Graduation

Amidst the staggering task of raising two children (I would consider myself perpetually trapped at the age of 11, stuck thinking Star Wars is the coolest thing in the world, and clinging to the possibility of playing for the Utah Jazz) my dear wife found time to complete her degree in Anthropology. Now, you may think, as I did, that Anthropology is all fun and games with classes on using whips correctly, defeating Nazis using umbrellas, and other amazing skills learned in Indiana Jones, but you'd be wrong. You'd be thinking of Archeology. In fact, had Mr. Jones had an Anthropologist helping him on some of his exploits he probably would not have offended the native people in many of the lands to which he sojourned.

Sausha has dedicated a good chunk of her life to studying other cultures and customs. She loves it with all her heart and I'm so happy she has found a subject that she loves as much as she does. I'm constantly amazed at the random facts she knows about cultures. I'm also happy, though somewhat annoyed, when she corrects my assumptions and stereotypes and replaces them with correct information.

I'm so proud of you Sausha. Well done my dear. Both Esther and I love you and look forward to your dissertation on the aborigine habits of your small family.

Mo Tab, here Esther comes

Esther not only loves dancing to music, but she loves leading music as well. Any time there is music playing she will stop whatever she is doing to wave her arms and bounce with her legs. It is adorable. Here is a video of her leading Handel's Messiah. She's a talented little squirt ;)

Oh tannenbaum, oh tannenbaum....

Last year finances kept us from getting a real tree for Christmas (my sister Megs let us borrow a spare fake tree that she had). This year, thanks to perfect timing for Jack's Christmas bonus, we were able to do the much preferred buying of a real tree. I love the smell of pine and there was just something about having a real tree for baby girl's first Christmas that seemed the better route. We went to the same tree lot where we bought our Christmas tree our first year of marriage to pick out our tree.

It isn't a big tree (in fact, a little girl that I babysit a few days a week was pretty adamant last week that we'd be much happier on Christmas if we had chosen a larger tree) but we like it. And surprisingly Esther has been pretty good about not tugging at the branches or going for the decorations (mostly because she is more interested in the presents piled in the corner).

As a side note, we have a tradition of celebrating St. Nick's Day in my family. My mom served her mission in Germany and decided to pass the tradition along to her kids. Well, we faithfully left our shoes out on the evening of Dec. 5th and that good ole St. Nick left us some treats to wake up to the next morning. Esther was thoroughly excited to find a book and some bath toys jammed into her little boot and I'd say Jack was equally as excited to find himself a new shirt. I on the other hand...St. Nick (that good hearted man) thought I was skinnier than I am. I had to take my elf crafted skirt back to Santa's workshop to get a bigger size. It is a tradition that I have always loved! But who wouldn't love a Christmas morning teaser 3 weeks early?

Too good not to share...

For any of you who may not have seen this on facebook, I feel it is necessary to give you the opportunity to do so.
While removing all of the dvds from our entertainment center (which is by the way Esther's new favorite game) she decided to plaster her face against the glass. What can I say? She most definitely is her mother's daughter.

Private

Hi all. Our blog is going private. If you'd like to be able to access it still, leave your email for me. Thanks friends!

Pictures

An old friend of mine took some pictures for us a few weeks ago. You can check out her blog at www.bekahloss.blogspot.com. Here are just a few of the pics. I definitely have some favorites posted, do you?

(What you don't see in this picture is what happened next. Do you see that fist full of leaves? She very much enjoyed eating them directly after this picture was taken.)

New toys

We had a very good Halloween here. Esther's first, you know. We wanted to make sure she got the most out of her costume so we made Esther wear her costume while we ran errands during the day. Despite the fact that the head was a little baggy and it was making her sweat like crazy, she loved it! Grandma Karrie got some really great pictures of her, but until I get copies the above picture of the sleepy giraffe will have to do.

We like to keep things simple. Esther wasn't extremely excited by what came in the box shown above, but she has really enjoyed the box.

Here I am modeling my new boots as Esther attempts to stand in her new wagon. As long as the wagon keeps moving she stays seated. But the minute the wagon stops she wants to stand.

Here is a better shot of Esther in her new wagon from Papa and Vicki. Thanks again! She loves it!

And just for fun, here is another shot of my birthday present. Yeah for boots! Good job Jackie!

