For Sale

So we are taking the "for sale" plunge and putting our house up for sale. We love this home and our neighborhood, but the bottom line is that we are bursting at the seams and we need something a bit bigger. So here we go....

4 bedroom, 2 bath, big two car garage, custom cabinets in kitchen and bathrooms, stainless steel appliances, jetted tub and surround tile in master bath, tile flooring in kitchen, bathrooms & laundry room, laundry room, two family rooms, finished yard with automatic sprinkler system...so pass the word around people!

$174,900  for 1900 sq. ft.

Bedroom

Bathroom #2

Master Bedroom

Master bedroom

Master Bathroom

Master Bathroom - Jetted Tub

Bedroom

Bedroom

Another profile of the same bedroom

Downstairs Family Room

Kitchen eating area

Kitchen

Kitchen

Kitchen and Pantry

Family Room

Entry

Family Room

City Slicker Camping

Nate had the week off a last week and we had serious plans of going camping..like real camping..with a tent and no toilet or shower..and no air conditioner or king size bed. Then Nate remembered I am 7 1/2 months pregnant and took pity on me (wasn't I going to be a good sport for even considering going?) So we decided to head up to the Belnap cabin instead. Ahhhhh! Definitely my kind of camping. Toilets are not overrated..especially when you have to pee every 2 hours. So we went fishing, went on lots of nature walks, ate lots of smores (or just the chocolate bars if your name is Maggie) and I finished a whole book. Imagine that!

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No way was this heavy mama gettin up on that rock!

Ellie is very much the poser right now

Scoping the pond for frogs

Connor managed to capture one

Sophie thought she was all that...driving the mini 4-wheeler by herself...and Maggie never passed up a turn to ride

Now showing in 3D.....

Last week I went in for a sonogram to see if my placenta previa had cleared itself up..sigh of relief that it has moved...so while I was there, they did a 3D sonogram..which I have never had done before..so cool right. I'm not gonna lie when I say I teared up looking at that little squished face with the big nose (as my mother so politely told me). It just kind of hit me you know..like I know I am pregnant but the little alien looking sonogram doesn't do much. So when I saw an actual face..it was just amazing. It made it so much more real...like oh ya there is a little person inside me...a real person. It's such a miracle and while I'm so blessed to experience bringing another life into this world, I am totally ready to be done. I have hit the DONE mark and I still have 6 weeks to go. We are so excited to meet this little girl (which it still is..Connor was hoping the gender had changed:) And that weird looking thing on her forehead..well that's her hand in case you were wondering if she had a bow on already:) So 6 weeks and counting and we have yet to choose a name...so hard right?

Garage...check!

It's no secret that we are bursting at the seams in our cute, little house. And to be honest, I'm not a hoarder..in fact I'm quite the opposite..always dejunking, DI-ing and throwing away..but with almost 7 people in this family, comes stuff..and a lot of it. Well, the garage has been driving me nuts...so today I did it! I cleaned the gross garage. It had gotten so bad, with bikes, and strollers, etc that Nate was parking his car just in the driveway. So with Nate on the mountain today, I geared myself up with a serious pep talk that I could get it done..and a million hours later, a purple pop spill on the carpet and a pee mishap on my bed (Maggie has figured out how to take her diaper off..fabulous) I got the garage in good shape if I do say so myself. Here are some before and afters..let me preface with the fact that we have not a single storage room in the house, so everything..and I mean everything goes in the garage.

Before

Before

After

After

And while I can check one thing off of my "nesting" list, and sigh a little sigh of relief, I have a million more to go. And while I am realizing these pics don't show much difference, it really is and i am much happier about it. Am I weird that I wish everything would fit into a container of some sort. And also doesn't organizing make you so happy...it seriously makes life better. And don't you worry, I treated my tuckered-out self to a slush when I was all finished!

Lake Powell Recipe 2011

All you need to have a successful Christensen Lake Powell trip are the following:

21 people, 3 bedroom, air conditioned houseboat, approx. 50 swimsuits, 10 bottles of sunscreen, 25 beach towels (at least), life jackets, board games, spicy chicken casserole, 20 bags of Christensen's candy, 5 pans of brownies, cookies, smores, etc...(which btw were gone by Wednesday), home-made ice cream every night, zero amounts of make-up, lunch at the Junction, wakeboards, big red tube, cameras, and a floating plastic basketball.

This past week went by in a hurry but we enjoyed every second of spending some much needed time together...This year we gained 6 week old baby Kate, McCall's hubby and his 4 boys and two pregnant ladies (me included) so it was busy and never boring...here's a billion pics...

Sophie, Nate and Mags...Maggie never wanted to get off, insisting it was her"ton" (turn)

Maggie played so hard "mashing" spiders, feeding the fish and chasing after the ducks...she almost fell asleep

Good thing you have that floaty on Clay...

Sophie is our fearless child and had no reservations about wakeboarding...what a pro!

She wanted to go by herself (guess we need to invest in a smaller board) but settled for her own handle

I barely managed this life jacket with my belly..got one buckle done up

This picture is history in the making...I never would have dreamed Connor jumping off the houseboat..surprise, surprise!

Nate, Clay and Rob spent hours with this dumb basketball, making up boy games...with no purpose really...

