Phone

So, last Wednesday I went to youth group at my church and went sledding with the girls. It was a great time -really cold, but lots of snow and the only light we had were flashlights- so it was hilarious to watch everyone crash. As I do every Wednesday I had my phone on my pocket in case Wade needed me to come home - however, I noticed when I got home that I had lost it.

Well, I called back to our Bishop's house and asked if they could look for it but they couldn't find it in the dark. Gage and I looked the next day and couldn't find it and then it snowed at least 8 inches on the weekend, so I figured it was time for a new phone and we would find the old one in the spring.

Long story short: I bought a new phone Wednesday at 11. I got a call from our Bishop's family Wednesday at 2 that they found my phone.

I took my old one into the phone store and it still works! Just like new. So if anyone out there is planning a trip sledding, to Antarctica, or any other snowy place, take this phone with you....it can last at least a week in snow.
Crazy, but true.

Picture Time

I had Noah's picture's taken a few weeks ago and finally got them back. I had them take a few shots of both of the boys as well and I thought they were pretty cute. Since I'm too cheap to buy the actual digital version they try to sell you, here are scanned copies (probably against copyright laws, so just don't try to print them, okay?)

Here's to your health

So for whatever reason (Wade's high cholesterol, extra baby pounds, new year resolutions, guilty conscience etc.) last night when I started to make homemade Oreo cookies I decided to omit the oil and substitute applesauce.

To our suprise, the taste was absolutely fine! However the cookies had an awful appearance. First off they couldn't be rolled into balls because applesauce is sticky and the batter didn't have the same consistency versus using the oil. Secondly, the cookies were very moist - even after cooking for a few extra minutes they were super soft so I let them cool on the cookie sheet...still soft. So when I went to bed I decided I would just leave them out on the counter and see if that helped. They are still super soft this morning.

Moral of the story: Use half oil/half applesauce if trying to be healthy when making this yummy treat; use applesauce if you are too lazy to cover your cookies at night and still want a soft cookie in the morning; or forget your health and just make the treat with all the fat - it's a treat anyway, right?

HOMEMADE OREO RECIPE:

1 package devil's food cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil (or butter flavored shortening)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together ingredients and shape into small (quarter size) balls, place on greased cookie sheets and bake for 8 minutes. After cooling sandwich the backsides of the cookies together with cream cheese frosting. Enjoy!

Mouse & Cheese

So I'm not sure how many of the Christiansens read the blog - so I'll have to explain for the rest of you.

They have this thing called the mouse and cheese...pictured above. I'm not even sure where this thing came from - perhaps a gum ball machine - who knows. It's old and dirty and been around the block - literally. However, it has been part of their family for at least fifteen years - I'm not even sure they know how long. They pass it around. No one wants it but if you lost it you would be in BIG trouble. It's been to Omaha, NE a couple times while Wade's brother in law was in dental school. You can't just hand it to the person you want to give it too either - you have to hide it or give it them creatively so they find it and then they are "it". I supposed you could call it a game of Christiansen Tag.

Well, the mouse and cheese followed us to Des Moines in the summer of 2005 when we moved here. It wasn't a big surprise to us, the Christiansens helped us pack our things, drove us here and unloaded our belongings. They had every opportunity to hide it. Well, we found it before they left and we tried to give it back but after many failed attempts it stayed with us for a semester. Christmas 2005 I presented Wade's sister with a scrapbook of where the mouse and cheese had been in Des Moines. It included some of the following pictures.

Well, I found the mouse and cheese today - in my freezer (how appropriate considering the weather). I guess it really enjoyed it's last stay in Iowa and wanted to come back to visit. But Wade and I know better.

We have it and it's not staying here long - we've told you before that the mouse and cheese prefers Utah weather to cold Iowa winters. So you might want to watch your backs...because you never know when or where you will find the mouse and cheese. Happy hunting.

Siblings...

I keep finding Gage under Noah's toy and Noah crying looking at the ceiling. I think someone is a little jealous of baby Noah...what do you think?

Cold?! It's not cold here

Our friends in Florida sent us pictures of what they did during the long weekend. After reading my blog from last week, she told me it was 80 degrees and they were wearing shorts. Wade had something to say about that.

Above: What Wade did this weekend. Proving to us that you can wear shorts in Iowa in January. Below: What Dylan did this weekend. We aren't jealous.

So as I post this it is currently a whopping 6 degrees outside - and a windchill of negative 13. Unfortunately, I would say it's cold. Wade had school off today so him and Gage were able to outside in the snow. Poor Gage has a mom too cheap to buy him a snow suit so he had to wear 2 pairs of socks, 3 pairs of pants, 3 shirts, a coat, a hat and gloves!

Goals

My friend posted her goals on her blog and I thought it was a great idea. So here you are - it's January 14th, so I'm a little late, but posted on the right hand side of your screen are my goals for 2007. Not necessarily in any certain order.

1. I need to read the Book of Mormon again. This is a goal I think I will have every year from here on out. I've done it for the past two years.
2. Scrapbook. I started Wade's mission album 2 years ago and haven't finished it. I haven't started Noah's and I'm 6 months behind in 2006. I set up an actual scrapbook area in my house so I won't have the excuse that it's too hard to get everything out. We'll see how it goes.
3. Be more healthy. Yes, this probably should be above scrapbooking, but seeing how productive scrapbooking involves coke and chocolate, I had to prioritize these goals.
4. Family vacations. The plan is to go to Washington to see my parents for spring break, drive to Utah this summer and go to Nauvoo sometime on a long weekend.