President Packer's Talk

Loved reading this man's perspective on President Packer's talk.

http://gaymormonguy.blogspot.com/2010/10/president-packers-talk-from-gay-mormon.html?spref=fb

Babies & Baskets

This little blue eyed beauty has a new pastime...

playing in her basket.

This surprisingly entertaining item frequently keeps Esther occupied for spans of 15 to 20 minutes. All I have to do is place a variety of random objects (including a toothbrush, measuring spoons, chap-stick, and a piece of ribbon).

She also uses anything she can grab a hold of to help herself stand up. After discovering this trick she continued to learn to climb up her crib bumper and almost flung herself out of her crib.

Needless to say the bumper had to go, which is extremely unfortunate because it is so cute.

Esther's after bath hairdo. Awesome.

On a different note, Esther and I spent the day in Lehi yesterday. Ashley was meant for motherhood. I went down hoping to be of some help and she was showered, had her make-up on, and her house was spotless clean. Her sweet little boy was having a bit of a hard time latching on while nursing but Ashley was so patient and understanding. She seemed completely calm and was great at knowing exactly what Carson needed.

Ashley with her sweet Carson.

And finally, Royal came to play for a few hours today. He was hamming it up and Esther couldn't get enough of him. I told him that she is going to be very sad when he moves to China and he was curious as to why. He kept saying, "She can come and visit me in China whenever she wants to". I don't think he quite understands just how far China actually is.

From Cradle to Crawling

(Esther relaxing cross-legged in her morning bath)

Summer is quickly dwindling to fall but with its advent come some good things. Namely, baseball playoffs, the return of college football (much to Sausha's dismay), and apparently babies start crawling at the beginning of fall. At least that is what ours has done. Esther, defying Dr. Spock and his incorrect and falsified research, has started crawling at 6 months rather than the prescribed age of 8 months. She has also started standing up with the support of either her crib or our coffee table which has resulted in some stellar tumbles. Today she head-butted the edge of the table and the other day she seemingly leaped from the bars on her crib and crashed into the bars on the opposite side. Both resulted in inconsolable tears; or at least tears that mom rather than dad had to brush away for her to calm down.

School has also started. Sausha is finishing up her last semester of her undergrad and I am just starting my grad program. Neither of us are excited to be in school, but we're happy that she, at least, is almost done. In an effort to save on gas and time at work I have started riding a bike to work. However, I don't have my own bike so I borrowed my dad's. When he was in law school his Fuji bike was stolen and being too poor to purchase another Fuji, he bought a Peugeot bicycle from a garage sale. The Peugeot has been along as long as I can remember and now I proudly ride it to work and to campus. I feel a little like the Miss Gulch from the Wizard of Oz riding it, but you have to make do with what you got.

Esther occasionally loves her father, as evidenced in this photo.

I'm a firm believer that, as a family, we only go swimming so Sausha can put Esther in her sun hat and cute orange slice bathing suit.

A side note from the author's wife, Jack always despairingly tells me how no one ever comments on his posts. So, comment please. Even if it is only out of pity.

By the way, Esther had her 6 month appointment last week. 15 lbs. 1 oz, 27 and 1/2 inches long.

Royal

This little munchkin isn't going to be around much longer. His dad recently accepted a job in Guangzhou China and their little family will be leaving in a matter of months. So this is a brief picture ode to Royal.

Oh yeah, so cool with the sunglasses.

I know you aren't gone yet, but you will definitely be missed when you are (and that goes for Meredith and Zach too).

Yellowstone

A few weekends ago we joined Jack's family in Yellowstone to celebrate Karrie's (Jack's mom) 50th birthday. Team Prius (which included Cass, Daniel, Esther, Jack and myself) left a day after Team Tacoma (which included Bill, Karrie and Little Will) and arrived Friday afternoon (the 23rd of July) ready to enjoy as many geysers and waterfalls as we could squeeze into one afternoon. The parents in the expedition stayed at the Old Faithful Inn, while the childless were banished to the campground to play with the bears. That evening we got together at the Old Faithful Inn's restaurant to enjoy buffalo burgers (true) and grizzly bear tenderloin (false). It was just how Karrie had hoped to spend her birthday.

Esther and Grandpa Bill at Old Faithful. Neither of them look very excited.

Bill, Will, Cassie and Daniel tromping around the geysers English style.

