Christensen Clan

Captain America

2012-01-22T19:21:00.000-08:00

There was a Girl's Pref. Dance at Bingham in January. Natalie Bagley asked Jared.Each couple was supposed to dress up as some famous couple. Jared and Natalie shows Captain America and Agent Carter. (due to having people tell Jared he looked like Captain America.)

For all the Teachers & Students among us

2012-01-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

The Leonardo

2012-01-15T14:13:00.000-08:00

These are all the things our family did over Christmas break. Sorry, it is kind of late.

The Allison's Mom, Dad, Nikki, Jared, and Katie went to the Leonardo museum.

We all enjoyed playing games.

Happy Haunting From California

2011-11-03T11:40:00.001-07:00

Caught!

2011-09-12T09:51:00.000-07:00

It looks like we're going to need to baby-proof this house. SOON. This kid keeps us on our toes. Not even able to crawl yet, and he's getting into trouble. Here's just a few of the things we've caught him doing in the last week.

Getting into the toy basket

Opening the cord cupboards.


Then trying to hide.

And my favorite one of all. We turned our backs for just a second while cleaning up breakfast...

He wasn't very appreciative of us taking the syrup bottle away from him.

I've got a feeling this is only the beginning.

Nikki's Amazing Race

2011-09-10T10:44:00.001-07:00

Nikki ran the Mr. Nebo half marthaon on 9/10/11.

Crossing the finish line in 2 hours!

Yea - I did it!

Congratulations, Nikki!

The adoring fans (plus Mom whose taking the picture) cheer for her!

Go Grandma!

2011-09-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Labor Day Weekend visiting Jenny, Blake, Annalie, and Grandma. The Swensons (including Nate's Family who were visiting) invited us to ride their go kart. We had the time of our lives but I think Grandma had the most fun!

Morey's Birthday

2011-09-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures of Morey's train cake. I was pretty nervous about making it without Ashlie here to help. But Cori came over and got me started and gave me confidence. I think it turned out pretty well.

1st ever Valencia Christensen Paper Airplane Contest (and celebratory dance)

2011-08-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

The Crossley's First Blog Contribution

2011-06-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Megan for giving us the link so we can be official Christensen Bloggers!

Apparently he doesn't like giraffes as much as his mommy does.

Do I think I have the cutest baby ever? Why yes. Yes, I do.

2011 Dance Recital

2011-06-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

Kathryn has been a wonderful teacher.

Katie is now on point and did a beautiful performance.

Brooklyn and Katie were both wonderful dancers in their tap and ballet numbers.

After Recital fun

2011-06-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

With all the pressure off of dance recital Katie and Brooklyn had fun playing in their costumes.

Welcome to our family!!!

2011-05-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

What a great looking family!

He is welcomed by two excited brothers.

He weighed in at 6 lbs. 9 oz.

Baby "Benjamin"(sp? and not yet official) came a month early!

Special Day for Haley

2011-05-16T06:01:00.000-07:00

Princess Haley celebrates in great style!

May 14th is an important day for Haley.

Beautiful family.

Baby Mania

2011-05-08T21:31:00.000-07:00

Corbin, Annalie, and Brenton

Three cousins born within six weeks with another soon to join them.

Annalie checks to see if Corbin's fingers taste as good as hers.

Connecting Cousins

Great Grandpa bonds with baby Brenton

Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival

2011-05-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

Morey and Annalie with Grandma on a beautiful spring day when the tulips were absolutely gorgeous!

Morey and Annalie

Jenny and Shelly with their adorable children.

Nikki's Bearth Day

2011-04-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

Nikki's 19th Birthday included:

Breakfast in bed
Flowers
Sunshine

An affectionate niece

Subway
Cleaning up the Earth
Gifts and Cards
Games
Browkies

Happy Birthday, Nikki!

A little twist on the classic lemonade stand

2011-04-06T02:06:00.000-07:00

This Potions business is hard work!

Our first sale!

We even sold one to our neighbor and the mailman! Water down dried sparkle playdoh with mashed strawberry lip balm was our best seller...

