Kherrington's 1st birthday!

I know another late one.

But we just barely got her into see a Dr. for her one year old immunizations and I didn't have her stats at 1 year....or 13.5 months that she is now.

                               Ht: 30 inches (58%)

                              Wt: 19 lbs 12 oz (16%)

Head circumference: 18.25 in (75%)

                  6 Months

Ht: 26 inches    (57%)

Wt: 15 lbs 9.5oz (40%)

Head Circumference: 43 cm   16.93in.(64%)

                  4 months

                               Ht: 24 inches (32%) 

                               Wt: 13 lbs 6.2 oz (38%)

Head Circumference: 41 cm (45%)

               2 months

                               Ht: 23 inches (68%)

Wt: 10 lbs 12 oz (47%)

Head Circumference: 42 inches (42%)

So she's growing like crazy and I'm having a hard time keeping her fed really well.  She's fairly tall and skinny, except for the little Buddha belly.  She's been so much fun. 

We celebrated with ALL the family on the 4th of July (Sunday).  Since it was Independence Day, we did a dinner with it too.  We had homemade Cafe' Rio pork salads.  HM MM makes me hungry just thinking about it.  It was wonderful to get together with everyone

Here's her birthday cake.  She has a ladybug themed room and so for the first birthday we went with a Ladybug cake.  It's been a long time since I've done a cake, but we whipped out the fondant and away we went.  So we ended up painting the pink fondant with the red dye, but we found that if you use the entire container of frosting dye, it does go that brilliant color.  We found that out with  the black.  All the fondant was homemade and then I had to make flowers with frosting.  Man has it been a long time, but it was fun to use those skills again.



She really got into the present thing.  Totally unwrapped them like she'd done it before.

Grandma and Grandpa Joos got Kherrington a little swimming pool, a floaty with a little shade, and also some beach/sand toys, for the sandbox that Chad and I made for her!!

Grandma  and Grandpa Christensen got her a cute little dress and a jungle animal toy that plays music.  She also got hair clips a little mug, a book, and a cute little short outfits from some Aunt and Uncle's families.  She didn't even want to keep unwrapping presents once she got the mini Strawberry Shortcake mug with the hair clips in it.  She cried when we took them away from her.



Here she is finally enjoying her cake.  So basically since we've move to Chubbuck Kherrington uses a fork.  She started using an adult sized fork and just stretching her arm away from herself to give her enough room to put the end of the fork in her mouth.  So shortly after she started that, both grandma's gave her a set of silverware that she eats almost everything with.  So she started off eating her cake with a fork.   I was wondering if she'd really ever get into it.


So here are some of her milestones.
*She started walking a few steps at a time the week of her birthday, and then by 12 month and 3 weeks she's been cruising around the house.  Basically a run. Many times I've hurried to put something away in her room at the end of the hall and turn around and she's already there.  Scared me the first few times.  I not used to having a shadow!!
*Been using a spoon and fork to eat since about 11 months old.
*She loves the animal puzzle book from JaNae...those puzzle piece animals are always out of the book and scattered all over my living room.  (I totally need to make a better storage piece her stuff so my living room doesn't look like a play room 24/7)
*She loves the parking garage we bought at the neighbors garage sale.  She is always standing or sitting on it.  Scares me to death to see her do things like that already.
*She loves the little Radio Flyer quad wheeled scooter from Grandma Joos'.  I have cute video of this.  I'll get it added.  She loves to ring the bell on it and expects an applause or screams of praise when she does it.
*Also loves the yellow little car that she can push or ride on from Grandma Christensen's, which has a little horn that she can honk also!!
*She loves to get into cupboards, but is pretty good to mostly stay in one cupboard, while I keep the others off limits.  I really need to get some safety latches installed.
*She is our little button pusher. Remotes, cell phones, TV, CD players, Computers.  You name it....if it has a button she's trying to get to it to push it's buttons.  She may even throw a fit until she get to have the cell phone that you are talking to.  She already can turn the TV remote off the AUX to the SAT so it will change the channels on the TV. Too smart for our good right now.
***I love that today I found her loved  puzzle pieces in the toilet...The first thing found in the toilet.  Here we go!!****

A Celebration!!

So this last weekend, the 14th and also on the the 31st of July we were able to celebrate with Derik Christensen (nephew) and the new Andrea Christensen.  It was wonderful to get to attend their sealing in the Idaho Falls Temple.  This was the same temple Chad and I were married in also.  It was so fun to have Andrea's grandfather be their sealer too.  Chad and I just enjoyed the commentary of who was coming up to congratulate them after the ceremony.  What a cute guy.  Also loved his little Catalac walker that he brought in and then turned it around to sit on it.  Just an adorable guy!!

So it was another warm day since the sealing was in the afternoon.  It was definitely toasting for the pictures, and we didn't really get many at all.  Sad to say.  But here is one of Kherrington playing in the fountain at the Loft Reception center the night of 31st.   

