the prize for the most bizarre! :)

A subsequent owner placed a formal garden (where a practical garden used to be) and it has been well-maintained. It provided a nice walk back to the visitor center.

Here's a last shot as we were leaving. You can see Madison's temple near his home. James Madison is a man any student of democracy should study in great detail. He was inspired by the Almighty and it was here at Montpelier that he contemplated the formation of a "more perfect Union" and a new form of government--one that has safe-guarded our freedom for over 200 years.

Naturalization Ceremony

Have you ever clapped following the Presentation of Petitioners and Motion for Admission? Sixty-six names were presented (one happened to be a Christensen). After everyone's name was presented they took the Oath of Citizenship and the judge declared them citizens of the United States of America. It was very moving.

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We're 15 minutes from the home of Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence. We really do love it here! While we live in Virginia, our 4th of July celebration will always begin by visiting Monticello.

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And what a beautiful morning it was here. Low 70's, plenty of sun, and a slight breeze.

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The ceremony took place on the west lawn of the Monticello. You try to capture events like this on camera but it never does it justice. Mark was excited to see the presentation of the colors. He's learned a lot about that this year in cub scouts.

While very well-behaved, this is how the kids spent most of the ceremony. :)

Luke was showing his patriotism!

Here are all 66 people being presented and taking the oath. The tall guy in the back and to the left is a Christensen. Had we had time, I would have found him afterwards and figured out how we're related. Tom Periello, a recently elected congressman from the 5th district in Virginia, was the key note speaker. He made some interesting analogies. He referenced baptism and the renewing of covenants when we partake of the Sacrament...and how each citizen today had an opportunity to renew their own promise and conviction to stand for freedom and the United States as we witnessed the events of the day. I might not agree on how the man votes on the cap and trade bill...but I was impressed by his comments.

Oh look, all the hard work our kids did during the ceremony turns out to be a display of their patriotism. From all the tiny pebbles on the walkway, they were able to build a mound big enough to secure two of their American flags.

Happy Independence Day! Make it a great one. God bless America!