Ahh! Reward for a hard days work...

The consummate Christensen

2011-02-15T19:47:00.000-08:00

The signature at the bottom says "Jacquelyn," but don't believe a word of it. Whoever maintains this blog won't let me post. Maybe she's ashamed of me. Maybe she doesn't think I'm a Christensen. Maybe she thinks I'm boring and won't ever post anything worth reading. Whatever. So I'm forced to steal (or, really, "borrow") my wife's identity.

At Cori's wedding we talked about who looks the most like a Christensen. Zack posted his version of what a Christensen mix would look like. After seeing these portraits of the average man and woman of different cities, I thought I'd try again.

I ran our pictures from the Capitol photo shoot through a program called Sqirlz Morph. (Sic.) I used only second-generation ethnic Christensens—i.e., only 100% blood relations. The photos aren't ideal for this project, since they're not high-resolution of each face, some of the faces were partly occluded, etc. But this is what came out.

(May I say, we are a good-looking bunch?) So, whom do these look like? Which of us is closest to the consummate Christensen?

Brenton Graduates!

2011-01-13T18:05:00.000-08:00

Lots of very nice hair!

Brenton is doing so well that on his 10th day he moved from Nursery A to B! All he needs to do is gain weight and learn how to eat!

With I.V. removed all that remains is a feeding tube and monitors so it is much easier to hold him.

Brenton was filmed for a TV documentary.

Brenton at two days old

2011-01-05T19:14:00.000-08:00

Lots of Hair!

Tiny fingers.

Hanging on to Dad!

Cute family!

Welcome Brenton!

2011-01-03T16:19:00.000-08:00

Brenton weighs in at 3 lbs. 5 oz. and is 15 inches

Saying goodbye - just before Brenton is taken to a different hospital.

Off the ventilator and breathing on his own!

Welcome to this world Brenton Paul!

Rubik's Cube Stop Motion Experiment

2010-12-31T18:35:00.000-08:00

Here is the little experimental animation Steve, Zack and I created. For a bigger version you can see it here:
http://vimeo.com/18336135

She's Adorable!

2010-12-12T18:16:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Jenny and Blake!Welcome to this world, Mariah Christine. Born December 11.

Newest Addition to the Family

2010-11-15T12:12:00.000-08:00

Arriving November 14 at 3:54 a.m. this 7 lb 4 0z. cutie thrilled all of us!

Bingham Ball 2010

2010-11-15T12:09:00.000-08:00

J went with Laura, a German exchange student, and had a great time.

Fall Piano Recital

2010-11-15T11:42:00.000-08:00

Pretty impressive that Martie has taught 11 Christensen children and is now onto the next generation. They each performed beautifully.

Instant Neighborhood, Just add Water

2010-11-11T18:25:00.000-08:00

Find A Raft...

2010-11-11T17:51:00.000-08:00

If Tom Sawyer were around 6ish years old, and he were a She, had blond hair blue eyes and a vivid imagination, he might make a list that looks a little like this:

1. find a raft
2. build oars
3. decorate
4. go swimming
5. make sure that it floats
6. put the flag on

For those who visited the Ranch during construction, here is an update.

2010-10-07T12:39:00.000-07:00

I bet you can't tell who I am in this disguise

2010-10-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

Go ahead, just try to get by me!

2010-10-06T12:40:00.001-07:00

Crossing the Finish Line

2010-10-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Nathan and Megan for rocking the St. George marathon!

You have to admit, they look pretty good for having just run 26.2 miles!

Helpful Hints for your Home

2010-09-03T21:55:00.000-07:00

Congrats, Grad!

2010-08-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

Thinking of Scotty

2010-08-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

Commencement

2010-06-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

The end of one thing, The beginning of another.

somewhere over the rainbow-Haley of OZ

2010-05-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung?

2010-04-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

Lucas: "We can build a snowman!"

Easter Fun

2010-04-04T22:25:00.001-07:00

Morey was so cute we couldn't resist!

