The Snow Fairy

The other day, we were minding our business, looking out the window to the busy world below, and saw a snow fairy (grandpa) blowing our sidewalk. He is the cutest man ever and is so sweet. Every time he goes out to blow, he wears a one piece brown snow suit, his uggs (with his pants tucked in) and his russian hat to keep his hat warm. He is the best and we just love living next to him and Phyllis. They are so fun to visit with and have been so good to us. Hooray for GRANDPA BOND!!

We Aren't Lazy, Just Utilizing Our Gadgets!

We have had a great time with some interesting doo dads lately and Ace made fun of us a bit, but I think it is the greatest invention ever so I would like to share it with you. This friends is the COCOMOTION!! Its the best winter fun anyone could ever have. The cocomotion puts and end to overflowing, overheated hot chocolate! Its incredible. It heats the milk, or water, to the right temperature and even mixes it for you! The end result: A frothy, heated beverage to warm your soul! Imagine the joy this machine brings to our home every frosty Rexburg night! What an investment. Ok, so we didn't buy it. It was one of those un-returnable wedding gifts, but seriously, this thing rules! I really do love it. If by chance you have a spare $20, and you live in what to some is considered the outlying regions of the North Pole, or maybe you are just an avid hot chocolatgo ahead and invest in one. What can it hurt? To folks like us, $20 is just pocket change. You could find that much money between the couch cushions, in the ashtray of your car, around town, geeze, you could find enough money to have your own COCOMOTION just about anywhere! YEAH! ps do not confuse the cocomotion with the once brand new dance the locomotion. while they are both easier than learning your abc's one is a dance and one is a beverage machine.

CHRISTMAS TIME WAS HERE!!

So once we got back from Christmas in Cali, I couldn't find the camera. I had put it in the case with my other camera which makes perfect sense, but still couldn't find it. So here are some pics from our Christmas adventures in good ol' Roseville.

We had a lovely Christmas Eve at my Uncle Garys in Orangevale with the McFadyen side. It was Dev's first time and I could tell he was a little nervous, but when I showed him the tricycle that he could ride there, he warmed right up and fit right in. He was definitely in his element. A few days after Christmas, we had the chance to go to San Fran. We had so much fun at Golden Gate park longboarding and RipSticking and watching the workers clean up the beach from the oil spill a few months previous. We saw a dog in a doggie wheel chair and a bunch of kids who looked like they had never seen water before. We even got to do a little bit of cheer stunting. It brought Lo and I back to our good old RHS cheer days of yore. One of the days we were in RSVL we took the kids rock climbing at the RSVL Sports center. Like always, Em and Sarah were the best and got past the advanced level and nearly broke some speed records set by boys. Those crazy girls. Devin and Ryan got their manhood hurt a little when the girls got over this really hard overhang that they couldn't make it past, but we all know it is just because they have more body mass and are taller than those little girlies.

YOU'RE DOING IT PETER!!

Well folks winter struck the small mormon community of Rexburg, Idaho in a big way. Nearby areas have had to declare a state of emergency because of the overload of snow. We have really been feeling the effects of it, but have also been happy to embrace the snow. Mom C says the only reason I am liking the snow is because now I have somebody to cuddle up with. I can't help but think she is right. Last winter I cried the first time it snowed here. I think Devin thought I was a big loser, but I couldn't help it. I even got new snowboarding pants and gloves. We have been searching tirelessly for a coat, but to no avail. Maybe next year. Anyway, we have had a lovely time trying to outfit the house to handle the large amounts of snow from knocking off giant icicles that reach from the second story to the ground and pushing humongous chuncks of ice and snow off the roof to prevent leaking. It has been quite the adventure! Have a look!




I got pegged in the face with an icicle and Devin just laughs forever. Phyllis, our neighbor and grandma told us that we needed to knock the icicles down or they would pull our roof down. In the process, I nearly knocked my nose off. I thought I had a broken nose. I of course didn't but it sure hurt. I wanted to cry, but thought I would be brave since I still had to get myself back inside and through the obstacle course that is our backyard junk pile.

When the house started leaking, just as I had suspected, Devin and Ace got up on the roof and started pusing the snow off. Sunday, it got really warm and tons of the snow and ice on the roof starte to melt so in order to protect our home, Devin got up there again and knocked tons of ice and snow down. It was awesome. I think he really just wanted to wake me up from my Sunday nap, but we can just say it was for safety reasons. It was insane how much ice was up there. I can't believe our roof didn't cave in.

