January 2009

Hello from Porterville,

I probably would have written sooner, but the boys and I have been spending a lot of time outside since it has been in the high 60's and beautiful for the past couple of days (it got all the way up to 70 yesterday). Not to make any of you jealous, but when was the last time YOU got to wear shorts and t-shirts in the middle of January? :P Anyway, the boys and I are really enjoying the weather.

Dallan started school again on Monday. He was kind of excited about it, but also kind of sad. He has lately been feeding his Carcasonne (a really fun board game with lots of expansions) obsession which included playing it at least once a day all last week. Not that I mind too much, but one can only have so much of one game. As much as I like vacations, I think that maybe three weeks of vacation was a little too much. Over the break Dallan grew a goatee. Upon seeing it, one of his elementary school students immediately asked if Dallan had bought it on the internet. Can you buy goatees on the internet? Dallan thought it was really funny, but somewhat odd.

Monday was a very interesting day for us. Before the Christmas break, the choir teacher at Granite Hills asked Dallan if he could house some choir students from Chapman University in January. Dallan (and Mom C.) said that would be fine. We didn't hear anything over the break saying that our house was needed, so we assumed that they had found enough houses. Then Monday morning came, and at about 10:00 we got a call from Dallan asking if we could house 6 students that night. Mom C. and I frantically got to work cleaning the house, washing sheets and towels, and making bread (Mommy, you would be so proud of me; some of the loaves actually turned out looking good!) Dallan and Uncle Richard (who was joining us for dinner and FHE that night) picked up the six girls. They were all very nice, and they thought that the boys were absolutely adorable. We ate a quick dinner (their call-time for their concert was 6:45) and then we went to their concert. It was a really fun concert. The music was very good and the Catholic church that they performed in had really great acoustics. We sat up in the very front, and we did not have to take the boys out of the room once. They were quiet, well-behaved, and actually listened to some of the music. Our house guests and some of their friends were very impressed (frankly, so were we; they were not nearly that good for the last choir concert that they went to). After the concert we spent some time in the kitchen talking to the girls. Five of the girls slept in the playroom on a couple of mattresses, while one girl that had a really bad cold/headache slept in the guest bedroom. They left after breakfast the next morning. Overall, a fun time was had by all.

Zach and Marriner are talking more and more in complete sentences that are longer than two words. They still jump around a lot and get into a lot of things that they are supposed to leave alone, but they are pretty cute boys. We got Kung-Fu Panda for Christmas and, wonder of wonders, they almost like "the panda movie" better than Cars! Needless to say, it is a welcome change! They really enjoy the toys that they got for Christmas, but I am having the same problem with keeping the playroom clean that Christine is having! We are getting a little bit better at putting all the toys away every time we leave the room, but that plan still needs some work.

I had another doctor's appointment last Friday. The baby is still growing, doing fine, and upside-down. I feel like this baby is moving a lot more than the boys did, but maybe I don't remember how much the boys moved. There is also the idea that the boys were so busy kicking each other that they didn't kick me as much. Well, I can't think of anything else that is going on. I hope that the rest of you are enjoying the cold and the snow! If it gets too much for you, you can always imagine the boys and I playing croquet in the sunshine and eating lots of fresh oranges, palmelos (sp?), and tangelos. We love you all!! :)

Love,
The (warm) Christenson's

Update

Hello to all that actually read this blog on a somewhat regular basis. Unfortunately I am not one of those, so I'm thankful that Amy is writing something and putting some pictures up. (I'm sorry that I don't have more pictures to add; for the big events that have happened we have used a camcorder). So we are now living in California with Dallan's parents. Dallan has started teaching band at Granite Hills High School, so the house-hunting has kind of been put on hold. The boys love being at Grandma's house because they get their own playroom and Grandma and Grandpa just adore them. I am getting used to not having any homework--and loving it! I get to watch the boys play and play with them all day. Both boys are now able to get out of their cribs, which has caused some problems because Zach will think of something to play with that Marriner didn't. They are also starting to really act like their age: 2. They fight over more toys and throw more temper-tantrums. Everybody tells me to just wait until they are teenagers, because then it will be worse. I'm not sure if they or I will survive that long.
Yesterday we finally went and got them new tennis shoes and Sunday shoes. The tennis shoes have Velcro straps which the boys think are the coolest things ever. They love to put them on and then sit there playing with the Velcro.
For those of you that don't know, I am expecting again! The baby will be due sometime in February. I'm doing better with morning sickness, but I wish that it would just stop all together. I think that Zach kind of understands that I have a baby inside because he will sometimes point to my stomach and say "Baby?" I'm not sure that Marriner gets it yet. Thankfully I am not as sick as I was with the boys so I don't think that we are having twins again. Amy thinks that we should have quadruplets so that we can double the size of our family again. I think that Amy should first have to try taking care of three babies all at once and then she can tell me that I should have 4. :)
Well, I don't know what else I could add. We are all healthy and happy, and we have been very blessed to be able to stay with my in-laws. We hope that everyone is doing well!

Hello All

okie-day, So I don't understand what Patience meant in her last e-mail that Dallan will only have 35 students? Is that all year or just Summer school? but anyway... let's see...

The boys have learned to get out of their cribs and into the other crib. (After a nap Marriner was found in Zack's crib!)

The boys have started wrestling each other, and giving each other lots of hugs to try and make things "better."

Patience and Dallan are looking for a house? Really? Cool. This one may be a little small though...

Patience finished her American Heritage Final!!! Woo hoo!! She's finished with BYU!!! Go Patience!!!


More Random pictures! Yeah!

Patience.... you should edit this post and add more!! :)

So, Amy told me that if I didn't post something on my blog that she would get really mad at me. So.....ummmm. Dallan graduated in April, I am going to graduate in August (if I can get my stupid online American Heritage class done) and we are moving to California in July. Everything but the bare essentials is already in California, but I think that the boys enjoy having the extra room to run around in. Zach and Marriner will turn 2 in August, and will actually get to blow out candles this year. I think that Dallan is more excited about it than they are. :) Well, I think that is all for now. I will try to keep this thing updated, but I have to do my homework. Adios!

I'm in!

Wow Amy!! It looks really great! Thanks for making my blog for me. You already know that I don't promise to check it extremely often, but I will make an endeavor to look at it at least once a month, perhaps once a year. :) Can you put video on this thing?

Patience

Enter the World of Blogging

So, Patience & Dallan have been my neighbors since July 2005. My husband Andrew and I were married one day before Patience and Dallan! Soon after P&D had twins! Marriner and Zachariah are very energetic, dashingly handsome boys each with their own friendly personally! And since , I really wish to keep contact when they move to California! (Which is so not fair!) I'm making a blog for them!! So... Patience YOU BETTER USE THIS BLOG!!! OTHERWISE I'LL BE WRITING EVERY ENTRY!!!!

Love, Amy!

*evil laughter...*