RAIDS!

This morning I was telling Mike about Enrichment last evening and he reminded me about his favorite childhood memory - the Christmas Eve Raids!

Each Christmas Eve, the children - Mike, Kirk, Scot, Marjorie and Suzanne, would go to the second level of their home and in the dark, they would sneak around the upstairs of their home and scare each other. He said that sometimes there were be two or three people quietly sneaking and sliding around and then they would run into each other and make monster sounds, etc. His favorite memory is when Kirk would run into Marjoire and Suzanne and Mike would hear Kirk make his monster sounds. The girls would squeal and run.

RAIDS never occured in the Christensen household, except on Christmas Eve! Maybe, just maybe, I'll get Mike to AUTHOR a blog some day where he can really share his memories. But for the time being, I enjoy hearing about those memories each Christmas season!

Suzanne, Mike, Scot, Marjorie (Kirk's serving a mission)

Family, Home and Personal Enrichment...

This evening I attended our Ward's enrichment activity. A few years ago when the change was made from Homemaking to Family, Home and Personal Enrichment, it seemed to throw people off. But, I want you to know that we had a perfect enrichment activity this evening!

Because I currently serving as RS President, people thank me for the activity, BUT, I am VERY quick to let them know that it wasn't me, but it was our Enrichment Counselor, Annette Knight and our Enrichment Leader, Lacy Egbert, that were the responsible parties as well as those they invited to assist with this evening's success. (I delegate as well as give credit where it is due!)

How was our evenings' Enrichment Successful?

1. The theme was simplifying Christmas and focusing on family and love. Stacey Petersen gave a thought provoking presentation on Simplifying Christmas and shared with us several of the gifts that she and/or her family have received over the years that meant something to them. All of these gifts were something that was handmade and/or personal in nature. They were not gifts from the department stores. Wow, what a way to feel enriched about family and home!!!

2. We sang Christmas carols and while the spirit was already there, our singing brought the spirit more fully into our evening and into our hearts. Whenever we speak of Christ or sing of Christ - we are personally enriched and edified (Again, right along with the goal of RS Enrichment meetings!)

3. Sisters also brought to share some of their favorite Christmas treats, which is what we munched on as we visited with each other and the listened to Stacey's words. Again, personal enrichment as we visit with one another and I guess a little temporal enrichment too!

The last item that brought our enrichment meeting so close to perfect was the calling of Sister Carol Raymond as the Children's Class Leader. It is not the NURSERY, but CHILDREN's CLASS. Carol had the children eating out of the palm of her hand. When I took a sister and her children home this evening, I ask the children how they felt about the Children's Class. The eight year old son gave me a THUMBS UP! I was touched. Yea!!!

I am so grateful for those who serve in their callings and who prayerfully consider the way to fulfill their callings. I truly left Enrichment ENRICHED!

In My Lifetime...

I've copied this from a friends blog. An interesting list, but I think there things I should add to it! Plus, there are a few things that I will NEVER do!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped – will never happen!
12. Visited Paris – does the airport count?!?
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (it was not my fault)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job - sort of – from Arctic Circle in the 10th grade.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book, not really, but helped with Mike’s novel!
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit – Does small claims court count?
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Cave Tubing in Belize

A few of my own...

1. Been through the locks of the Panana Canal
2. Been above the Arctic Circle
3. Visited Iceland
4. Driven the entire the Al-Can Highway (Alaskan Canadian Highway)
5. Seen a bear catching and eating salmon
6. Taken a ferry across the Mississippi River
7. Read the Book of Mormon (many times!)
8. Visited a WWII battlesite (in Guam)




What are your life experiences?

Alishea...

Introducing ... the one and only... Alishea Lang!!!

(My favorite photo)

Alishea Lang

Junior Year 2008-2009

I decided that Alishea needed some blog space. Alishea is a Junior at Alta High School and a member of the Las Scelles drill team. She earned a spot on the team as a sophomore - one of only four sophomores to make the team. Alishea can do the 'splits' both ways. She is very LIMBER!

A few pictures from her Las Scelles Photo Shoot...

