A Dream Realized...

So many of you know that I have been in the process of becoming an aerobics instructor for weeks - months even... I have wanted to forever and decided to just go for it... With lots of help and support from so many friends and family - I took the test and certified in November...
*Special shout out to my darling Trish. She has been invaluable in my training... I must have called her one million times in the first few weeks and still use her as my expert resource... She has been too cute for words -- and I am emotional at how she has been close to my biggest fan. (McKay would say he is my biggest fan for sure.) She let me team teach with her (scary with such a rookie) and steal some of her best moves. She let me use her mic and music when I lost mine. She has been an incredible emotional support when I have been frustrated or discouraged. She cheers me on and is genuinely happy for my successes. She has helped me in more ways than I can count! I am so lucky to be close to her outside of the gym too... I could go on and on about her amazing qualities, but in a nutshell - she is one of the most giving, selfless, caring people I know. I adore her and her husband and her babies! I love you Trish!
The funny thing is that certifying is only the very beginning of what can be a LONG process... I have been a member at the Treehouse in Draper for almost 8 years - I think. I have serious loyalty to the club and have wanted to teach there since I started this whole process! First I had to audition...(Gut-wrenching to be honest...Felt just like high school...HA!) After that comes the team teaching then the sub list. I have been subbing for a few weeks - just hoping to one day have my own class... Well, today my little dream came true. I am an official treehouse instructor! YAY! I am teaching 2 classes on Tuesday evenings - ABS and FIRM PHYSIQUES (a weight-lifting class.) I am super excited! I am starting step training within the next month and hope to pick up a few more classes soon, but this is the beginning...WISH ME LUCK!

Bella's Flower Fairy Tea Party...

Bella's Birthday party on Monday was a huge success! We had so much fun! This is the first year that she has really had an opinion on how she wanted the details of her party - so we spent weeks planning. :) We gave each little girl a tutu and wings with their invite to wear to the party - everyone came dressed up and ready for fun. They all got their face painted and looked so adorable! Cole didn't want to be left out - so he was Spiderman for the afternoon! We had lunch, twirled and danced our best fairy dances, played pin the fairy on the flower, and went on a special fairy treasure hunt. McKay led them all with a story and was so believable we had a few tears from girlies that were afraid of the "mean troll under Mimi's bridge." Ha! Luckily everyone recovered when they saw the jeweled bracelets in the treasure box...Bella was so spoiled by her little friends and had the absolute time of her life! After a three hour party with 22 little girls - I am pretty sure she is going to take ONE friend to the movies next year! It was amazing and made Bella so happy - it was worth every minute...We loved it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELLA!

Bella turned 5 yesterday! I am kind of emotional to think that my baby is so grown up! She is as beautiful as ever and I am so proud to be her mommy. I was so excited to have her...We were playing baseball and I was alone a lot of the time while McKay was traveling. I couldn't wait to have a permanent little friend - one that couldn't get traded! :) I look back on the whole labor and delivery experience and am not surprised that she came into this world with a bang (Quick Labor, Natural Delivery, with Daddy arriving just a few hours earlier from his road trip.) She has kept life exciting every moment since. It didn't matter that we were in Virginia - living in a tiny apartment in downtown Norfolk on a team where I had so few friends, Bella lit up our lives and became a huge source of light and happiness. I have loved watching her little personality develop. I am so proud of her sweetness and get the biggest kick out of her sassiness (most of the time anyway.) She is such a performer - constantly putting on "shows" and dancing even when no one is watching. She loves to sing and make believe. She has a tender heart and is such a good big sister to Cole. Her giggle makes me smile and her cuddles melt my heart. She is smart as a whip - more often smarter than I give her credit for... She is an angel. My little best friend and forever baby girl - no matter how big she gets!
Happy Birthday Punkie! Mommy loves you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MCKAY!

Have you ever seen anything so handsome? Maybe I am a little partial...Today is Mac's Birthday. I won't tell you how old he is - but only so that he will think I am extra sweet. Birthdays tend to get a little boring the older we get. I hate that they are, in reality, just another day...Mac has been so busy with work and his new bishopric calling - I think that I see him maybe 45 minutes to an hour each day during the week. Not kidding. FHE on Mondays and Date Night on Fridays have become SACRED!
I tried my best to make it a special day for him...I even made him breakfast, lunch AND dinner...Kinda botched in the gift department, but most of you know that is nothing new! HA! But more than anything, I just want him to know...
That I love him...more and more everyday...
That I am so proud to be his wife...
That I am constantly blown away at his humility, strength, kindness and generosity...
That I am grateful he is the man he is - one who puts nothing above the gospel and his family...
That he gets more handsome every year, still curls my toes and is my prince charming...
That he is the most AMAZING daddy to our kids - I couldn't have hoped for anything better...
That he is my EVERYTHING...
I love you McKay!

