Proud Grandma

We have a new grand-daughter, born Wed. Dec 31 at 4:07 am.
7lbs. 7ozs

New YEARS baby?

I am just so excited I have to share. Malinda called today and said the doctor is going to induce her at 5:00 pm today. She was due on Jan 6, 2009, but the doctor told her at her appointment the week before Christmas that he would induce her on Jan 2 if she went that long. She was quite excited about that. She had an appointment today and found out that her blood pressure is elevated, so the doctor wants to take it today to avoid any complications later on. She is SOOOOO EXCITED!!! We feel very fortunate to have a cousin of Dennis' living in the same area and she wants to watch Katrae while Malinda has this baby. That is such a relief when there is no mother or mother in law around to help. Now the sad part is that I don't have plane tickets until Jan 12 so I have to wait over 2 weeks to go help and see the new little one. This will be grandchild #10. (I am not that old am I? - No! Just a very young grandma!!!)4 grandsons and 6 granddaughters. I am so blessed.

Merry Christmas!

What a wonderful day we have had. It started out early, as Dennis and I both woke up at 5:30 (go figure, we had a day to sleep in and out of habit we just woke up - I guess 5:30 is sleeping in 45 minutes longer that usual). We decided to clean the 4" of snow we received overnight off of the walks. We just kept going and going (kind of like the Energizer Bunny) and did most of the block. It was so quiet and peaceful. We had so much fun doing it and it was great exercise. After showering and getting ready for the day, we had an unexpected phone call from some good friends we have known since we were first married. We used to call each other every Christmas. It was a tradition to see who could wake the other up at an ungodly hour. A few years ago, they moved and changed their phone numbers and we lost touch with them. So it was a wonderful surprise when they called this morning. After breakfast (thanks to Dennis who is our wonderful resident chef), we Skyped with Malinda and Brian and watched baby K open her Christmas presents. That was a neat treat to get to watch her, and to visit with them. Then we got to talk to Mark and Elain and hear they were having a good Christmas in CoLd North Dakota. At about 10:00 we were on our way to visit Alisha and her family and deliver presents to them, then on to see our good friends the Dunns, the Grandma C., then onto Amanda's family. We finally made it back home around 2:00 and finally had the chance to open our gifts from each other. We truly have been blessed! Merry Christmas and Love to All.

Alisha & Randy's house

Amanda & Steve's house

Christmas Eve Party

Every year we have a family Christmas party. Some years it is on Christmas night and others it is on Christmas Eve. We are flexible, so we go with our kids choose, since they also have plans with their inlaws. This year they wanted to do it on Christmas Eve. This year we decided to shake things up a bit and go bowling, then have dinner, then play our games and open the party prizes. I think it was the first time in years any of us had bowled and some did better than others. The best part of our parties, is just getting together and having fun, and watching the grandkids build relationships with each other. I hope you enjoy the slide show.

At the bowling Alley

Christmas Eve Dinner & party prizes

Nash Christmas party

Every year my parents, siblings and us get together for our Nash Adult Christmas party. We take turns having it at each others houses. This year it was my turn. While we were waiting for everyone to come we snacked on tortilla chips and dips (salsa, mango salsa, and Guacamole). For dinner we had Fajitas (it was something I could eat)on delicious home made tortillas that Lisa made and lettuce salad (also very good - Thanks Nancy). For dessert my mom brought a yummy looking pudding type dish with a crust (I didn't have any because of THE DIET). Many years we play Bingo, but I wanted to do something different this year. So we played what I call the animal game. Don't know the real name, even if there is one. Clap legs twice, clap hands twice, then thumbs go over the shoulder, keeping up a steady rhythm. When the thumbs go over the shoulder you say your animal name, then then next time your thumbs go other the shoulder you say someone else's animal name. It is pretty hilarious, and not as easy as it looks. When someone messes up, they have to move to the end and everyone shifts up one seat, up to the seat vacated by the "missee". The object is to get to the first chair and stay there. But watch out, because everyone else is trying to knock you out of the first chair. At one point several people just couldn't get "Moose" out of their head, even though we did not have a moose. I think it was a cross between "Mouse" and "Goose" which we did have. I was laughing so hard I could hardly take my turn when it came to me. Of course it didn't help that we sped up the tempo quite a bit. What a fun time we had. Thanks everyone for coming and sharing time with us.

Eating dinner








"The Animal Game"

Baby, It's Snowing Outside

What a beautiful day, I just love all this white stuff. BRING IT ON:)

Dennis measured the snow on the deck and iT was 9 1/2" at 4:00 PM. We haven't seen this much snow in years. I am loving it, but he is not so thrilled about it, probably because he has shoveled our walks twice today and it will not be the last. This is when I want to sit in front of a roaring fire, drink hot chocolate, look at the Christmas tree with it's glowing lights and singing along with the Christmas carols on the Radio.

The world is bathed in white glory.