Here is a big mound of snow and ice chunks being pushed of by the hero of my heart. What a brave guy. He said as he would push of a chunk he would feel himself slowly slipping to the edge. Needless to say there is not a ton of traction up there.

This is the gigantic ice overhang that was coming off our roof waiting to fall on some unsuspecting bypasser and bring them to their death. Devin told me to be careful as we were walking under one day, but I reminded him that if we were hit, that at least we would die together. The thought did not seem to console him.

This large thing is a chunk of ice. Notice the ladder next to it. It was huge, the size of a large child. We were living in a treachorous danger zone. Scary!!

Oh dont worry. We just have huge sheets of ice on the outside of our house. No biggie. It will all melt sooner or later right?!

As I was walking around the house in my rain boots and shorts, (it really was quite warm on Sunday, like 33! It was so awesome!) I feel through a pile of snow that went all the way past my knees. The snow got in my boots and since I had shorts on and no socks, it made me pretty cold, so at that point I went back inside and decided not to go trampling through the snow anymore.

Look how cute this kid is! Love love love him! After a hard day of pushing snow, he was ready to come down and have a little dinner, but instead of coming down gracefully on the ladder, the ice gave him a run for his money.
Just kidding. He didn't really fall off. He was just pretending, but it did look pretty funny as he was rolling all the way down the hill landing in a heap at the bottom. Funny guy!

Well we are sorry that you are all missing the Rexburg fun, but we are more sorry that we aren't missing it. We are more than ready for spring and summer to get here!

OH WEIRD! I AM BORED AT WORK!

1. What is your husband's name? Devin Alan Christensen the FIRST

2. How long have you been married? 5 months and 17 days

3. How long did you date? on for 4 months, off for 3, on for 1, then engaged for 6 weeks

4. How old is he? almost the big 23

5. Who eats more? Definitely devy

6. Who said I love you first? Totally me. I knew I loved him for the entire month I was home for Christmas. Then once I had been back about a week I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted to tell him so bad, but right as I was going to, my RA came and he left. I started walking back to my room and tears came pouring down my face. I was crazy in love. I ran outside in the snow with a t-shirt on and barefeet and told him I loved him. It was really fun! He said it back then, but he isn't really sure if he did. It is kind of strange. ha ha.

7. Who is taller? Dev, by a ton.

8. Who sings better? Definitely Devin. When he plays the piano, or guitar, I just melt. He has such a great voice.

9. Who is smarter? We are differently both smart, however, I am the wife so I am always right, but sometimes, even though I am right, Im wrong.

10. Whose temper is worse? Totally mine.

11. Who does the laundry? I do, but sometimes Devin helps me fold.

12. Who does the dishes? We both do. Devin is really good about doing them when he can tell that I really don't want to.

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? me

14. Who pays the bills? Devin mostly, but sometimes I tell him when he needs to pay them. I have turned a leaf and decided to take more control of our finances, but for now, we have seperate accounts and so Dev is the one with the moolah.

15. Who mows the lawn? We have yet to mow, but we may hire Taylor our nephew to do it so we don't have to, although our yard is so small it will probably take like 10 minutes.

16. Who cooks dinner? I do always, unless Devin really wants to make cereal.

17. Who drives when you are together? Devin, unless I ask if I can drive, which is maybe once a month.

18. Who is more stubborn? We both have our stubborn days.

19. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? We are both good about saying sorry.

20. Whose parents do you see the most? It used to be Devins since they lived 3 minutes away but now they live like 20 hours away, and my parents are 12 so I am guessing it will be mine.

21. Who proposed? Devin

22. Who is more sensitive? Me definitely

23. Who has more friends? We have the same amount. All of his friends are mine, and my friends are his.

24. Who has more siblings? Devin has me by one, he has 7 siblings, I have 6.

25. Who wears the pants in the family? We usually both wear pants everyday. It is too cold to wear skirts right now.

26. Where did you meet your husband? THE RIDGE apt 307, my apartment about 2 weeks after I moved here. He came over with his friend who was trying to hook up with one of my roommates.

27. What was the first thing you said to your husband? He asked me if I got my bag from Chile, I said yes, then we started talking about Chile.