Last Thursday she was inducted into the National Honor Society at Alta High School. She and her parents have been known to have a written contract regarding the GPA she would earn for each semester. She is a beautiful young women with a great sense of humor who keeps the Lang family laughing. She is also a tease and so I never know if what she is saying is the truth or not!

There was a time when Alishea thought it was cool to come over and spend time at my home - this was the pre-teen days. Now days, well let's just say that it has changed! But, there was one time when several of my nieces and nephews were over eating breakfast and Alishea spilt grape juice all over the table and carpet. I've never been one to get upset over 'spilt milk' - or anything like it and I calmly asked her to clean it up. (If you spill it, you get to clean it up.) Well, she worked hard cleaning it up from the table and carpet, sat down, and spilled the grape juice again! Every time Alexis is over at our home, she reminds me of the incident.

Last summer, Alishea worked at Schneiter's Pebblebrook Golf Course in the pro shop. Her dad, Bryan, has known the Schneiter family for years and also designs the course scorecard for them. This past week she told me she was on the seminary council... Well, sort of. She went to the seminary building after school to make up a missed class and the council was there eating Seven Layer Dip (Alishea's favorite!). She wanted some and her teacher said that if she wanted the dip, she'd need to stay for the meeting and serve on the council. So she 'joined' and had 7 layer dip! (Can one join the seminary council???) We're not sure if this was a 'temporary assignment' or not, but hey, what one will do for a little 7 layer dip...

Alishea with hair extensions...

Las Scelles Quilt

(Quickly made in one day by Alishea's Favorite Aunt!)

A Rising Star...

Last Tuesday afternoon I went to Draper Elementary to see my niece Alexis's class play of Shakespeare's As You Like It. It was an hour long adaptation of his play and they spoke the words as Shakespeare wrote them. It was fantastic and funny! I confess, I really have never cared for Shakespeare, BUT these 6th graders did a great job!

Here are a few pictures...

Narrator - Alexis Lang

Curtain Call

Crazy Friends

My Favorite Childhood Books

A friend shared on her blog her favorite childhood book. I thought it would be fun to find out what other people's favorite childhood books have been, so please start posting...

My two childhood favorites are...

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree - My mom has told me that I loved to have her read this book to me over and over and over again. I don't recall these multiple readings, BUT I do remember this fun book and how the top of the Christmas Tree was too tall and kept being chopped off, discarded, and then someone would find it, and the scenario repeat itself over and over. Everyone (animals too) ended up with a Christmas tree!

My other favorite book was Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel. I remember being so fascinated that this steam shovel was STUCK in a basement and then someone came up with a great way to utilize the steam shovel.

Give me FIVE!

Our niece Cori had responded to a husband tag and even though I wasn't tagged - do you really need to be tagged to participate - I decided Mike needed a little blog exposure!

5 things Mike loves

• Me, of course!
• Hamburgers
• Writing
• Soft Drinks
• Nostalgia

5 things on Mike's to-do list

• Finish writing his next novel
• Repair our loveseat that has broken
• Repair the planter box that he made for me a couple of years ago
• Make a quilt rack to display my quilts on
• Clean the tub - Yes, Mike cleans our tub, YEA!!!

5 things you may not know about Mike

• Mike is a published author - The Tomb of the Devils
• He has a Masters Degree from the University of Big Egos
• He has a large vocabulary and is brilliant, but because he quiet and reserved, you don't necessarily know this about him
• He likes to wash his own clothes - I guess he lived alone for too many years!
• Mike has a Spanish accent! (When he served his mission to Argentina, he served out in the boondocks for most of his mission and when he came back to Buenos Aires the last three months, the people he met could tell he learned his Spanish in the back country because of his 'accent'! Is that hilarious or what

5 places Mike has lived

• Maryland
• New Jersey
• California
• Utah
• Argentina (Served a Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

5 quirky things about Mike

I have to confess... There isn't anything quirky about Mike. When I married him, I decided to look for only the good and so I don't look for the bad or 'quirky'. Thus, Mike's perfect in this area. (I guess I'm quirky because I don't see any of his quirks. Does that count!)

I have a GREAT husband!