Easter morning at Graymalkin

2010-04-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

A cold snowy morning for Easter!

Christensen Seder

2010-04-04T22:10:00.001-07:00

Searching for the Afikoman created lots of excitement!
There is much to learn by studying other cultures, especially when we have the same roots. Our attempt to have a family Seder to celebrate the Passover was very rewarding.

Spring Fun!

2010-03-21T09:26:00.001-07:00

Spring is here, and we have proof! Here are some pictures of our out-door high-flying (except in the case of the kites) fun.

Pretend this kite is 300 feet in the air instead of 30...

Run like the wind Brooklyn (cause the wind ain't gonna do the work for you)!

You want to cut that hair?! Swinging will be so boring.

After finishing this swing Grandpa stood up and said, "Boy, I can't hang on to that thing like I use to."

Fun in motion

Oh, high!

To the sky

Did it go in? Guesses, anyone?

When just one tube-steak won't do...

The Portrait of a Man

Photo by Katie Christensen

Come on up!

Who let the Doggs out? Wii Did!

2010-02-12T23:34:00.000-08:00

Jared, Mayor of Whoville

2010-02-08T19:53:00.000-08:00

Jared, Mayor of Whoville, in Seussical the Musical

Mayor Jared with wife Lauren

Mayor and Zack

Yeah! We're a snowshoeing family!

2010-01-01T17:37:00.000-08:00

There may be some who are envious of those of you in southern California during the winter, but it's certainly not us. Sorry to those of you who missed out. The good news is this is just the beginning of a new great family hobby!

2010-01-01T17:26:00.000-08:00

The Many Moods of Morey Glen

2009-11-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

We've found over the last 2 1/2 months that Morey goes through a wide range of emotions during any period of time. He also has a very expressive face, so we get to see those emotions painted pretty vividly on his cute little mug. We feel bad sometimes because we find ourselves laughing because of his cute faces, even when he's trying to tell us that he's terribly upset. See for yourself!

We took all of the following pictures in about a 15 minute time frame.

Calm

Curious

Oooooh!

Bashful

Happy

Ready to burst

Worried

Playful

Very, very unhappy

Sad :(

What the heck?

Back to happy!

Here He Is

2009-11-08T10:05:00.000-08:00

Mandy asked in last week's family journal for more pictures of Morey, so here he is. (We usually put pictures on our own blog. And I feel bad posting more on here, because we are the only ones that have posted anything on this blog in months. We'd love to see others, too! Hint, hint.)

This was on his blessing day, October 4.

2 month old Morey on Halloween.

Morey's First Photo Shoot

2009-09-11T07:10:00.000-07:00

Here's our little guy's first at home photo shoot. We are sure there will be many more in the future. Enjoy!

Bath Time for Morey

2009-09-03T19:59:00.001-07:00

Tonight, we decided to try our hand at giving Morey a bath. We were all a little nervous about it... Especially Morey.

But once we got into it, we all realized it wasn't so bad.

"Hmmm... Maybe this isn't too bad afterall..."

Finally, Morey decided he actually thought the bath was pretty nice.

Can't wait to see how he likes it when we can put him all the way in!

More Morey

2009-09-01T17:48:00.001-07:00

Here are a few more pictures of our new arrival, this time with his eyes open.

Introducing Baby Morey

2009-08-31T12:52:00.001-07:00

Our little boy joined us this morning after a fairly quick labor. He was born at 8:20 and weighs 7 lbs 5 oz and is 20 in long.

The Consummate Christensen

2009-08-30T10:34:00.001-07:00

It was said at Cori's wedding that she is the ultimate Christensen. I'm afraid there's someone else who is trying to take that title. Meet Cramer the Consummate Christensen!

There is a part of every member of the Christensen family in Cramer. What are your guesses as to what part belongs to whom? I'll give you one to get you going: as you can tell from the bridal picture, the neck and basis for the facial structure is borrowed from Cori.

Post you guesses on the other parts!

Baker Reunion 09

2009-08-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

Family Reunion Fun

2009-07-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

Here's 59 seconds of the best dancing you can find anywhere. Lucas knows how to get his groove on!

