Sunday, April 13, 2008

Our FIRST Triathlon!!





Well, we decided that we would try the triathlon thing.... It was on April 21, 2007. It went really well. We both took first in our age division- these medals were well deserved!! Jeremy and Cort are way into these and helped us get involved! I guess we liked it enough because we signed up for two more this year!!!

Update on the last year


The beginning of 2007 was pretty busy. Chase had a really cool birthday and I got him a really nice shot gun. Easter was a fun holiday like always. Of course it is Chase's favorite holiday so that is a big thing for him but it also means the annual Easter Egg Hunt for my family!!! My mom goes all out for this hunt. She has a seperate one for the grandkids in the front yard and then as soon as they are done all of the adults are waiting for whistle. My mom hides over 300 eggs on more than 2 acres of land. We aren't talkin just candy we are talking $$ and really cool prizes!!


We also had lots going on like our triathlon that I hav already blogged about and last but not least Chase's graduation!!! Chase and I decided that he needed a vacation from school so we went on a vacation to Texas to see my sister and her family!! It was a fun family vacation. I love to see my neices they just make me so happy. They live in Houston but after a short stay there we went to San Antonio. We were able to visit Sea World, Six Flags, The Alamo and the Riverwalk!!


Soon came summer and all of the girls on the Christensen side decided that we neede a girls vacation.......... so we thought San Francisco would be the place........ We went for a long weekend. We went and saw the broadway, Jersey Boys, we went on a dinner cruise and saw Alcatraz, did LOTS of shopping and can't forget the Yankees game against the Giants!!!

That was a way fun "girls" trip, I think we might be going to New York for this years trip!! I can't wait, I love the East Coast.

Chase and I also went fishing for the first time at his grandma's cabin in Swains Creek and had a blast.... Chase didn't know I really knew how to go fishing and he was especially surprised with my cast... (thanks to grandpa who taught me)!! Well since we're talking about fishing then I should probably go into the hunting season. Chase was the only one that drew out and that means that everyone was really counting on him. Usually we go to grandma's cabin and hunt in the coral pink sand dunes but we decided to stay close to home this time. But that left our hunting kind of limited. But everything worked out perfect, it was definitely my kind of hunting.. we left at 8 in the morning. We drove around the Oak City area and finally saw some deer crossing the roads. As soon as we saw some Chase jumped out of the truck and aimed for the biggest one. We were excited when we saw it dropped, but now it was just a matter of finding it! After 20 minutes Mike found it and I was so relieved. Chase did all the cleaning and we were gone and back by 11 at the latest. Now that is what I call hunting!

Well there was a lot that happened inbetween all of this.... like I said earlier this is just a fast glance ast the last year so that everyone can get caught up! Chase went to school all summer long and we went home on the weekends so that he could help his dad farm. Not to mention that Chase offered to because he loves to farm so much. While he would farm I got ambitious and would go on 30 mile bike rides which I can't wait to start doing again!!
During this year of 2007 I was also working one Friday a month for free. Everyone says that I am crazy until they know what the reason why??? Well... my wonderful boss took us on an all-paid vacation.... YES- can we say a free cruise to the Eastern Caribbean!! But we first had to stop in Florida and go to the Everglades and see all the alligators!!! And NO, I am not crazy!! Well on this cruise our favorite island would have to be St. Maarten by far!! We did some awesome excursions and learned a lot about this island and how 1/2 of it is owned by the French... bet you didn't know that?? Just kidding. We also got to taste some amazing homemade fruit punch... nothing like what we drink in the U.S.

Well we got home from that unbelievable vacation and had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We got ready for Christmas and also for my awesome little brother to get home from his mission!! The picture is on a different post. That was so awesome I hadn't seen him in almost 3 years!! He just got home from serving in the Ukraine mission... exactly where Chase went. So now they have their own little secret language!! So December started on a really good start.. Jayson came home and we would all be together for the Holidays... and I can't forget that my oldest neice was also getting baptized!! My family had an amazing Christmas Eve. My wonderful brother did some thinking this last year and decided we needed to have a night where we would just focus on our dad and all of our memories. Well, I was excited for this night but also kind of anticipating it because I knew that all I would do is cry. Well, of course that happened but there was much laughter about all of the good times. It was definitely an unforgettable Christmas Eve. I miss my dad so much but I know with all my heart he is watching over me and my family!!
Once again Grandma Barbara spoiled us with another Christmas vacation and yes it was another cruise. Yep your right the 3rd cruise in just a year and 2nd in a month and a half. We went to the Western Caribbean this time. This was a different cruise because instead of 3 islands there were 5!! This other picture makes me laugh... we were in St Thomas and this nativ guy really wanted me to sit on his pet donkey, "Oprah". Of course this is how he makes money because you pay to take a picture, but oh well.. Anway I got on the donkey and he said okay now kiss your wife to Chase and he did so that we could get a picture. Then the native says..., "There's nothing like kissing your wife on the ass". Ha Ha Ha. We thought that was pretty funny!!!


