Time Out for Erin!

A few weeks ago, I had the amazing opportunity of going to Time Out for Women in Spokane, with my great friend Karine and her mom.....with special thanks to Tutu, Grammy, and my wonderful husband (or now known around here as "daddy") who helped take care of the little guys while I was away. It was a fantastic experience, one that I wish to have again sometime soon. On Friday morning we had the pleasure of going to a wonderful 'life' seminar held by some of the most inspiring and talented women that I have ever had the priviledge of hearing. We actually got to meet Sheri Dew (one of my all-time favorites!!), and Virginia Hinckley Pearce (Pres Gordon B Hinckley's daughter) that morning also. I was so silly the whole time, every time one of them passed by us, I got all giddy and excited. :) They, and others that morning, both gave tremendous talks about how we can all raise to the potential within us, and influence others for good.

Me with Sheri Dew!!!

And then with Virginia Pearce...doesn't she look like her dad?? :)

Then that night, we were able to go to a concert put on by Michael McLain, and also hear some more tremendous speakers as well. I had never heard Michael McLain live before, and he was actually pretty hysterical. At the end of the night, he sang the songs that he wrote about adoption from all different perspectives, and by the end all of the women in the whole conference center were balling their eyes out! We also got to meet Michael McLain, and Sister Okazaki who gave a wonderful talk that night.

Karine and I at the conference center....loving the experience so far!

All day Saturday we got to hear from a variety of speakers and performers, all of which were fantastic. Hillary Weeks performed all day that day, as well as a group called Mercy River who were very good. There were so many speakers, I couldn't even name them all...but all spoke about different ways in which we could live a more joyful life. So many of their talks were just amazing, we felt like we were on such a spiritual high the entire time! That day, we got to meet Marilynn Boyak as well, and learn some of her tips about serving others and getting our children involved in service. She was amazing. By the time we started to head home, we were so exhausted from being so spiritually fed the whole time, that we felt like we needed another vacation....I thought my head might explode! :) But, it was such a fantastic experience, just to be there with all of those women, lds and of other Christian faiths as well, and to be so uplifted and inspired...I can't even descirbe the feeling that we had when it was all over. I am just so thankful to have been able to go.

Hillary Weeks performing for us on Saturday

The beautiful Spokane Temple!

Karine and I at the end of our time in Spokane....what a wonderful trip!

My little miracles

There are so many times throughout my day when I look at my two beautiful boys and think, 'are they really mine'? It is amazing to me how your life can change, or even how you look at life in general, when you have a little one, or ones, around you. I love watching my boys discover the world, learn new skills everyday, and laugh at the tinyest things. I love watching the thrill in their eyes as they crawl so quickly across the room, or how proud of themselves they are when they find a way to get that tiny snack from their hand into their mouth. I just feel very thankful today....for the little miracles in my life. How these two babies were less then 5 pounds when be brought them home, and have had no developmental delays at all. How they embrace life, and all that comes with it. I love them so much, and am so grateful for the opportunity to be a mother. Especially to these two jewels.

Leavenworth Trip

Over President's weekend, our family was able to go on a mini-vacation to Leavenworth with our good friends, the Waggoners. We had a fabulous time! It was great to be able to relax, play with our buds, and go exploring. This was my first experience with Leavenworth...it was so beautiful there right now, with ton of snow everywhere and the shops still lit up with Christmas lights. We were able to rent a little cabin right outside of town, which worked out really well, so we could go into town everyday, and still have our own space, kitchen, bedrooms, etc. I would definitely recommend it!! I am so thankful that we were able to spend some quality time as a family, and that we have such great friends to have fun with!

Our little family by the "pretzel" tree...yummy!

Sweet little Gibson! He is such an angel...I just love him!

Yep....we had to get creative. Our make-shift bouncer for the boys...

Maddie and her ginormous carmel apple!

Our buds....aren't they a good looking family??

Maddie and Lucas hanging out in the "big" chair!

Kate and Reese together again! :)

Teage making sure that everyone can see the town! :) Poor Lucas....

Children's Hospital Telethon

Today and tomorrow (Wed 27th and Thurs 28th) KISS 106.1 in Seattle is hosting a telethon for Children's Hospital. Please please please call in and donate, even if it is just a few dollars, for these beautiful children in our area. Many of the children at Children's Hospital can't even come home, can't see their families everyday, can't sleep in their own bed at night. Many of these beautiful children have to go through intense treatments everyday. Please do anything that you can to bless the lives of these children, and call. The phone number is 1-866-987-1061.

I called in in memory of Jolene Armstrong, a beautiful friend of our family who passed away from complications from Cystic Fibrosis, and who spent many many days in this hospital. She was loved by all the nurses and doctors there, and she loved them equally in return. But, even if you don't have anyone you know personally who has been there, please call anyway. We love this hospital, and all that it provides for children in our area. Thank you everyone!

As I was listening to the telethon today, I found myself deeply moved by the stories of these innocent children. And, grateful for my own children, and the love and joy they bring into my life. I have two beautiful and healthy boys, and I could never ask for more. I don't know how the wonderful giving parents, who have children in Children's Hospital, get through everyday. But, I pray that they will have the support that they need to help their kids. I am so thankful for all of the beauties that our Lord has given all of us, and especially for my loving family. I will hold my boys a little closer because of this telethon, and the stories that I was privledged to hear.

My turn again!

So, it's been a while and so I decided to do this once again! Oh man, where to begin. First of all, I would like to thank my wife for throwing me my surprise birthday party! I was totally caught off-guard, and it was the best present one could ask for! Te quiero mucho mi vida! And thank you all for showing up! Next, the boys are getting humungous! They have quickly learned to crawl, and it's an adventure every day with them. Lucus is starting to want to crawl up on things, and Dylan is our blabber drooler! They love Saturday mornings in Mommy's and Daddy's bed, and bath time is certainly the highlight of their day! I love coming home to my family at the end of each day, and love the fact that they are pretty much sleeping through the night! They're just growing up too fast, and each and every day brings me a different, deeper love and satisfaction for my family! They are truly my happy thoughts and what keeps me going throughout the day!