There was just no tearing her away from it.  She had a blast and the place was packed the entire time too.  Not that it helps to have such a huge family on the Christensen side that camped out all night.  So much fun.  And basically we had a repeat with great family and friends last weekend at the Thomas church.  Good time all around.

We are particularly excited cause Derik will start the Pharmacy program at ISU and so they live in Pokey, close to us.  So we're hoping to see them often!!

Back East

***Disclaimer: It's a long post with quite a few photos.***  

So at the end of May, (I know that was forever ago!!!) we were able to go to Connecticut to visit some great friends that we met in Pullman, the Barnes'.  These two were the glue that kept everyone we hung out with busy with a social life for the first 2 years we were in Pullman.  Then everyone else left us cause they graduated and shortly there afterward Mike finished his research and paper and got a job clear across the country in Hartford Connecticut.

So with the buddy passes that we got from Brek (thanks Brek!) We flew out to stay with them over Memorial day weekend.  The first day we spent flying.  Since we fly standby, we missed 1 of our connections and that put us getting in to Connecticut in the late evening around 10:30 if I remember right.  It was a long day, but was so good to be there with the.  Thanks for coming to pick us up even though it was later than we thought!!.  And to be greeted with the heat and humidity mixture was crazy, but we enjoyed quite the rainstorm that cooled everything off.

Thursday night we went and ate at a Guatemalan restaurant.  We all ordered way too much, but it was good. 

Here is us at dinner and you can see Chad's plantains.  he was way excited for them

Here are my sopas.  Reminded me of a tostada, they were great!!! 

 I also ordered a tamale, thinking they would be like what I was used to, but I thought they were nasty.  Chad realized afterward that he shouldn't have realized they weren't what I was thinking.  But Mike and Chad both had ordered them.  I figured they had to be great right!!  Not really.  I didn't mind the part that actually had some meat to it though.    Over all it was an awesome experience and I'd totally eat there again.  

Here are pictures with the owner and the top one is with the owner's daughter.  The restaurant was run by a family.

So the next day Mike got off a little early from work and we drove to Vermont to see Joseph Smith's birth place.  Above is the picture of the visitor's center that has a replica of the area at the time of his birth and the hearthstone that he was most likely born by.

This is the monument that was built to commemorate Joseph Smith..  On the tour they explained how they shipped and found the materials to make it.  Crazy amount of work went into it.  We also got to go on a ride to see foundations of the houses that were at one time there and went through beautiful trees.  I've never been to the sacred grove, but these trees reminded me of the pictures that I've seen of the area.  Made it come to life for me and strengthened my testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith

What a great experience.  Our favorite spot we visited while in CT.

We then visited the Ben & Jerry's factory for a quick tour and got to try some Boston Cream Pie ice cream.  It was so good.  I haven't seen it in stores out here though. We were informed that you can basically get any of your favorite flavors through your grocery store if your willing to buy 6 pints of it, since that is the amount they are ordered in.  (I think that's how many don't hold me to it).

Then that night we headed to Boston..... and checked into the fancy hotel Omni-Parker House, where they were hosting prom, so there were quite a few dressed in formals

We then walked to dinner and around the area.. Very nice weather in the evening to go for a stroll

Here is the fancy restaurant that we ate at.  Definitely the most expensive place I've been too.  Chad and I's dinner came to $60, but it was neat to be able to have the outdoors brought indoors, by having windows that totally opened up except for a few pillars.

Here's a shot of the fountain with the moon the in background. It was a beautiful sight and to hear the water as you walked was fun....

Until we got to the Garden center and the Celtics had just won the last game to get into the finals.  Those fans are crazy!!  They kept chanting "Beat LA, Beat LA!!!" and at this point Lakers hadn't even won their last game yet.  It was crazy.  

So the next day we walked most of the Freedom Trail. 

We started out int he Boston Commons gardens

And since it was Memorial Day it had a a great flag display.  (picture from Mike and Jen, cause mine didn't turn out as great!!  Thanks guys)   We used a free app on my iPhone and learned all sorts of things about the stops we made.  The Boston Commons is a 44 acre park and oldest in the country.  Up until 1817 the park was used for public hangings but the past years it's been the host of citywide festivals and performances.

We stopped at the State house, and the Park Street Church.  The 4th stop was the Granary Burying Ground, where Paul Revere was buried, along with Samual Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine-3 signers of the Declaration of Independence.
We then hit the King's Chapel and burying ground,, and the Benjamin Franklin Statue, Old Corner Book Store, Old South Meeting House, Old State House, an we saw the site of Boston Massacre.  What I didn't realize was that only 5 people were killed in the Massacre.  I always pictured it being on bigger scale than it was..

 We visited Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere's House. 

The Old North Church that held the lanterns that signaled to Paul Revere and William Dawes.  

We then went back near Fanuiel Hall and ate a fun lunch and headed back to Connecticut.  And avoided going to Bunker Hill since it was a hot afternoon to do all that walking. And Jen was such a sport.  I was tired and I didn't have the excuse of being pregnant. Although it was way neat to see the historic sites for Memorial Day weekend.