Well inbetween all of the traveling, holidays, Jayson coming home, school and work we have also been in the process of building a home. From the first day we got married we have been living in a brand new townhome which we loved. But we figured we should be spending all that rent money on a mortgage payment! So we did some house shopping and then decided to just build what we wanted. We went with Highline Enterprises as our contractor and we love how it turned out. We started building on our 1 year wedding anniversary and moved in on January 19, 2008. It was pretty crazy getting home from the cruise and having to unpack and pack everything back up to move... not to mention Chase going to school and working full-time. But it obviously worked out and we love it here. I am still in the process of decorating and hopefully we will start the yard and fence this summer and fall.

What Chase & I have been up to for the last 1 1/2 years.....


Well since I am going to try and do this blog thing I figured I should try and catch you up on the what has happened in our lives as long as we have been married!! So this will be a quick version with pictures so that I can get caught up with what is going right now....

Well Chase's family is really into planes. Many of the relatives are pilots and own their own planes. So right after we got married we got to be take part in the family tradition and went to the yearly Air show in Las Vegas on Nov. 10, 2006. We got to see lots of different fly-by's and go inside lots of different fighter planes!! It was a lot of fun!!



Christmas of 2006 wa lots of fun because it was our first! Chase spoiled me rotten like always and gave me some golf clubs and lots of other extras. I got him a new coat and shoes and other misc. things. It was my first Christmas home in 3 years... and it was weird to share it with another family but it was also very fun! We decorated gingerbread houses with my family and neices... it was quite entertaining! Grandma Barbara spoiled us and took us on a cruise to the Southern Caribbean. The Grand Cayman Islands was definitely our favorite!!

Saturday, April 12, 2008

This is Where it all Began.....



How the Christensen family came to be......

.......Chase and I started dating in the middle of May right after I got home from my mission. I lived in Saratoga Springs with my brother Jeremy and his wife Cortney. I found a good job working with a computer software company and was getting used to the "normal" life again. Chase was chasing me hard and I just kept playing my little game. He was living in Delta for the summer helping his dad farm. As soon as he would get off work he would head my way. After some late nights, early mornings for Chase (driving back to Delta) and as Chase would put it "delayed" action ( I kept kissing him on the forhead and made him wait for at least a month before I would kiss him on the lips)..... things finally made progress and we were heading towards an eternal relationship.



On the 4th of July Chase and I went on a pattle boat on the rez and watched the fireworks. We both new that we needed to have the "DTR" talk (Discuss the Relationship). Afterall he would be heading back to Cedar City to start school in the fall and we needed to talk about the future. Well that's exactly what happened. After much talk, it was for sure that we were getting married it was just a matter of when??? We needed to do get married before school starts and I REFUSED to having a December wedding. We new it would be in August/September. The next day I went shopping with my mom and Audrey in Provo. On the way up of course the conversation lead to me and Chase. So I had to tell that there is a wedding in the future... so we know what the means........... WEDDING DRESS SHOPPING!!!! I didn't dare tell Chase I already had it picked out the first day without having a ring on my finger. So I didn't I decided to be patient!! That next week while I was working Chase called and said he was on his way to pick me up and go pick out a wedding ring!! I was so surprised and so excited that I would get to help pick it out!! So after work we went straight to The Shane Company in Salt Lake. We both talked earlier about how we liked silver and round diamonds... so I figured we were already on a good start. After a hour we found the ring... it was just a matter which diamond.???? I didn't want to decide that so I left Chase and started looking for his ring while he decided. By the time we left my ring was getting sized and ready for pick up in a week (at least that's what they said) and my ring for Chase had a down payment. Nobody knew that this is what we were doing. We went to his sisters afterwards and everyone noticed we were pretty giddy. We didn't say anything but I am pretty sure it was obvious.




That following Saturday, July 8, 2006 I went to the golf course with Chase and his brothers. I could kind of tell there was something going on but knew that it couldn't be anything because the ring wouldn't be ready until next week. Afterwards Chase decided we needed to go back to the rez and have another boat ride... except for this time it would be on the ski boat and this time would be even more unforgettable. Chase took me to a special spot so that we could watch the sunset over the horizon..it was so pretty! I could tell he was trying to "set the mood" but his parents kept flying over us back and forth. Me being the airhead that I am asked Chase, "Why don't your parents just honk the horn." Well apparently planes don't have horns and I will never hear the end to that. As soon as they flew away Chase tried to set the mood again by singing to me.... which he often did. He sang that song that Adam Sandler sings about how he wants to grown old with me!! I automatically got tears in my eyes and knew what was coming. Chase got on his knees and expressed his love to me (I don't remember much) but the thing I remember the most is that he said I LOVE YOU for the first time!! Then out of no where he pulled out the ring that wasn't supposed to be ready, but I was so so so THRILLED that it was! Well this night was one of the memorable yet to come... September 1, 2006 is the big day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!