Dylan trying on one of Daddy's hats!

The boys helping out with the laundry! We're training them early for chores!

Lucus loves technology, and practically wanted to eat the camera in this shot!

Dylan is our camera hammer! There's never a dull moment around our house!

Tagged- Yikes! :)

It turns out that I have now been tagged by a few individuals....so, I figured that I couldn't ignore it anymore. :) I guess that we are supposed to write some interesting facts about ourselves, and then tag a few more people.....and on we go. Don't get too excited though, I am really not the most interesting person in the world, and since I don't have much time, I probably will only write little blurbs instead of full on paragraphs. :) Don't fall asleep on me!

1) I am obsessive when it comes to organization. I can't help it, if something is out of place, I will usually move it. If I have enough time, and my boys aren't screaming at me, I will probably organize or file something. I also like things clean, and hate clutter! I am not sure how I got this way, but it is a habit that has definitely sunk in big time! Almost to the point of a compulsive disorder!

2) The way to my heart: Movies and chocolate. I like nothing better then to watch a great movie, and eat any kind of chocolate I can get my hands on. I am also obsessed with buying the pre-viewed movies from blockbuster....4 movies for $20, can't beat it!!!

3) I am prone to very odd injuries. Broke my arm by stepping on a rock and it rolled, broke my wrist roller blading in the kitchen, tore my miniscus turning in a chair.... and then again uncrossing my legs, fell off my bike just steps away from my house and had to have stiches, braces, etc.

4) I can be pretty emotional at times. I definitely will cry at sad or romantic movies, but I may also cry at various TV shows, and even the occasional commercial. I know, pathetic!

5) While in school, I was obsessed with getting a 4.0GPA. Anything less then an A, and I would go crazy! Maybe it has something to do with my obsessive compulsive nature!

6) One of my life goals is to publish a book of photography.

7) I love having an occasion to celebrate anything....holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. I would love to be able to throw a party for President's Day even, if I had the time! :)

So, there you go. I know, terribly exciting! Now that you learned a little more about me, I think that I will tag Sarah R and Lesha O. :) Have fun!

Teage's 30th Birthday

Last week we threw a surprise party for Teage for his big 3-0!!! And, the best part, we actually pulled off the surprise!!! :) Thank you to everyone who helped me with food, preperations, etc. I really appreciate it!

So, the day of Teage' s birthday, I came to his office and took him out to dinner. That way, he would think this was the extent of the birthday celebration. We went to our favorite sushi restaurant, sushi land, and stuffed ourselves silly! The chefs that work there know us pretty well (Teage loves to speak Spanish to them), so they made some "special" dishes for him for his bday. We had a great time! Then, we drove home to a house full of guests, and a big surprise! Teage didn't even notice all of the cars out front, and came in with a very confused look on his face when he saw all of the people who came to wish him a happy birthday. I was so excited that we actually pulled it off! We had a wonderful night with family, friends, food, and lots of lively conversation. And most importantly, Teage had a great time!! :) Happy Birthday Baby!!!

Teage blowing out his candles.

Happy Birthday Teage!

I love my baby!

Bouncing Dylan

I know that this video is a little dark (and turned the wrong way!!! :) ), but hopefully you get the gist of it. I thought it was just too hilarious to keep to ourselves. The boys have been recently introduced to the "johnny jumper", and they appear to LOVE it! This is a video of Dylan the other night, having a ton of fun with his new toy! :)

Christmas 2007

We had a wonderful, and very busy, Christmas this year! I loved seeing the boys with all of our family, and even meeting some people for the first time. They were a bit overwhelmed, but had a great time. We are so thankful to all of our family for their generosity to us, and the boys as well. We are so blessed.

First stop: Tutu and Poppi's house on Christmas Eve (my mom and Dan's), for a yummy dinner and crazy present openings!! :)

Uncle Toph and Daddy being crazy!
Uncle Brandon and Auntie Tracy
Our fun Christmas Eve outfits! We had so much fun with the Bailey family!!

Second Stop: Grandmy and Grandpy's house on Christmas Day (my Dad and Lisa), for wonderful lunch/dinner and MORE presents!

Dylan and Uncle David watching over the presents!

Grandpy and Lucas hanging out

Having fun on the floor (notice the shirts!)
Grandpy's crazy house of lights!!

Third Stop: Brett and Beth's house for Christmas Night (Christensen side of the family), for more dinner, more presents, and more family!

Brett and Teage with all the new cousins!

The whole Christensen gang!

Daddy going crazy on Rock Band! This was a blast, even I did it! :)

Erin's surgery update

Hello to all of our friends and family! Just wanted to give you a quick update on my condition, as I have had many questions about it... :) I am doing great after my knee surgery last Friday. I wasn't too terribly excited about getting the surgery, but now that it is over, am very thankful. I had a wonderful surgeon, terrific nurses and others who assisted me at the hospital, and I now feel like I can finally begin to strengthen that knee once again and attempt to get back to what it used to be. :) The actual surgery went great, no complications what-so-ever, and thankfully they did not have to remove the entire miniscus, only a portion of it. I am now home and on the mend, and actually doing much better than I anticipated. I am already putting quite a bit of weight on my right leg, and walking around slowly. The doctor said that I will never be a big runner (fine by me! :) ), but that I should be able to get back to normal activities, including excersizing and sports, after I heal up within the next few months. Thank you to everyone who kept me in your thoughts and prayers last week!! I really appreciate all of you!