But wait! More family dancing skills?! Watch Stephen demonstrate the way the Fox Trot is supposed to go.

For other family reunion fun, check out the pics here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/zcamero/ChristensenReunion2009#

July 4th Fireworks

2009-07-05T19:15:00.001-07:00

As I was looking through these fireworks pics from our Independence Day celebration, I sometimes forgot I was looking at fireworks and not pictures from the Hubble telescope.
The time frames on these pictures range from 1/60th of a second to 1/800th of a second. I hope you enjoy them. In other words, have a blast! ;)

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T16:53:00.001-07:00

The Results are in!

2009-04-23T09:39:00.001-07:00

We had a visit with the radiology department today! Here's what we saw:

And for anyone interested in the gender...

It's a boy! (in case that wasn't obvious...)

Recooperating

2009-04-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn wasn't ready to handle school on Monday so watched movies and rested.

Brooklyn and Liam stayed with me on Monday while Nathan took care of Ashlie and talked to the insurance company. Liam, as usual, was non stop talking about sports and even sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"

We Are So Thankful - the Subaru took the worst!

2009-04-16T21:02:00.000-07:00

Ashlie felt angels on both sides of the veil protecting and helping them. Among those angels were Margaret, Kayla and later Brittni who met the ambulance at the E.R. in the hospital in Burley, Idaho (30 to 40 miles from where the accident took place) to comfort, help and give us updates until we (Nathan, Roger and Christine) could get there, for which we were all very grateful.
We are so glad that the mean blow that left this gash didn't do more harm to Katie's eye.
We are so very thankful that all five in that sturdy little Subaru which rolled four or five times and ended up pointed in the opposite direction were protected from more serious injuries. Nothing happened that won't mend or can't be replaced. There were no lives, limbs or eyes lost. It appears that with the tiniest variation any or all three of those possibilities could have been a reality.
Ashlie has a deep cut on her hand, a broken leg and lots of abrasions, bruises and cuts. Brooklyn has a broken arm, bruises and scratches. Liam has bruises around his collar bone. Katie has a chunk out of the ring finger on her right hand, a gash under her eye, scratches, bruises and abrasions. Jared got a bump on his head and bruises from the seat belt. It could have been so much worse! We're counting lots of blessings!

Nicki's Spring Celebration

2009-04-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

Nicki attended Itineris High School's Spring Celebration held at Thanksgiving Point on April 10 with Landon Crapo. As Roger and I were in Rexburg for BYU-I graduation Cori came home to help Nikki get ready. She looked beautiful and had a fun time. We got home before she did so I took these pictures at the end of the night.

Getting Ready For Prom

2009-03-20T23:05:00.000-07:00

Nikki went to Bingham High Jr. Prom tonight with C.J. Van Wagoner. We had a fun week shopping for accessories for her cute, cute dress that we bought last summer. She got her hair done today and looked very stunning. They went to Tepanyaki for dinner and then to the State Capital for the dance.

Its Harder Than it Looks, OK

2009-03-11T00:30:00.000-07:00

A Few More

2009-03-11T00:28:00.000-07:00

Still More Instructions

2009-03-11T00:25:00.000-07:00

More Instructions

2009-03-11T00:15:00.000-07:00

Instruction Manual For Parents or Who try to be

2009-03-10T23:44:00.000-07:00

FHE Bread

2009-03-02T22:34:00.000-08:00

For FHE tonight I gave lessons on bread baking. In true cooking show fashion I pulled some pre-baked bread out of the oven just as we finished making the dough. It was enough to give everyone a taste, but I think everyone left kneading more.

More Holiday Fun

2009-01-07T17:10:00.001-08:00

Holiday Fun

2009-01-07T17:08:00.000-08:00

Kids at the Capitol

2009-01-04T11:03:00.001-08:00

These are a few of my favorite shots from our trip to the capitol.

