New Tricks

Jeremiah Crawls!!!! 

He figured out how to get around just in time for Grandma and Grandpa Clark. He was so determined to get his own toys. Every time we put him down he got straight up on all fours and tried to maneuver his way toward's whatever he was intrigued with. He would grunt and sometimes get so tired he would just collapse onto his stomach and sigh. But, after hours of frustration he can finally go wherever he wants to. It's such a great thing for him but not so much for me. :)

Jeremiah SWIMS! 

I know it sounds crazy right?! 

A woman in my cousin's ward in Alpine teaches swimming lessons to children of 6mo -16. While at a swim lesson for my cousins toddlers she asked if she could give Jeremiah a "float lesson" since he had just turned 6 months and could now be considered for swimming lessons. I was a bit nervous but she assured me that he would be ok. So, we gave it a whirl. She took Jeremiah into the water and pushed him under. As she backed away she watched to see what he would do. Amazingly enough, Jeremiah flipped himself over and pushed his belly into the air, making it so he could get his mouth out of the water enough to breathe. WOW! It was seriously the coolest thing I've seen a baby do. It turns out that most normal babies know how to float as an instinctive survival tactic. 

You can find out some more about infant swimming at www.infantaquatics.com

Awesome Weekend

 It's been beautiful in Provo for the past week now. I can't believe it! We thought that we'd better use up the sunshine while we have it. Who knows what next week might be like. Provo has such crazy spring/early summer weather; one day it snows and the next it's bright and sunny as ever.

 We took our cute little picnic basket filled with great summer foods (grilled chicken, pasta salad, watermelon, fresh veggies and juice.) and made our way up the canyon.

We had such a fun time playing on the grass and taking walks in the woods. Jeremiah was mesmerized by the tiny inchworms that fell from the leaves. I held some of them on my hand and he just giggled as he watched them scoot.

I forget how much I enjoy feeling the grass under my feet and the sun on my skin. Ah, and the fires, marshmallows roasting, grilled steak, fresh air... the smells of summer just make my soul happy. We will definitely be doing this more throughout the summer.

On Saturday our favorite Provoian friends, Tim and Danielle threw an Epic Trivial Pursuit Party. There were over 50 people who came to the participate in the fun. Everyone was divided into groups and each group represented on of the colored game pieces. 

There is nothing that makes me feel more unkowledgeable than those trivia questions. Truly, i think I might have known 10 out of 50 answers to the game questions. Luckily, we had a couple of more experienced team members to saved our tushies. 

Today, just when we thought life couldn't get better. We went to a baby blessing for cousin Miwa. She is so beautiful and so calm. I haven't seen a more pleasant baby. Her blessing was sweet and the spirit was strong as it always is when these special little people come to earth. I am taken back by the purity and innocence of these little children who bless our lives. I have a testimony of God's love for all of his children and of His sacred and special relationship with children. 

Isn't our Heavenly Father's plan incredible? Being pregnant was an amazing experience for me. Our bodies are distinctly made to bear and birth children; by no small miracle, these infants receive a body of flesh and bones and come into this world according to the Father's design. I am so blessed to be a mother and to take care of and nurture one of God's children. And, as I looked into Nancy's (Miwa's mamma') eyes today I knew that she knew she was a woman of God and that she also felt blessed to be a mother here on earth.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints couldn't be more true. I am made aware of the existence of our God every day of my life and am constantly a recipient of His tender mercies. 

Chris and Jeremiah are two largest tender mercies in my life. I am so happy to have been sealed in the temple to my husband to know that I will be with my sweet family into the eternities.

I love me some Jeremiah

Jeremiah was having a rough day yesterday. He seemed to be quite fussy for no apparent reason. We tried EVERYTHING but, nothing seemed to be working. So, we decided to take his two favorite things and combine them into one. His first favorite thing is water. Jeremiah was born loving water and even smiled during his first bath at the hospital. His second favorite thing is being outside; he really likes watching bugs, animals, and cars. So, we took his bathtub outside and let him play in his birthday-suite. I don't know if I've ever seen him have more fun. I let him play until the water got cold. Maybe 2 hours. I am tucking away this little trick for the next time he's fussy but, I'm sure it wont work again. That's just how babies roll.
I've been teaching Jeremiah some sign language. He can say "more" and can kind of say "please". I have found that the fastest way to get him to learn is by sticking some bits of banana bread in front of him. He knows he can't touch it until he makes the right sign. What a smart cookie!
We're still waiting for Jeremiah to crawl. He's been sitting up for almost 2 months now but just finds that he can get where he wants to by rolling instead of crawling. It's pretty funny to watch. But, we hope he'll crawl by the time Chris's family reunion comes around so that he can show off his new tricks to his grandma and grandpa Clark.