28. Where was your first date? DRUM the best show ever, and Mill Hollow

29. Where was your first kiss? On the doorstep of my apartment.

30. Where did you get engaged? On a bridge in Ashton. Devin told me we were going 4 wheeling so I got in my grubbies, but as my luck would have it I got a beautiful ring instead of dirt up my nose.

31. Where were you married? Sacramento California Temple

32. Where was the honeymoon? A surprise cruise to Mexico, then a few days with my family. It was so much fun!!

33. If you could have changed anything about it what would it have been? Maybe if we had been able to spend more time with Eric and Chelise in El Segundo, other than that though, It was so perfect and amazing. We loved every minute of it.

Another Wonderful Day at Work (on Saturday) :(

Well folks. Life at work is boring once again. It is Saturday morning, Dev is at home working hard on our house and I am here at work, playing on the blog because I honestly have nothing else to do. Whoever decided to pay me for blogging was a genius!! I found this fun thing on a random blog. I don't know who it is. A friend of a friend. Anyway, this is probably not the last post of the day, ha ha.

If you were an animal, which would you be? A giraffe. They are so cute and have black tongues and amazingly long necks. What could be better?
If you were a city, which would you be? Oh dear. That is a tough one. Probably San Luis Obispo, CA. It is an amazing place. I love love love it there. The beaches and shops are too fun!
If you were a flower, which would you be? A callalily. They are so beautiful.
If you were a vegetable, which would you be? Corn on the cob! Yum!
f you were a color, which would you be? Neon pink. It isnt my favorite color, it just makes me happy!
If you were a fruit, which would you be? Either a fresh pineapple, or pomegranite
If you were a season, which would you be? Summer in Cali, no doubt!
If you were a shoe, which would you be? baby shoes, I dont know what kind, but I do know that babies don't ever get stinky feet!
If you were a vehicle, which would you be? 2006 Black Range Rover w/ gray leather interior
If you were an appliance, which would you be? A George Forman, love those things!
If you were a Disney character, which would you be? Mulan, she was a hardcore little thing
If you were a dessert, which would you be? Homemade Strawberry Shortcake
If you were a time of day, which would you be? 2pm
If you were a cereal, which would you be? Wheaties, the breakfast of Champions
If you were a instrument, which would you be? an old piano, because it would have great stories to tell
ALLRIGHT!! That was so fun huh? Well maybe there is another one coming a bit later y'all!! :)

JUST GREAT!!!

Well here I am at work, and it is too cold outside for anything to go on out there, so I just sit in my office and do whatever I want. It is booooring. So I have been searching for something to do and I have found what it is. It's this. Inspired by Candra. Thank you my love!!
1. Price of Gas Today: I looked it up on the world wide web, but most places are at about $2.99!!
2. Temperature Today: Right now it is 16, but that is certainly the high of the past week. The other day when I got to work it was -22 and it warmed up to only 1!! Incredible.
3. 3 Interesting Things About Our Neighbors: Our renters downstairs are really quiet, but we sometimes hear sudden outbursts from them. Its really random. Our next door neighbor is Devins grandpa and his wife. She is a little watcher in the woods and is always watching us through our enormous, uncovered windows. We finally have started putting up blinds, but she honestly knows what we do every night and morning. Kind of weird sometimes.
4. Famous Restaurants In Your Area: I guess we are only going to be able to talk about Rexburg famouse because there isn't much to choose from. 1) CHIZ'S 2) BIG JUDDS 3) CRAIGOS
5. Number of People On Our Street with Lights Still Up: I don't think there are any. I try to avoid going out at night because my nose hairs freeze and it hurts because it is so cold, but there may be a few.
6. Top 3 Tourist Attractions Near Us: Yellowstone, Jackson Hole Wyoming, Fort Hall Indian Casino
7. Distance from Our house to Where We Attend Church: about a 1/4 mile and better yet the temple is about a 1/2 mile! If it is ever warm enough we will be so excited to walk!!
8. How Long Have We Lived in the House Where We Currently Reside? We have lived here now for about 7 weeks now!! YAY!!
9. The Team Everyone Roots for in Our City: Boise State
10. Number of Visitors That Could Sleep Comfortably in Our Home if They Were to Visit: maybe 100 if everyone were to bring an air mattress and sleep on the floor, but we only have one other bed, so I guess 2 adults and 3 kids. [We have 2 couches and a LoveSac :)]
11. Distance Between Us and the Next Closest Relative: about a mile
12. Distance Between Us and the Furthest Relative: 2,513 miles; Devins parents live in Guatemala
12. Local Favorite Dessert Place: The Backyard, Mill Hollow, ColdStone
13. Most Exciting Thing at Our House Today: We are having our first dinner guests to eat in our dining room!!
14. Interesting Observations About the People/Culture Where We Live: Everyone is really friendly, way different than people in California. There are a lot of strange people at Wal-Mart late at night. The other night it was freezing and there was a pregnant girl wearing little shorts. It was crazy. Wal-Mart is a weird place at night! Devin said to me "Some peoples kids!"
Well wasn't that fun?! I had fun! Finally I wasn't bored to death!