Liam Loves Christmas

2008-12-07T14:17:00.000-08:00

We were excited to get to watch Liam for the afternoon on Saturday. He's loved Grandma's bear and Christmas decorations, so we decided to take some pictures. What a cute little boy!

O Christmas Tree

2008-11-30T18:17:00.001-08:00

Saturday found us stepping foot upon a Christmas tree lot for the very first time. It was tough (and a litte disappointing) to not be out hunting for our tree in the wild, but you gotta do what you gotta do. After some debate and deliberation, this is the tree we brought home.

CAUTION: CONSTRUCTION ZONE.

2008-10-26T03:55:00.000-07:00

Okay. So I didn't actually want to be left out of the Blog-Movement. So here is my blog:

www.smilingtherainaway.blogspot.com

But please be aware, it is still in the experimental construction stages...don't judge harshly...

Grandma's Birthday at McGrath's

2008-10-15T21:50:00.001-07:00

Scotty's Blog!

2008-10-14T23:27:00.000-07:00

I've decided to join the rank of cool family members who have their own blog. You've probably noticed that I post things so often on the family blog that it's really about time I had my own. Enjoy! Scotty's Blog

End of an Era

2008-09-29T19:19:00.001-07:00

These are the adorable kids we've taught in Primary for the last six months. We have had so much fun teaching this 5 year old class. They are funny kids, and we are always amazed at how smart they are. Our ward was just split this Sunday, and we will no longer be in the same ward as any of these little cuties. We'll sure miss them!

Squaw Peak

2008-09-28T18:10:00.000-07:00

I had a great time hiking Squaw peak and seeing the beautiful fall leaves.

Liam's cake

2008-09-08T15:24:00.001-07:00

We had a family party for Liam the other night. He loves trains, so I made him this Thomas cake. As soon as I set it down, Liam and Lucas ran over and started eating the chocolate chips and M&Ms off of it! (Can you blame them?!) He was spoiled with lots of train, car and sporty things! Thanks to all who came and made it great!!

Liam and Ellie

2008-09-08T13:27:00.001-07:00

Liam (for the most part-- until he got jealous) loved having Ellie here! I love this picture of Liam taking Ellie for a ride on his "motorcycle bike"!

Liam and his frozen friends

2008-09-07T19:35:00.001-07:00

Liam was hanging out with these boys at the state fair when a mad
scientist came running in with his freezobronzoraygun. Luckily it ran
out of energy before he could get Liam. And luckily we got this shot
right on the exact moment before Liam realized what was happening and
used his Kung Fu moves on the villain.

Park City

2008-08-31T15:26:00.001-07:00

This week we celebrated our second anniversary. We spent most of the week in Park City. We were both a little sick, so we spent most of the time relaxing, playing Wii games, watching movies and just hanging out together. But we also did go walk around Main Street, rode the Alpine Slide and went shopping. Our hotel was right up against the mountain in front of the Alpine Slide. You can see it in the background of the picture to the right.

Girls, Girls, Girls!

2008-08-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

Friday night the girls came down to stay the night. My friend, Mindee, is a Mary Kay consultant and came to do a skin care class. Those lovely lips you see come from the lipstick samples. We had a lot of fun with the girls. Now we'll have to have a party with all the older girls.

More too!

2008-08-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

PLEASE Sir, may I have some more???

2008-08-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

Practicing Portraits

2008-08-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

I know this isn't really a "Show off your wife" blog... But mine is REALLY cute. :)
Michelle let me take some pictures of her this last week. These are some of the results.

This is how Liam feels about shopping.

2008-07-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

Llama Fest!

2008-07-20T14:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the 14th annual Llama fest at the Krishna temple here in Spanish Fork. Ever since I saw Megan's shirt (that I now somehow own...) I have wanted to go. Since we're now Spanish Fork residents, we decided it was about time. The temple is really pretty and sits up on a hill so you can see the whole south end of the valley. The llamas were pretty cool, but since we didn't fork over the money to buy treats for them, they weren't so interested in us.

A force to be reckoned with...

2008-07-13T21:29:00.000-07:00

Watch out, Spring Breakers 2024.