PS - it's colder than last time I blogged and snowing. We came out of church today to a snow storm and a couple members of our church got in car wrecks and ran off the road getting home. No one got hurt, thank goodness. Good think Wade has tomorrow off school and we can all just hibernate inside our little warm home. Maybe we'll get some good snow pictures tomorrow.

porker

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Ok, sorry, I'm having way to much fun making myself laugh - sorry if you don't get this you have to go back and read through comments.

Scheez

Ok, I stand corrected. I will not refer to my son as a porker on the blog again - just healthy. I don't want you guys to think I'm giving him a complex or anything.

It's comfirmed...

It's been confirmed, Noah is a tall porker who thinks highly of himself.

He had his 2 month appointment today. Stats are:
24 1/2 inches long - putting him in the 90 percentile
12 pounds 9 ounces - putting him in the 70 percentile
Head circumference was 80 percentile.

Put them all together and you get: a tall porker that is big-headed :)
Other than that he is perfect.

Noah's Blessing/Christiansens Part 2

For those of you who don't know, in our church babies are given a blessing by a worthy priesthood holder (usually their father). The father presents the baby, give him his name and then blesses him with other blessings he feels fit. Wade was able to do this with Noah this weekend. Other members of the circle were: his dad and brother and some other friends from school and our ward. I am very blessed that Wade can do this for our family and it was a very special day.


Wade blessed Noah with many great blessings; to love and respect God's creations, serve a mission for the church, have a strong body and spirit and much more.

Christiansen Weekend - Part 1

Well, as I posted last week we were able to bless Noah in church this past weekend. The plan was for both sets of Grandparents to be here and Uncle Ted (who had extra miles - and is now Gage's favorite Uncle - sorry everyone else). Unfortunately my Dad got the flu on Thursday and then my mom on Friday so they canceled their flight Saturday and stayed at home to re cooperate. They are now feeling better. However, we had a great time with the Christiansens and here are some of the highlights.

Wade and his brother playing a friendly, but competitive game of "who can make the best line-rider".

Grandpa and Noah. I must say, poor Grandma didn't get much of a chance on this trip. Grandpa was a baby Noah hog. But that's ok. We just were happy he was held and content.

Grandma, Gage and Noah discussion very important things....world peace, how to combat hunger, save dying children in Africa.

Unfortunately Grandma and Grandpa had their bags get lost by the airlines. They were on a direct flight from SLC. We still haven't found out how your bags get lost when you are on a direct flight, but just so you all know this is the size of the deodorant they give you. Hope you are prepared to stink or have small armpits.

Wade, Gage and Ted at the mall. They had fun at the play place while the rest of us shopped. Luggage lost = trip to the mall!

Noah and Grandpa again taking a nap before the big day at church.

Few things from the past week:



Noah turned two months on Wednesday. This is his two month shot for the scrapbook. He is such a big boy compared to Gage. We are blessing this Sunday and when tried his outfit on him yesterday it didn't even fit anymore! I had to buy a new one. He is wearing jeans that Gage wore when he was 5 months old! What a porker. Oh well, at least we know he is a healthy little one.



We had snow! We were going to go in the record books for Des Moines if we had no snow in December at all, but Sunday night we got it. It wasn't much but enough for Wade and Gage to have some fun with on Monday and Tuesday. Sorry Wade, but this picture was just SCREAMING to be posted!



What a dad! Wade drew a full size Thomas the Train for Gage in the snow...then they had fun stomping all over it.

Wade started school this week, which left the boys and I sadly at home. However, both sets of Grandparents and Uncle Ted will be here this weekend for Noah's blessing, so we are all excited about that.

We can't wait, hopefully I'll have some fun pictures to post next week.

A little bit of history

Last week Wade and I decided to be spontaneous (something we are not good at) and go on a mini vacation. We headed south..since we had been north, east and west before. We were planning on going to Kansas City and hitting some malls and tasting some BBQ, but ended up spending more of our time at church history sites....much more educational and rewarding and a cheaper, since they are free!

We recommend everyone head out to Nauvoo, IL when they get a chance. We went there last spring with my parents. On this trip we were able to go to Independence, MO where the church just finished a new visitors center. It was very nice and we spent a lot of time there. We were also able to go to Liberty, MO and see Liberty Jail, Adam-ondi-ahman, and Far West.

At the new visitors center in Independence. One of the sister missionaries that is serving there we ended up knowing from Pleaseant Grove, UT. It was fun to run into someone that could show us around.

The temple site at Far West. The only thing in Far West are the four corner stones to the temple site, this monument and some restrooms. This is amazing to me, because Far West was once the largest settlement of Latter Day Saints in Missouri. Hauns Mill is straight east of Far West and unfortunately we went past it without knowing it was there. (A lot of these sites are out on back dirt roads). Joseph F. Smith, the 6th President of the Church, was born in Far West, just east of this temple site. He was born on November 13, 1838 while his father, Hyrum Smith was incarcerated with Joseph.

Downstairs in the visitors center in Independence they had a miniature pioneer cabin set up with a wagon and game the pioneers played as well. Gage had a blast playing in the little cabin and driving the wagon.

Wade's picture of Adam-ondi-ahman. This was much bigger of a place than we expected and a very peaceful site.

If you ever have time, we really think everyone should visit some of these sites. They mean a lot more after learning about them and seeing them. I've always thought that we have it easy compared to what the early saints went through. I was discussing this thought with the sister missionary that we knew in Independence and she agreed. The thought that she added was, "Well, let us make sure that they didn't do it all in vain."

I guess that brings me to my point is it's a new year and a time for resolutions. This year I am going to try harder to live the gospel more fully, and be more as Christ would have me be. I don't want to think that those saints died in vain. It seems a little too real to me after seeing these sacred places. So for 2007, I will start with myself and my family. How much better this world would be if we all tried to be more Christ-like.