Ode to the People I Love....

Disclaimer: The following was written over a year ago. I could blame how nostalgic and sentimental it is on the fact that I was pregnant when I wrote it, but the fact of the matter is I am quite nostalgic and sentimental all of the time.

Do you ever look at pictures from your life and feel extremely grateful for the people who surround you? I do. Life tends to lead lives together and apart, but the gratitude and love that I feel for people who I may not see as often as years past never changes. Here are a few of my favorites…

Friends! There are so many people who fall into this category who aren’t pictured here, but here are a few of the women I love and admire. Growing up sometimes implies growing unintentionally apart from people with whom you’ve shared your life. Even though I don’t see my friends (old or new) as much as I once may have, I think about them daily, and pray for them often. If you are my friend, thank you for being a part of my life.

Mom. This is a mother that few remember, maybe just 5 adults who had the opportunity to call her mom. This mom was not ill, but energetic and capable. This is a mom who made cookies, built forts and made her children feel loved. This is a mom who was independent and strong. I wish more people had known or could remember this mom in her glory years when we depended on her; not the other way around. I often wish she were here to tell me I am ready to be a mom myself and not to worry about how much I don’t know or how inadequate I feel. Yup, she is definitely a favorite, and a person I’ve missed for some time now.

Sisters. These are the women who I depend on now. They make me laugh, encourage me, tell me when I am being stupid, and listen to me vent about whatever it is I need to. They are unassuming SUPERWOMEN and I would be lost without them. (You may wonder what on earth is going on in this picture. Let me tell you. Please notice the mischievous look on Meredith's face. At this exact moment she grabbed my butt and that my dears is a candid expression captured on film...or rather SD card. )

Brothers. There is never a dull or prideful moment (well, for me) when I am with my brothers. I’ve always sought and often fought for their approval. They are always up to mischief and are surprisingly smart…well, considering some of the shenanigans they try to pull.

Dadman. This man has unconditional love for the people around him. He keeps me young and helped me to keep on track while I was growing up. And he always welcomes us home when we need it, even if it is just for an afternoon free from homework. One of his best qualities in recent years… that he married Vicki.

My husband. (by the way, isn't this picture great! I really hope we eventually have sons) I am still trying to figure out how I managed to trick Jack into falling in love with me. I have never once felt unappreciated or unloved with this man. He works without complaint and strives to better the community and world that he lives in. He is my best friend and my favorite part of every day. He keeps me laughing and encourages me to be my best self.

I would be lost without all of you and just wanted to throw a thank you out into the universe and hope you get it.

This one is for you Ashley....

Ashley corrected me in my comment from my last post and let me know that she actually is left disappointed with a sense of wanting when she checks my blog and sees that there is no update. So, Ashley this is for you. Unfortunately it isn't about you. But it is for you :)

I have something selfish to admit. When Esther was born and looked identical to Jack's newborn pictures, I was a bit disappointed. Not because I don't love my husband and want my babies to look like him, because I do. And not because I thought Esther was anything less than beautiful and perfect, because I didn't. But because the only physical evidence (besides the whole pushing her out of my lady parts thing) that would suggest Esther was my daughter were her long feet with the large gap in her toes and her disconnected earlobes (really, not even my best features people). I guess I always thought that my daughters would look like me and my sons would look like Jackie. Well, Esther's first few months of life proved otherwise. I have to say though, in the last few months as Esther has started to take on some of my features as well, it has made me feel kind of happy inside. I like that I see both me and Jack in her. Isn't that what it is all about? Making a new little person with the person you love most in the world to create an extension of yourself that is also an extension of them.

What do you think? Still all Christensen or is there some Fife in there?

Baby Sausha

Baby Esther

However, these last two pictures prove that there is still PLENTY of Christensen left in her veins. To the left is Esther and below is Baby Jack.

Catching Up.

Truth be told, I am not a very good blogger. I'll be good for a little while and then I get caught up in life and my posts get less and less frequent. I am a dedicated journal writer and tend to focus my time there rather than my blog. Selfish, I know. Due to the fact that I don't feel it is quite fair to always take and never give in a relationship (which I feel is often the case in my blogging life... I read my friends' posts, the more often the better, but I rarely give, but for some reason I don't think my few and far between posts are causing anyone a sense of emptiness and wanting). So, in an attempt to give a little, here is what has been happening in the lives of the Downtown SLC Christensen's.

• After Jack's first semester in hell in the University of Utah's Master's of Education Program he decided it wasn't for him. The classes were ridiculously crowded (the graduate classes were almost always just undergraduate classes that had about 60 students in them and the only difference in expectations for the graduate students was that they were required to write an extra paper. Seriously). So, after finishing his first term and feeling as though he had learned nothing, he transferred to Westminster College. He was admitted within 5 days of submitting his application and transcript, which according to his advisor never happens. He starts in May. Average class size is 15 students (much better).

Jack in front of his new alma mater

• Since Jackattack isn't in school this semester, he decided to get a second job. He is teaching ESL classes at night 3 days a week. His students are adults from everywhere you can think of and best of all, he loves it. He has been working at Stonehill National for nearly three years as a means to an end and there aren't good reports as to what goes on at work. But when he gets home from his English classes, he is always beaming. It makes me really excited for him to one day teach full-time.
• We've really enjoyed taking Esther out into the snow this year. She loves it. And the occasional face-plant into the snow makes me smile for the rest of the day.
  Just relaxing in the snow.
  
  
• Baby girl is no longer such a baby. She started walking a few days before she turned 11 months and is quite the expert now. Her hair is long enough for pigtails (which are adorable!). And she turned 1 years old last week! I was quite emotional the evening before her birthday. The moment I thought about going to the hospital last year to be induced a flood of memories flashed through my mind and seeped out of my eyes in the form of tears. This has been such a wonderful year and Jack and I both feel as though our joy is full.

Esther loo on the day she was born. She is so little. The first year of life brings about a lot of change.

Esther with her friend Charlotte at her first birthday party.

Estherloo made a bit of a mess.

In the first video, I can't help but think that Esther looks like Randall from A Christmas Story.

And in the second video, please notice how she is trying to tap her toes. So cute!

Face Smash

At least once a day as Esther and I peer out our window over the city, the following occurs. Really, I highly advise you to watch this video.

I have only one word to describe it...FABULOUS!

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?