The Prophet Said to Plant a Garden...

2008-07-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

So that's what we did...

We've decided to try our hand at gardening. And look! We didn't kill everything (just the carrots, and the lawn)! From left to right you will see: tomato plants that have taken over more than their fair share; cucumbers that are now full of yellow flowers waiting to become vegetables for our salads; lettuce that is already being used in our salads; a poor blank spot in memory of the carrots that were planted there; cantaloupe, also flowering; and last but not least, some flowers thrown in for good measure.

In Loving Memory

2008-07-12T09:10:00.001-07:00

Last night we said goodbye to an old friend. She was a sweet girl who worked hard to make sure our family was always headed somewhere good. She was the most unselfish friend we could have asked for; always willing to help carry our heaviest loads. Looking back it seems like pretty much everywhere we'd go, Ninja was sure to be with us. We couldn't even bear leave her behind when we went on our honeymoon!

We all knew this day would someday come. We all get older with time and these bodies of ours
can't hang on forever. Ninja slipped away quickly. Wherever she has gone now, we are certain she will be working hard to bring the same joy to others as she did to us.

Ninja is survived by her little sister Daphne who has already shown a determination to follow in her sister's tradition of lifting others' burdens and carrying the people she loves when they are too weak to make the journey alone.

Funeral information was posted on KSL cars last night at 7:30. By 8:00 we had already received more than a dozen calls from well-wishers offering their condolences and a place for her to rest. After a brief viewing, the services began. She had requested the traditional services had by her people: the Title Transfer, the Final Transit, and the culminating License-Plate ceremony.
While she is no longer with us in person, we know she will always live on in our hearts.

Red Pine Trail

2008-07-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

Mom sledding on the 4th of July? For anyone who wasn't able to come along on the Red Pine Trail hike, we've posted pictures taken along the way, including some more wintery summer-time fun, in Zack's web album.

The Pushups

2008-06-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Baker, Lucas and Liam do their pushups

Jonathan Sings

2008-06-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

Roger Sings

2008-06-19T19:10:00.001-07:00

Roger showing us his singing exercises

Ryan's Stanford Graduation

2008-06-16T22:24:00.000-07:00

It's official!

Father and son/s walking across beautiful Stanford campus.

Congratulations to Ryan who received his Phd in Philosophy from Stanford June 15. It was a very fun graduation. Oprah Winfrey was the speaker and gave a great talk - teaching gospel truths about faith, hope and charity although she called it "feelings, failures and finding happiness." Jackie, Jonathan, Lucas, Jackie's parents and Dad and I were all there to cheer for Ryan. Of the four pilosophy Phd recipients, Ryan is the only one with a job!

Ryan looks very regal is his Stanford regalia.

Ryan, Jackie and the boys rented a van and drove with Jackie's parents to the graduation. After graduation they are headed to Yosemite for some great sight seeing on the return trip to Utah. (Dad and I did the boring thing and flew.)

Brooklyn's Baptism

2008-06-12T15:08:00.001-07:00

Brooklyn's baptism went really well. She was SOO excited! I'm glad that the day turned out well for her, despite the rough road getting there. She was baptized by dad and confirmed by her grandpa Allison.

Of course the day wouldn't be complete without a few crazy things! In the morning while I was running around trying to get myself (and a talk) and the kids ready, I threw cinnamon rolls in the oven that the filling spilled out and smoked up the whole house!! And, right before the confirmation, Liam was sitting on a chair and I turned for a second and he fell face first on the wood floor. Like our unicorn son?

Brooklyn in her cute dress that Mom got for her.

Too many kids in the tub...

2008-06-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

So, I'm a little late in posting, but I love this picture of the 4 kids in the bath cleaning up after the beach!!
I'm really starting to get into this blogging thing, and am really trying to update and keep up our blog, so check it out!!

Beautiful Ballerinas

2008-06-04T19:07:00.000-07:00

Cori, Nikki, Katie and Brooklyn gave ourstanding performances in their dance recital tonight in both tap and ballet.