Sophie sporting her cover-up aka her "robe"

Nate and McCall both celebrated birthdays while we were in Powell...not to shabby of a place to do that if you ask me

So there you have it! Our annual trip to Lake Powell. We did experience tragedy, when some scouters ran their boat onto a rock that was covered by shallow water and one boy died. It was late at night and helicopters flew in with spotlights...it was a quick and somber reminder at how fast life can change and how precious every moment is. We love this trip and look forward to it every year. So thanks mom and dad for the great memories we made and for the 10 lbs I think we all gained! And don't worry, I will have more pics to come as soon as I get a hold of my dads camera.

Little Letters

I haven't posted for a bit...I am sort of bugged about blogging as of late. Mostly about the decision to go private or not. I really don't want to. But you know me and my honesty and opinions and well they seem to get me in trouble...What I really mean is that I have never thought to much about who reads my blog until a bit ago..I mostly just thought the people whose blogs I read, read mine. Get it? Apparently even people who dislike or could care less about me read my blog (which is bizarre to me because why would you bother to read about a person you didn't care about unless they think I'm fascinating as all get out) Any who..so now as a thought or blog idea comes to me, I find myself censoring what I should say or not say as to keep myself out of trouble. And to top it all off, I really don't think I'm mean..at least not on purpose. I kind of feel better, now that I have vented..so here are some little letters for your entertainment...


Dear Pregnant body- I wrote you a letter almost two years ago exactly, and here we are again...for the last time might I add. Because while you are doing a good job at growing a little babe, you are quickly going downhill and I am praying you can make it through these last 11 long weeks. Because lets face it..your hormones are seriously out of whack and I'm pretty sure Nate can't handle anymore nonsensical crying. Plus I know that little girl is sitting so low and feels like she'll fall out at any moment...just keep hanging on. I would say try to enjoy this last time you'll experience this miracle, but in reality, we both know that's not gonna happen and you just want to be done!

Dear Connor- Eleven years ago, as of yesterday, I became a mother for the first time...I can't believe you are 11! I mean 11! That is just plain crazy and while you are giving me a run for my motherhood money, I am glad you are mine. Hopefully this hormonal, weird funk/stage you are in won't last long. Although when I told my neighbor you were turning 11, she said, "oh 11..hold onto your belt buckle"...that can't be good. Maybe it's a good thing I have all girls after you...totally kidding..we love you bud!

Dear All-Star Baseball- I would say that I'm sad we are done with you, but that would totally be a lie.Playing baseball every single week since April is more than plenty. And 2nd place at state is the best deal in my book...I mean I can't say I was super excited about missing our family vacation to Lake Powell to go to the middle of the California desert to watch baseball in a million degree weather. So a big "whew!" from me and I finally feel like our real Summer can begin.

Dear fellow Manti Pool swimmers- I am sorry that you all had to see me in my swimming suit today. I'm sure it was less than attractive..but in my defense, I did wear swim shorts so you didn't have to see these white, thunderous thighs..and I am just about 30 weeks preggers...and I did buy a new top as to lift the girls and I thought it was pretty cute. Plus there are a plethora of other unpregnant people that look ten times worse than me...at least I tell myself that. Thanks for the fun time though..my girlies had a ball (no pics though..Nate has the camera with him in Denver..watching the Braves with Connor)

Dear DVD player in the car- You are seriously saving my life. Mags has become an actual fairish traveler thanks to you. We can actually go places without mass hysteria...it's a little bit of heaven..even if I have listened to "Toy Story 3" a bajillion times lately...it's worth the peace and quiet. I will highly recommend you to anyone. Nice job!

Dear bikes for kids- you really are too expensive. Don't you think it's a little too ridiculous..you must think very highly of yourself to be sold at K-Mart for $150...and you don't even work that well..I mean birthday gifts should not be so expensive. Now Nate wants to take you back and get a new one at a different store for twice that much. What I say? But he says at least it will work....but will you? I'm pretty sure it's not worth the investment..especially given how fast kids grow and that we have no boys to pass it down too..but Nate says the girls can ride a blue bike....oh really?? Try telling them that!

Dear Blog readers/followers- I hope I don't offend you..if I do, then you should stop reading my blog and please stop using my blog to get me in trouble..because I might be opinionated, but I am really a nice person and a mom and probably more like you than you think and this is just who I am...and if you are a creepy stalker then you should really stop reading my blog..I mean it!

Let Freedom Ring..

Our July 4th was spent doing the traditions we do best...watching the parade, fighting for candy, swimming, BBQ's, and lots and lots of sparklers and fireworks. This year was off and on rainy and way too muggy as we waited in lines for bouncy houses, frogs, fish and other needless, money swallowing events. But a Paco's Taco and a snow cone made up for a lot of sweat and tears.. So here are a few moments captured on our day of freedom celebrations...The one picture I didn't get...when two of the biggest fireworks we had, tipped over and shot sparks at us..ruining Nate's shorts and giving him several bruises..and the other one started the neighbors bushes on fire..like a real fire...thank goodness for lightening fast Fireman Grandpa Christensen who grabbed the hose and had it out in a jiffy...

Don't you just love the kid who loves to take a picture..seriously Connor!

Uncle Clay and Maggers (who won't leave her hair in..little stinker)