Life As I Know It...

I never could have imagined how hard it would be to be a mother. It is the most emotional, physical and mentally challenging thing I have ever done. One of the hardest things so far is watching the kids get frustrated at challenges they face and to know that they have to learn to do it themselves cause me doing it for them isn't going to help them in their life.

Abbey is learning to play the piano. She likes to do it her way... need I say more? She is doing well and it is fun to see her get excited when she masters a song. It has been hard to keep my patience as she makes a million mistakes and I just have to sit at the keys myself to remind me that it is easier to sit and criticize than to play. Another few months and she will probably pass up my level!

Braxton is relearning how to tie his shoes. He had it down well at the beginning of the school year and wasn't forced to practice so he forgot. We are working on that again and boy is this a tough one! For some reason he likes to wrap the laces "backwards" from the way that I do it and it is hard to get on the same page. He gets frustrated very quickly with anything he doesn't master right away. (Sounds a lot like his mother!)

Landen is anything but interested in potty training. He has found a hobby that he likes that has been a mental life saver for me! Landen loves Braxton's "super hero" guys and the castle that goes with them. He also loves to play with little dinosaurs and will play by himself for over 2 hours without losing interest. The ONLY catch though is that he likes to play by HIMSELF. If Braxton even walks close to him a screaming fit ensues like his arm was chopped off. I tried to sit down with them yesterday to teach them how to play together. It went well till I got up and left and then it was back to fits and fighting.

Some days I wonder if I am going to survive the zoo around here and especially as we add a baby to it all. I mostly post this though cause I am assuming that parenting is only going to get more complicated as the kids get older and I will look back at these little frustrations and wish I could have them back!

I am totally aware that I have 3 fantastic kids who really try hard to choose the right and are full of love and smiles. Hopefully this 4th one will come as healthy as the other three have. Just 7 weeks left till my due date!

Miracles DO Happen!

3 1/2 years ago Abbey was just learning how to ride the Yamaha PW50 motorcycle. She had gained enough confidence to zoom around Bryce's parent's yard on her own. At the peak of her confidence she hit a tree root, panicked and gassed the motorcyle straight into a cedar tree. We were dumb and had let her get on the bike w/ shorts on to show grandma and grandpa her skills and she burned her leg on the pipe. Never again would she get on a motorcyle by herself, until a few days ago! Abbey has been watching Braxton go up and down our road to learn how to ride the newer KTM 50. She came out and asked to "sit on the bike." Bryce was patient to have her sit on it, push her around without it on and then start it up for her to gently ride up the street. She had a BLAST!!! We couldn't get her off of it and she couldn't wait till she could have another turn. Bryce will have his hands full with 3 little kids all wanting to go dirt biking this summer! Not too bad of a deal for me!!!

Here are a few videos of their warm up laps on our road:
Abbey:

Braxton:

I finally have a date!!!

After 2 years of brace face, I finally have a date to get my braces off!!! I am SOOOO incredibly excited that I can't hardly stand it! I have to go in every 2 1/2 weeks for minor adjustments for the next little bit but on MARCH 22nd I will get them off!!!! This is also the due date of our little baby boy. They were a bit concerned about that date but I can't get them off any sooner. I told them not to worry cause every pregnancy has gone a bit longer than the last one. Landen was a week late so I am not planning on having this baby on time. I will at least have one for sure thing to look forward to on the 22nd! It will help me stay positive as it is getting more frustrating, tiring, and harder being pregnant. I am doing fine but my body doesn't want to cooperate as well as it has in the past to spring out of bed, bend over to get stuff off the floor and it knows to get heartburn the MOMENT I lay down (or if I eat my favorite sugar cookies!) I have been a bad girl this time with my diet and I am and will pay for it. That doesn't seem to stop me stealing one more treat throughout the day though.

Anyway- 8 weeks and 5 more days (yes, I am counting down) till I am flossing like a normal person!!! WAHOO!!!

December 2009 Highlights

The whole Christensen Clan! Not too bad for a picture taken w/ a camera on a tripod and a timer! The adults are definitely outnumbered with 2 more little ones on the way.

The kids showing off their muscles in their new motorbike clothes.

The only thing Braxton kept asking for was a motorscooter and he was SURE Santa would bring him one. Santa pulled through and he was very excited!

Abbey's request was an "American Girl Doll" and she had to have freckles. Fortunately Santa knew that it wasn't the brand she cared about but the looks and Abbey was also very excited.


Landen was after Abbey in line to visit Santa so he also asked for an "American Girl Doll." Santa thought he might like something with wheels instead. Finally a bike of his own! He loves it and will now not have to ride something that is pink!


As close to the North Pole as we could get! We had a fun morning at Gardner Village with our little family checking out the elves and have a little treat!

Abbey showing off her homemade bird feeder that we made for our dear friend, Hannah Ormond. She loves to watch the birds from her window at the rest home.
Landen was busted eating the peanut butter off his fingers AND the birdseed!!! It happened more than once so it must have tasted pretty good! (or he has lost his sense of taste from going without sugar and fruit for the last 6 months!)

What can I say for Braxton? He kept closing his eyes when I took the picture so I told him to open his eyes really wide. I guess it was a lot of work cause I can see his veins in his neck poking out too with all the effort. He was a fabulous bird feeder maker!
It only took me 3 1/2 months to finally get Abbey's room finished! The weekend before Christmas I finally hung up her pictures and put up the vinyl on the wall. It turned out cute and we all love it! Bryce wants to move downstairs cause her room is so chilly... I think that he just likes the pink walls and polka dots!

