Oh, the way kids think...

I have to post this really fast before I forget:

Hailey was at a friends house today. Her friend Rhya showed her a tiny leprechaun foot print she had. And also has a house to hold a leprechaun in when he sneaks in their house for Saint Patrick's day. Anyway, Hailey came home and wanted to make a house too.

Then she changed her plans and came and asked, "Mom, I have a great idea! I can put some coins on a sticky trap and when the leprechaun climbs on it to take the coins we'll catch it! What do you think?!"

Needless to say...we now have coins on a sticky trap in an attempt to catch a leprechaun.

Jack and his bike

Today we were outside and Jack grabbed Conrad's old bike and wanted to try and ride it.  He started pedaling and with a few runs he was riding by himself.  It was so fun.  He was pretty proud of himself.  Here are few pics and a video for the grandparents!

I think having that balance bike for the last year made the transition much easier.  We never had to do the training wheels so he never got used to have something holding him up. 

Great job Jackson!!! We love you!!!

Strangling Your Husband is NOT an Option

Okay, I promise this is the last post on self help and bettering oneself I'll do for awhile.  But I just finished a book and LOVED it.

Before you think our marriage is in dire straights, let me explain the background to why I read this book.  I have had this phrase in my mind for about the last year and can't remember how it got there, but I know someone high up in the church said it.  Anyway the phrase is, "Are you praying daily and asking Heavenly Father to help you be the wife you need to be for your husband?"  That hit me hard.  I had prayed for our marriage and him but not for myself.  So, I started doing it expecting to all of a sudden be a better wife (i.e. not trying to change him and not be so darn naggy!  ).  I don't know why I thought that; that's not how it works.  I needed to do something about it.

It's no secret that I've become an avid reader this past year.  I've read books on a bunch of different subjects. And about a month ago, a thought came to me to get a book on how to be a better wife.  I've read books and magazines on how to be a better parent, I'm sure a book on being a better wife would be helpful.  So, I found myself shopping (with just one kid) and thought here's my chance to go to Deseret Book and see what I can find.  This book popped out and of course being the cheap person I'm known for bought it off of Amazon and saved myself $12.  It was well worth the wait and it was only $6.50, used!

I loved the book so much that I read it in a few days (I did warn Bo about the title and told him what the book was about) and I now have a totally new perspective on men, their thought process, and new ways I can put Bo first.  It is a must read!

I didn't really like the title of the book, but after reading the book and getting to know the personality of the author it totally fits her.  There are some things in the book that I didn't love, such as the author makes sure she always has acrylic nails to make sure she looks her best. She tends to be a bit materialistic.  But I just found myself thinking throughout the book, "this totally makes sense, why haven't I thought of this myself?"  

Anyway, most of the people I know have been married 5-9 years and are nearing the 7 year slump or are past it.  This book is great to help keep the sparks alive and make your husband feel loved which in turn benefits you and your children too. :) It is great for any stage though.  There's something in it for everyone!

T-ball 2011

Conrad loved t-ball this year! Bo was his coach and Conrad thought that was awesome! He was way  more into the games and tried to get the ball when it was hit rather than play with the weeds in the grass. He was pretty good at hitting it too.

His last game he went up to hit the ball the the bat flew right out of his hands. It was so hard not not laugh but he gets embarrassed easy so I have to be careful. His reaction of, "what just happened", was priceless. I was wishing we had recorded it. But we did get some fun pictures of his last game and here are a few.

Christensen Family Reunion

The weekend after the 4th of July, we went camping in Kelly Canyon.  It was fun as always, but I was being lazy and didn't get any pictures.  (Of course now, I'm wishing I did.)  We found a new spot because Dustin got an RV and we couldn't get down to our usual spot.  It was a fun place.  It was kinds on a slant and I think, at first, almost all of the kids had their own opportunity to lose balance and fall in the dirt.  But, by the end they were used to it.  It was a really fun place for them.  They had a lot of places to "hike" to.

We went swimming at Heise one afternoon and went for pizza afterward.  It was fun and the kids LOVED it too.  Of course the guys went on a motorbike ride (I really think this is why we always stay in Kelly's ;).  Usually this is the time when the kids go crazy and it's no fun for us, but it was the other way around.  The guys kept having problems with their bikes and let's just say it wasn't their favorite ride.

 My favorite part of camping is staying up all night sitting by the fire talking with everyone after the kids are asleep.  Don't get me wrong, I love the kids, but we don't get to hang out as adults without kids very often.  We always see how hot we can get the fire and melt things like that probably shouldn't be melted.  Can I say I think every guy in the family is a pyro?  One nice thing about that is that we are always warm at night while we are sitting there. :)

It is always so fun to get together.  Thanks to everyone working hard to get there and working together when we got there.  It was a great time!!!