So then we went to Jen and Mike's friends the Shamo's on Sunday and got to meet all their friends.  They were great.  Makes me realize how Mike and Jen surround themselves with great people...and we're privileged to be part of the group.  Then on Memorial Day we did the cinnamon and orange rolls in the morning and went to the parade.  It was great to be there with them, and we were sad to leave, but we headed out that afternoon to make it to SLC that late evening, due to rain storms in Detroit.

After being home we realized that our favorite part was probably just hanging out playing games like we used to.  Love you guys and so glad we got to visit you while you were in CT, but we're super stoked that you got to move closer.  Guess we'll have to plan a trip to Seattle now!!

Life changes....but then again it doesn't.

So as I said in the last post that there is tons that I've been thinking about blogging for a while....but yesterday I was fortunate to attend the most beautiful funeral I think I've ever been to.  It really got me thinking about some of the same things that I've been thinking about blogging about for a while too.  Enough to keep me up half the night.

So one of my dear friends from highschool lost her mother last week to a battle with cancer.  Now I knew that her mother had been diagnosed with cancer well over a year ago, and I felt bad at the time.  Being a nurse by profession can sometimes change the way I perceive news like this.  I haven't quite figured out if I think it's a good thing or bad thing to keep things non-personal.  But I've met quite a few people going through chemotherapy while at work that have had just an amazing attitute about having cancer and what they have been through.  They have been great examples to me.  And surprisingly lots of then had good outcomes.
So I found out (about the same time that I was miscarrying in mid-May) that my father has cancer.  Now I haven't written anything on here, because my father seems to have a hard time with others knowing that he has cancer.  I don't really understand why yet, because it's not like he picked this outcome or has any power to change the fact that he has cancer, or if he just doesn't want to feel pitied.  I'm hoping to understand more fully one day, hopefully without getting cancer myself.
My parents were at my house when my dad got the call telling him the news.  It was a very peacefully discussion (and of course, I tried to make it non-personal, cause that's the way I always have), but I didn't realize that my dad basically thought he had a death sentence until my brother had mentioned it after they went on the trip to Hawaii with my parents that following week.  I know that my dad had a great time in Hawaii and was trying to take advantage of those experiences.
Now my dad is the middle of radiation therapy and will be going to do brachytherapy near the first of September.  I think he's come to grips with it and just tries not to focus on it or the side effects of the therapies he's getting and is just trying to live life, which I think it great.  But I'm sure it does change how you view the time you have to spend with your family, regardless of what the possible outcomes may be.

So yesterday there were so many things that were shared that touched me.  And Jill did the most amazing job on the life sketch, but that her other sisters also talked and played a piano solo.  It was beautiful and to come to find out that her mother had planned the entire thing. (One of the blessings of knowing your time is coming to and end, Lisa said.)  Which I couldn't agree more.  It was just wonderful!!  Not only did I have a greater respect for Jill's mom, cause I didn't feel like I knew her very well, but some of the things that Jill and Lisa stated in their talks about their mom, I can see in them.  Sometimes more private, but very loving, kind, and great examples.  I realized that I never heard one word of complaint from Jill about needing to be with her mother to go do errands, etc when we were in high school.  If fact I always got the feeling that Jill had a great home life, and sounds like she agreed from what she said in her talk.  Good example of not being selfish, like most teenagers would've been.
I know that once I started to think personally about my dad having cancer, I realize I'm not ready at all to have him gone.  I'm sure that Jill feels the same way with her mother too.  But I'm just so glad to have the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. Just another blessing that comes from being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I realize that I know that it's true, so I don't need to be distressed about what the outcome of my father's treatment, cause we'll have eternity.  What a great comfort.  I was grateful for the beautiful testimonies that were shared of how the Lord has a hand in each of our individual lives, and that we will be with Him again, and with our loved ones.  Thanks for sharing those difficult things and making my testimony grow.

Chad's new life/job

So this weekend was Chad's first weekend being on call by himself (or with phone backup instead of having another vet come in with him).  And wouldn't you know he basically lived there all weekend.  So he had 2 calls on Friday night, one being at 1 in the morning. and then had to go in early because he had a sick dog that he had to do treatments on at 6 am. then he worked til about 3pm that day and then had another call the evening and got another call while he was still at the office.  Sunday he got another one and also still had to do the treatments on the sick dog that we're hoping makes it.
Made for a very long weekend for him.  He now knows why people hate on call so much.  It'll be interesting to see how the next weekends he's on call go.  Hopefully it won't be quite as busy, but he is getting lots of experience though.

So proud of how hard he's working, and has worked, to get to this point.  I know he's an amazing Dr.  It still is funny to me that he's a Doctor.  I had to ask the other day what the people at work call him, (Cause they call Dr. Rowntree, Doc).  I wondered if they had a nickname for him too.  But it was nothing too different, Dr. C, Dr. Chad, or the regular old Dr. Christensen.
Sorry for the boring update.  I really have tons of pictures that need to be uploaded and tons that I need to blog about...but I have tons of work to do on the yard, so it'll wait a little longer.