GRADUATES OF 2007!!!

Well we did it!! We have officially graduated from college as of 12am last night when final grades were posted. I had the scare of a lifetime this morning when I got an email saying that I was on academic probation, so I thought I must not have passed all of my classes. I was sick to my stomach as I waited for the link to my grades to connect online. As they appeared, my heart skipped a beat. I did better than I have done since 8th grade!! I received a 3.89!! Yahoo!! And raised my cumulative GPA to a 3.65!! I was so pumped to know for sure that I was really done. It was scary waiting, but I did it!! Not to mention that Devin did it too!! He pulled of amazing grades by kicking it into high gear with his stubborn teachers at the end of the semester by showing them that even if they are jerks and horrible teachers, he can still pull off a 95% on their finals and bust out a great grade in their class!! He sure showed them. Devin has the real world skills he needs to succeed and that is what pulled him through in the end. Once his teachers started giving him assignments that really mattered he aced them and did so great!! I am so proud of him for working so hard throughout the semester, even though he had a lot of dates with the library! But now we are so excited for Devin to just have to go to work every day and then to be able to come home at 5 and to do whatever we want!! And maybe I will get a job too!! Ha Ha Mom. No more homework, no more library dates, no more late night projects!! We are done!! YES!! We had a great weekend with my family who came from California to watch us graduate. As we walked into the Hart auditorium hand in hand, the feeling was so awesome. We were one of 54 married couples who were graduating together and boy were we proud. We fell asleep during the speeches, due to the lack of sleep during the week because of the work on the house and our plethora of school projects, but we made it to our graduation "Banquet" at Craigos Pizza in Rexburg, and got to eat lots of pizza and a yummy graduation cake my Mom, the party queen, had gotten us. We also got a lot done on the house while my family was here, and now cannot wait to take a big long break for Christmas while we spend some time in California!!

Hard Hats Required!!!

So the very minute that we moved in, on December 7, we began the demolition of our once hideous interior. The entire house was covered in wallpaper that just had to go in order to make way for textured and painted walls. Then on Dec 10 Devin said to me "Hey we are getting new carpet on Wednesday." Did I mention that it was the week of our finals before we were to graduate on Dec 14? I was not a happy camper. Devin and Aaron were out of control!! What were they thinking doing this to me? They would pay!!

And they did pay!!They had to work really hard to finish the texture on the walls, move all the furniture out of the way, remove all of the nasty old carpet and carpet pad, and get rid of all of the built-in shelves, and flower boxes that we did not want. Michelle and I tried not to laugh too hard as the boys moved the 12 ton hide-a-bed couches out of two of the bedrooms upstairs. I wonder why they left those for us? How nice of them!! They were grunting and groaning like I have never heard. I thought they were both going to die! Throughout the night, I was working on a final project that was due the next day.

But we finally finished at 2:30 in the morning with gray hair and tired boys. Devins Grandpa, and his wife Phyllis, who live next door, never forget to mention when they see our lights on late. They will know our every move!!

WE MOVED!!!

Well folks we made it into the house finally!! It is so fun!We love being here and I cannot believe how much we have already gotten done in our first two weeks thanks to Aaron, Devin and my Mom. The boys pushed my buttons during finals week to get new carpet in and paint as much as we could, but I do not regret it one bit. We did it and everything makes the house looks 9,000 times different than it did when we moved in. It is still going to be a long process to get everything done, but now that we have carpet and paint done, the house is just gorgeous!! We are loving it and I honestly will be sad to leave Rexburg in a few years. Don't tell Devin!! Anyway we can't wait for everyone to come visit... seriously. Everyone!!!