3 Years

Chris and I just celebrated our 3 year anniversary this past Friday! What a sweet day it was.
Friday evening Chris and I drove to the Salt Lake Temple to do some family sealings. On our way we talked about our favorite memories from the time that we met up until now. I hadn't realized how much we've done together until we started our list. I am so grateful for these beautiful memories! I think it's important to regularly look back on the blessings and great times that we have in our lives. It makes us thankful and gives us a sense of happiness and fulfillment.
No one knows but, before we went to the temple on our wedding day we decided to go to Einstein's for a bagel. We had left Provo a lot earlier than we needed to (We were nervous that we would be late for our own wedding.) So, we had a whole bunch of extra time to kill. :) We only though it appropriate to return back to that same little Einstein's bagel shop up in the avenues. While we sat outside the shop and talked, Chris had his cousin Robert show up in a suit to surprise me with a large bouquet of beautiful flowers. I can always tell when Chris is going to do something "cute" because he always gets this quirky smile on his face moments before it happens. It really is quite adorable but... a dead giveaway!
The temple was magnificent as usual. I cried as we held hands and were able to "repeat" in a sense our marriage. There is no greater joy than knowing I will be able to be with my husband and little Jeremiah forever.
To seal up all of the goodness at the end of the day we went to The Roof. It truly was a magical time. I wish that for a while I could just freeze time at that moment and linger a little longer.

Being Married to Chris is such a joy. Each day is an adventure that I look forward to. I wake-up with a skip in my step and a smile on my face just because I know that I am his wife. He is such a hard worker and is always concerned for mine and Jeremiah's wellbeing. I love that he leaves me little notes every so often just to remind me that he loves me. He knows exactly what I need and what keeps me going. He is romantic. He is funny. He is smart. He is honest. He is good. He is strong. He is talented. He is everything I could ever want and more.
Chris and I have been quite blessed. But, marriage isn't always sunshine and roses. There are definitely some cloudy and rainy days. But, the rain isn't so bad when you walk through it together. Throughout the course of our marriage I have learned much of sacrifice, selflessness, love, devotion, forgiveness, and how to become more like the Savior. What a beautiful plan our Father in Heaven has created. I am so thankful for the joy that the gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints brings into my life.

Some Firsts

Memorial Day weekend was a big one for Jeremiah! We went to ID to visit Chris's sister Sarah and her cute new husband Chris Moyes. (yes...there are now 3 Chris' in the Christensen Family. And that doesn't include the Christinas) We were worried that Baby Jeremiah was going to be a terror in the car but, it turns out he is the most amazing traveler in the world!!! We couldn't have had a better or more beautiful drive.


When we arrived in Rexburg we were starved. We must have been complaining because Sarah and Chris took us to a place where they serve more food than I've ever seen. They took us to BIG JUDS! Big Juds  has 1 lb, 2 lb, and 5 lb hamburgers; they are probably as big as a regular sized dinner plate and stacked about 5-6 inches high. Jeremiah couldn't take his eyes off of everyone's food; his drooled as he watched us eat. So, we decided he could have a fry to gnaw on....he was in heaven!


The next morning we packed up and made a special trip to some Lava Hot Springs so that Jeremiah could play in the water. What a blast! Seriously, we couldn't have had more fun. Later in the day we decided that it had been far too long since we've been on a camping trip and made a decision to risk taking our 6 month old son. Jeremiah did great during the day but, night time was little rough. He doesn't sleep well when he's outside of his crib. We woke up to rain and after a few hours of hiding out in our tents we decided to bail and go back to the  Moyes' adorable apartment. It was so nice to just hang out, watch movies, eat, talk, and take a breather.

This trip introduced a lot of new things into our babies life. He had his first experience camping, first experience swimming, first time traveling for more than 2 hours in a car and first tastes of frenchfries, ice-cream, and gatorade.

I am so amazed at how aware Jeremiah is. He seems to comprehend things easily and can impressively read/pick-up on emotions. He has been so fun and interesting to watch grow and learn.
                                                               

 WE LOVE YOU!