The Sweetest Kind of Friend...My Beloved Becky!

So today was one of THOSE days... The kind where you can't stop sweating because you haven't slowed down since the moment you woke up? Yep...The kind where you finally sit at the end of the day and can't help but wonder if you even took the time to pee? This week is crazy! Yesterday was my Dad's birthday, today is McKay's birthday, tomorrow is mom-in-law Vicki's birthday and Bella tops it all off with her bday on Monday... Whew! The sugar on the tip top is the current HUMONGOUS humanitarian project that is going on in our Stake. (It all comes to a close at the end of the week...) I have been involved because I am the Enrichment Leader in our ward. Wonderful, but a little more stress to the pot...
Anyway... Today was just another day that my Beloved Becky came to my rescue. For those of you who don't know Becky, she is the kind of friend you would die to have... She rescues me on a daily basis and drops everything (including her job) to help me. After a stressful day of errands and tired tantruming toddlers we came home to spend only an hour with our daddy before he had to leave again for some MORE meetings. While I was cleaning up dinner - Cole happened upon a dry erase marker and decided to mural the entire hallway from his bedroom to the kitchen. Thank heavens for magic erasers - even if they take some paint with it! I had to call Becky to have her talk me down from the most current crisis. An hour later, Becky showed up at my door with freshly baked cookies and a bottle of water. Not kidding... I cried when she left! It just typifies the friend that she is... She is so sweet and selfless. She is always thoughtful of others and thinks to do so many little things that mean the world to me! She is a creative goddess and the most clean/organized person I know! ;) (Funny that we should be so tight being total polar opposites in this department. Another way she shows love - putting up with my mess all the time!) I don't think that I take the time to thank her enough...SO thank you Becky! You are an angel and I really don't know what I would do without you! Love you to pieces...

Time Out...A Day in the Life...

SO Bella just came out of her room - dressed like this. (Yep...it is 4:30 in the afternoon and those are pajamas. We change our clothes on an average of every 20 minutes while at home) I intercept a conversation between her and Cole...
Bella: "C'mon Cole. We have an appointment."
Cole: "What?!"
Bella: "We have an appointment at New York. They have much clothes there for the stage."
Cole: "New Work? Kay..."
And off they go to our basement New York...

disneyland...

A classic photo - right? Who has ever been to disney without pausing at the entrance for the good old pose by Mickey?


We took the kids to a luncheon with the princesses and to be honest - it didn't matter what else we did! It was the highlight of the whole trip for Bella - she had found her own little heaven! When you come down the stairs to be seated, each child is greeted by Ariel for a photo opp and autograph. Bella was so excited about her little book and asking her to sign it... She was so nervous and polite..."Excuse me, may I have your autograph please?"


Cinderella was beautiful and especially sweet to Bella.


I snapped this picture on our way out of the luncheon...She was so happy!


Mommy and Bella

california adventure park...

Our little Coley is OBSESSED with Monsters Inc. Not kidding... He could watch it over and over and over! Poor Bella has to sit through it and never hesitates to tell me that she is REALLY tired of that movie! :) We rode the Mike and Sully ride in California Adventure Park and Cole couldn't have been happier. It was his little version of heaven. That and the carousel. He is pretty easy to please.


A Bugs Life! One of the highlights of the park. The 3-D movie was awesome! The kids loved wearing the glasses. Cole put his on upside down and refused to change them. Who do you think he gets that from?...

OUR TRIP TO CALI

This is the first of many photos from our trip to California. We drove out to spend the week with the entire Christensen family. We had so much fun! Tiffany's wedding reception was gorgeous and the weather while we were there was amazing! These pictures were taken outside California Adventure Park - so fun! Bella is our little poser -- such a model from the very beginning! The kids had so much fun and Bella is already asking when we can go back!

So it is official...

We (master blogger Becky and I) have been working up a banner for my new blog and it is finally complete! Pays to have professional peeps I guess because I love it! I have been waiting to post until it was ready and she just now uploaded it for me. SO I don't have a photo for my first post - but promise that there are lots to come! Life is crazy in the Christensen house -- we are staying afloat but sometimes just barely! wink wink... I am really looking forward to staying better in touch with friends and family. I think blogging motivates you to keep your camera handy and catch all those tiny moments along with the big events. So cheers! Here is to my newest hobby! Wish me luck...