Braving the cold to get a measurement


9 1/2" of pure snow


Lucky me - my car has a nice, warm, dry spot in the garage


Mary & Joseph are nearly buried in the snow.

December madness

This Christmas season is just going by too fast. Where are the days when I would have almost all my Christmas shopping done by now and just sit back, listen to Christmas music and watch the lights on the tree? I think that was when I had only one or two small children at home. Every year it seems that there is so much to do, see, buy, plan, wrap, and bake, until I am all Christmassed out before it even gets here. I haven't even been able to do Christmas cards for the past two years. Does anyone else feel this way? I hope this doesn't come across as complaining, because I am not. I just feel overwhelmed and Christmas is just over a week away.

We have 4 December birthdays, 3 wedding receptions, 2 parties I get to plan, numerous other parties/concerts/programs to attend and Christmas shopping, baking, wrapping, delivering. Whew - just makes me tired thinking of it. I better quit blogging and get busy. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

Baby blessing

On Sunday baby R finally got to be blessed. She is now 3 months old and a bit old for a baby blessing, but Amanda has been patient with both sides of her family. In October when she was 1 month old and about the age most people have their babies blessed Dennis was gone Elk hunting. In November at 2 months, Steve's sister has major surgery and needed constant care, so much of Steve's family wouldn't be able to be there, so finally December was the magical month and it is finally done. Amanda made her a beautiful white blessing dress.

Waiting for mommy and grandpa to get the photo shoot set up.


Not too happy about this.


Give me a little more food and I am a much happier baby.


What a little doll!




A good view of the beautiful dress Amanda made for baby R




What a cute smile!

Ice skating

Can I just tell you that we have the best mortgage company in the world. They (Rocky Mountain Mortgage) have several activities throughout the year that they invite all past clients to. Ever since we bought our house 7 years ago we have been invited to their annual summer picnic and swim at Scera pool, Halloween parties, Easter egg hunts and Christmas parties. This year for the first time their Christmas party was ice skating at The Peaks Arena. It was so much fun!! After we left Santa and the train we headed straight to The peaks for 2 hours of a great funfilled time. I was amazed that they even had skates for little L. who is not even two yet. She did pretty good walking in them on the carpeted floor holding someones hand, but being on the ice was not to her liking. She was not in the best of moods yesterday and cried through half of the ice skating as she did through the Santa/train activity. We took turns holding Baby R. and little L. so everyone had a chance to ice skate. It has been years since most of the adults had been on ice skates. In my case it has been over 30 years. The last time I went was at the Provo Boat Harbor (do you old timers remember that?) when Dennis & I were either dating or newly married. Dennis has always been a stuntman on Roller skates, so he took to the ice pretty quickly. At one point we could not find Porter and looked all around. We found him out on the rink holding on to the wall all by himself. He was having such a good time until all the adults started making a fuss about how big he was. Then he got scared and would only go if someone was holding his hand. C & T saw their cousin there and that was cool for them, only the cousin was ready to leave, not so cool. We are all ready and eager to go again. Thanks Rocky Mountain Mortgage for such a delightfully fun afternoon. It was a BLAST!!!

Trains & Santa

>It has become a tradition of ours to go see Santa and the train put on by Dennis' work. First they get to sit on Santa's lap and get a little bag with a small stuffed animal and candy cane and a coloring book on Train safety. Then there are cookies for kids and adults alike. The highlight is to actually climb on an engine and walk all around inside and out. The grandkids think it is way cool.

C on Santa's lap


T on Santa's lap


Amanda's kids on Santa's lap. Little L is not happy about it at all.


Grandpa & Grandma with the grandkids (notice little L is still crying)


Sitting in the Engineers seat


Amanda & Steve's family

Golden Gal

Grandma C. won a contest at the Golden Living Center this past week and was made Queen for the day. She won by telling about how she started painting and telling about one of the few paintings she has left (most of the paintings she has given away to family and I happen to be the lucky recipient of several of them). Here is a picture of the Golden Gal in all her glory minus the flower bouquet.


The picture that made a beautiful lady a winner.

A Golden Living Christmas

Grandma Christensen invited us (Dennis and I) to her Christmas party at the Golden Living Center along with my mom and dad, my sister Nancy and my uncle Wendell. We all showed up to support her and had a lovely time. There was Christmas music in the background while we visited. Then we had a lovely dinner after which there was a raffle. As is usually the case no one from our group won, but that was okay. We enjoyed a great evening with someone we love.

Christmas traditions

It is one of Dennis' favorite traditions at Christmas time to make suckers. (I have to admit that it is not one of my favorite - but some of the kids love it as much as he does). This year Dennis and Amanda got together and made at least 4 double batches. Alisha came to visit and helped them some as well. The house smelled so good with all those flavors. Now I wonder what they are going to do will all of them?

Baby pictures

We realized the other day that we have no pictures of baby R. since her birth. She is now 3 months old, so we did our very own photo shoot. Hope you enjoy!

Isn't she a doll?


Brother and sister lovin' the baby!


What a bunch of cuties!