Dinner at the Lodge

After a night at the inn our little family and Bill and Karrie decided to join the others in the campground. It was Esther's first camping adventure and she did extremely well. I had her in about 4 layers complete with mittens and a stocking cap.
In the short amount of time that we were there we managed to drive around a good portion of the park. Yellowstone Lake was beautiful and we have decided that when Jack makes it big and is paid to write short stories and poetry we will spend the majority of our summer's at the inn at the lake. However, just to be prepared with a backup plan, if he doesn't make it big we will move our family to the island in the middle of the lake and live as hermits.
Unfortunately I didn't get the majority of the scenery pictures from Bill's camera, but I did steal a few pictures from Karrie's.

Karrie, Me, Jack, Daniel, Cass, Will & Esther at Yellowstone Lake

Please notice the slobber spot on my arm courtesy of Esther

Esther sporting her sun hat. She was such an angel the entire trip.

All in all, it was a fabulous trip. Great company, beautiful scenery and nice weather. Who could ask for more?

School, Solids, and Sit-ups

Things have been quite busy at the Christensen residence recently. While Jack has been enjoying his summer break (which I'm quite happy about...the poor man still has 7 years left of school), I've been taking a few classes. The majority of them are on-line but I do have a 5 week evening class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed with the work load in the class. Because it is only 5 weeks the professor has crammed 16 weeks worth of information into the alloted amount of time, but you do what you have to, right? Although I hate to leave Esther for 3 hours twice a week, Jack has been so good about watching her and both of them have thoroughly enjoyed their daddy/daughter time together. He really is such a patient wonderful Dad.

As an update, Esther is growing like crazy. Two weeks ago at her 4 month doctor's appointment she weighed 13 lbs and 3 oz and was 25.8 inches long. She is still in the 96th percentile for height 50th for weight. On her height to weight ratio chart she looks like an Ethiopian child, but have you seen my husband?! Plus, the doctor says she is perfect. Everyone who sees her says she is long and lean. She has the sweetest disposition and never ceases to amaze me as to just how good she is.

She has a few new tricks. Do you want to see? Okay.....

She rolls

She tries really hard to sit up and can usually do so for at least a minute before tumbling

And she really wants to walk. She has been pushing into standing position since she was 4 weeks old and has now figured out that when she is in standing position she can move if she picks up her feet while Mom or Dad has a hold of her fingers.

Adorable, right? We've recently started her on solids. Well, kind of. Rice cereal doesn't really look like a solid to me, but that is what people call it. Her first few bites she gave us the look she is making below but it seems to have grown on her since. So much in fact that she is always trying to rip the spoon from my fingers because I don't feed her quite as quickly as she'd like me to.

She loves jibber jabbering, blowing bubbles and giggling. Babies are so much fun! If you don't have one, I would highly recommend getting one.

They grow so fast!

One of my best friends (Tina) had a beautiful baby girl a week and a half ago and I got to meet her today. Little Ella was so cute! I could hardly believe how huge Esther looked in comparison to her. Turns out 3 1/2 months makes a big difference when you are only 9 days old.

They were both passed out in this picture... it's hard being little.

Bopping in the Bumbo

Friends,

This is the darling girl I wake up to, play with, nap with and live for. This smile melts my heart day in and day out.

-Sausha (co-producer of the above darling baby)

Southern Utah

This last weekend Jack and I made a short trip down to Southern Utah. The main reason for this little endeavor was to visit my brother Dustin and his beautiful wife Sloane in Blanding, but we also got to see/visit a couple of Southern Utah's unique sites, starting with....Arches National Park

Balancing Rock (pictured above)

Jack and Esther on the hike up to Delicate Arch. Esther was the youngest hiker on the trail.(below)

Delicate Arch

Rock formations near Devil's GardenEsther playing with Dad near Skyline Arch...isn't she cute?!

Skyline Arch is the arch in the picture below

Dusty and Sloaner with their babies, Zelda and Scout. I should have taken a picture of Dustin's small farm that he calls a garden. I was a little jealous. The closest thing to a garden that I have are a few flower boxes on the balcony of our 5th floor apartment.

Scout and Esther were fast friends

Scout even let Esther ride on her back....

multiple times.

Esther and Dustin

Before we headed home yesterday, Dustin took us to the Moki Dugway and drove us through the Valley of the Gods near Monument Valley. It was beautiful! Not only was the red rock against the blue sky quite pretty, but there were so many wild flowers. It luckily hasn't gotten hot enough to kill them off yet.

All in all, we had a really great time. Good company, cute dogs, beautiful weather...what more could one ask for?