Happy Barnyard Birthday!

Happy Birthday PeaPod! I am so excited to see what the next years bring! You are growing and challenging yourself every moment you are awake - as well as trying to challenge your parents about taking a nap :).
I love you so very much.
At two you are adventurous, active, sweet, empathetic, stubborn, and overall good natured.
You are a talker. You always have been quite the babbler, but now you are able to converse with everyone around you. You love speaking on the phone and walk around with my cell phone talking to family members whenever I let you. You probably say twice as much as I do everyday. I love hearing your sweet little voice stating things and asking me things all day long.
You love singing, especially Isty Bitsy Spider. You love books, expecially Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Goodnight Gorilla. You love animals and are very kind to them. You are currently exploring your feelings and body like "funny", "scared", "hungry", etc.
It is easy to love you - and I'm not just saying this as your mother! We will go places and you will just walk up to people and say, "Hi!".They look down, (because let's face it, you are still a munchkin!) and I can see their faces smile at the sight of you. You will then tell them a garbled story and usually they don't have any idea what you are saying, but they smile and ask you more questions. I hope you will always be so comfortable with yourself and happily welcoming to everyone.
I am so glad we were able to spend your actual birthday together seeing the farm animals.It was a great expedition and I can't wait to do it again!

"She'll Be Comin' Around...

...the mountain, when she comes. Yee-haw! She'll be comin' around the mountain, she'll be comin' around the mountain, she'll be..." After singing that song for a few verses I start thinking: "Alright already! Please bless she has come around that darn mountain!" That's exactly how I feel: I'm coming around the mountain, but seriously, am I there yet?!?
Things have been so busy these past few weeks! My life is faster than I am and I just keep following it! Well, lets see, where do I begin...after being a mom, house wife, part time dentist, and tinkerer of a number things including singing, blogging (well, sometimes!), etc., I have now added PT visits, crazy yoga and the creepy chiropractor to my schedule so that I can keep doing the a fore mentioned activities. The PT sessions are...interesting..and include placement of hands where only my husband's have gone. Yoga is hilarious (although please note: NEVER laugh in yoga, it is very serious).
Valentine's Day came and went. I just want you to know that I dearly love that holiday. PeaPod loved making our homemade valentines. Here is one of the valentines we made the family: (Inspiration from Charity's bean art - thanks Charity!)
This one is entitled "We love you oodles and noodles"Pea also expressed her artistic prowess in her room while supposedly taking a nap. The medium is a washable (luckily!) black marker procured from some unknown source:
Also during the past few weeks she has investigated numerous facial treatments. Mommy's chapstick and lipsticks are a particular favorites. It seems that diaper cream was not a favorite: (picture taken way before the sun came up Saturday morning)
Sir Duncan Bones has coached her on how to be a cat. She enjoys pretending, meowing, sitting on window ledges and under the table like he does.


We are reading the same books multiple times a day now. Particular favorites are: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, Goodnight Gorilla (valentine gift from Grandpa and Grandma Christensen) and the family photo "Who Love You?" book (made by Nana). Doesn't TheMan have great hair? Please remind me not to accelerate my forehead wrinkles by making that face.
Nana moved the fam's stuff out of our basement and into theirs. She said she wanted to get it out of my way, but I honestly think it was more about Sir Duncan Bones's cat hair. But after a year and a half of him sitting on all of it, I think what's done is done! PeaPod chose her own outfit that day: pink onesie, a diaper, and boots that were made for walking.

Tucker desperately needed a groom and went from the first pic to the second. He hates going outside now without his sweater. I feel a bit like the first pic currently. Tomorrow's my first hair appointment in over a year. I know, I'm such a slacker. Hopefully they won't shave me till I'm pink.
And then there was my birthday. It was a lovely day spent with TheMan and PeaPod the first of the day and then the Pea was babysat by Aunt Krissy and Uncle Jon while seeing the Draper Temple Open House. Then she visited Grandma and Grandpa Christensen in the evening. It was just wonderful to spend time together as a couple. John took this photo of me right before church. Here I am at 31 (not photoshopped or else the wrinkles,shine and gray stray hairs would be gone) but John took a pretty good photo:
And I'm still comin' around that mountain. How big did you make this mountain, God? Okay, I'm still comin'.

Little Miss Serious Face and the Photo Shoot

My friend Autumn is awesome. She took these pictures and I'm sure you will agree! They are beautiful even with PeaPod being Little Miss Serious Face! I just can't decide which is my favorite. Thanks Autumn!

Oh, the drama that awaits your mother in the future, little one!

Week 1, Project 365

I am so excited about this project! It really embraces my feelings of wanting to capture each day and store them in my heart. A new year and 365 days of memories to fill.

This past year my letter of the year was "W" and words like "wonder", "why", "wisdom", "well" and "willingness" became a part of me.
Now, since I'm going backwards in the alphabet one letter a year, 2009 is the letter "V". Usually the word of the month just pops out to me; "Vitality" and "vamoose" are particular favorites this month. While looking through the dictionary these words seem to hold significance to me: vivacious, valiant, validate, value, visualize, verve, and verily. This way of focusing my attention on one word has helped remind me reach beyond my limits in little ways and try harder to be better. Here's to 11 more months of verve!

Eat more Chickin

Liv and I went to Chick-fil-a today. This was the first time she has ever played on an indoor playground at a food establishment. I wish I had a video camera! We were walking inside (practically running) as she was saying: "WOW! WOW! Whoa! 'lide! (slide)" It was awesome. We were able to order our food only because she was temporarily distracted by the masses of balloons everywhere. We sat down outside the playroom. She was so excited she could barely sit.
Little did we know that we hit the jackpot of all days to choose to go to Chick-fil-a: it was the store's anniversary! We were given frisbees, stuffed cows, balloons, stickers and treats!
But even with all that, the playground tantalized just beyond the windows. She turned to me and grabbed my face and said, "Pay (play)?" and "Peas? (please)" So when Liv stuffed 2 chicken nuggets in her mouth when I told her she could go play as soon as she ate her chicken and drank her milk, I couldn't refuse. It was a Wow day.

Holiday Highlights

I took some time off from blogging during the holidays. The time was well spent and everything was so meaningful and merry! It was such a lovely season for the whole household. PeaPod's most repeated words between Thanksgiving till New Year's were:
1. "ights" for lights
2. "Whoa!. Whoa." whenever appreciating any Christmas decorations or presents.

Here are some of the holiday highlights:
Having an awesome hubby put up the Christmas lights!
















Decorating the house and setting up the nativities everyday after PeaPod would redecorate
Going to the Messiah Sing-a-Long at Abravenal Hall Riding the Tracks with Auntie Krissy to see Nana serving her hostess mission uptown at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building
Unexpected visit from Auntie Loralee and cousins!
The Christensen Christmas Bowling Party
Excuses to wear Reindeer Antlers and Santa Hats



















Seeing the Christmas Lights at Temple Square (once with family and once with the Young Women)
Getting loads of snow on Christmas Day Losing our power on Christmas Morning





















Attempting to go see Santa at the mall and failing twice, but winning in the end with precious photos outside the mall just when it started to snow!



















Winning the Ugly Sweater Contest Party hosted by Will and Erika. Our greatest competition: lil' Milo, of course!
Painting and making gifts in the garage like crazy...the garage is still a mess...
Visiting many family and friends like long-time-no-see-Michigan-friends, the Heatons and their twins! Too two adorable.
Trying to get those Christmas photos at Kiddie Kandids twice...
Mom making us the the Christmas Mouse and writing a poem to go with it (post it later!)





















Seeing Christmas through the eyes of a 21 month old.