Our family picture as we were about to head up to temple square to see the lights with all of my family!

To pass the time while Bryce was out of town, we decorated the Christmas tree. No ornaments were broken in the process and I didn't even get upset! It was a bit hectic trying to get ornaments out of the boxes fast enough for so many little fingers but we all had a good time. Landen had his favorite few branches that he loaded up with ornaments and also figured out that you can hang one ornament on the hook or string of another one. It was definitely a unique tree that is full of love, creativity and originality!

I love taking the pictures of the kids before we head to church at Christmas time. I might have already posted this pic but here it is again if I have. They are growing up so fast!!!

We had such a great holiday season!

Happy Holidays!!!

I just love the holidays!!! Everything about it makes me smile. Yummy homemade treats, Christmas lights sparkling in the night, people thinking of others, a beautiful new blanket of snow to cover the ground, sledding, excitement of the kids, etc... I seem to get a burst of energy (I would call it adrenaline) for the holidays. Last Saturday we had a babysitter come so Bryce and I could do some shopping and I was so excited that I was awake around 5:30 am with ideas running through my mind. We had such a great time together that I wished we could do it again soon! Again yesterday we baked 10 batches of gingersnaps for our neighbor gifts and had a BLAST doing it! It made the kitchen smell so delicious and it was adorable talking to Braxton, Landen and Abbey (all on seperate occasions) as they sat up to the counter to help roll the cookies in sugar. And then later to Bryce as we sat tying little ribbons on the bags of cookies. They are my little elves! (Poor Bryce, he must just want to choke me!!!)

I guess my energy spurt of excitement hasn't died down yet. I did fall in bed last night dog tired but somehow was woken up at 4 am thinking about Christmas again. I tried my best to go back to sleep, but to no success. I know I need all the energy I can muster up to keep up with the kids today. The weekends are a challenge to keep the peace and keep up with all they want to do. I have a feeling we will be playing in the snow since it just put down a little bit more and they will be begging Bryce to pull them on the sled w/ the motorcycle. Anyway- I figured I could take advantage of the opportunity and started a batch of dough for cinnamon rolls. I have always wanted to have fresh cinnamon rolls baking in the morning but haven't ever been crazy enough to be up early enough to do them! ... until now.

I feel so lucky this holiday season to be able to absorb the feelings of the holidays and to enjoy each activity that comes our way cause there have been plenty of years that it hasn't been this nice or special for me. I am grateful for the time to stop and relect on my Savior, Jesus Christ, and for all that he has done for me. I sit in awe as I read the story of his birth (especially being pregnant) and thing about all the sacrifices and hardships Mary had just being his mother. I thank heaven that when I get to have my baby I will drive in a comfortable car (for about 10 minutes) to a good hospital to be drugged up and taken care of.

Anyway- I can tell I am finally getting tired since I am starting to get mushy. Hopefully I can catch one more hour of sleep before the kids get up!

Lots to be thankful for...

Warm sunny weather and swimming on Thanksgiving Day... what more could I ask for? We were lucky enough to be able to to go Arizona to visit my brother, Dave, his wife, Lori, and their sweet little girl, Ila. We had a BLAST! We were so busy having so much fun that I didn't ever dig our camera out to take any pictures so I only have a few from my phone. The kids loved our stop in Las Vegas as we went to M&M World and stayed at the Excalibur. I have some fantastic air hockey players! We also had tons of fun swimming and playing with all of the cousins. Here is a few pictures of Bryce w/ the kids:

It was great to spend lots of time w/ my side of the family. We live close to almost everyone but don't really hang out w/ the whole group much.





To top off our trip to Arizona we had to make a trip to the local hospital. The night before we were leaving I got in a car accident w/ the kids. It was after 10:30 pm and the kids were tired so I decided to go put them to bed and let Bryce finish watching a football game w/ the guys. We were heading the 2 blocks from Dave's house to the hotel when a girl ran a red light and I t-boned her going about 40 mph. It is crazy that we all walked away from the accident with only a few bruises. I got to spend the night at the hospital while they made sure our baby was ok and no preterm labor will come from all of this. He is doing well and they verified that it is for sure a boy and a VERY active one at that. The car didn't fair so well and it is now making a junk yard in Arizona its new home. We feel so fortunate and blessed that we were watched over. Definately a weekend of thanks!





Here are a couple of pictures that Bryce took from his phone:

Can anyone find my front license plate?! :) We never did find it.



Only these few marks from such an event!

I loved that car and want another one. This next one I want to keep a bit longer though!

Disappointing Day

I went to the orthodonist today and found out that I won't get my braces off before Christmas like we had been planning on. I have slacked off a bit here and there wearing the horrible rubber bands that I need to be wearing and I think it has slowed my progess a bit. I am SO ready to be done with this stuff! I just want to go out in public without feeling like a total dork, eat regular foods, brush my teeth in less than 5 minutes and not have to peel my cheeks out of my braces in the morning to discover another cut in my mouth! GRRR!! I need to put up a picture of me from 2 years ago to help give me motivation to continue on! I guess that I can survive my third Christmas without cinnamon santas, caramel, toffee, caramel popcorn and snickers bars! I will probably eat enough pie and york peppermint patties to make up for it!