CHRISTMAS! is today. We got up early, at like 7:00, and opened presents. I got a bunch of supercool new stuff. We ate breakfast and got ready for church (I wore my green 1990's Christmas dress, black velvet heels, big curls and new red lipstick from Nikki. I was class-ay!) and then went early to church for our big musical number.
I like short church. Church should always be one hour long and mostly musical numbers.
Afterwards we went to Grandma's house, where Megan, Dad and I spent the whole time digging through big trunks of old pictures and magazines. I love that stuff; Megan brought a bunch of stuff home to paint and sketch.
I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas, I really do. It's the best time of year, this, so peaceful and centered. Life and stress starts again tomorrow. A new year starts in a week.
Get ready!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Advent, Day 24: Christmas Eve!!
Today is Christmas Eeeevvvee!!! Yay! We are celebrating by cleaning the house (yaaay) and making food. My sisters, Mom and I made a ham, twice-baked potatoes, asparagus, Christmas mousse, carrot pudding (which is actually cake. Not pudding. I think cuz it's probably English because they call everything pudding and who else would put carrots and potatoes in dessert. I ask you.) and a breakfast casserole for tomorrow morning (our day will have to start early to account for church not being for Christmas.. go figure.)
We are playing Barenaked For The Holidays and have essence of white fir in the oil-diffuser-thingy. Tonight we'll eat this giant meal, by candlelight, read the Nativity, sing carols (edit: we did, quite irrevrently. Never have so many hymns been made into beer-drinking songs.) and then open a present (I opened a new Bop-It!) and all the kids go down to the basement for the night (we watched reruns of 'The Amanda Show'- classic!)
So, that's been my Christmas Eve! Merry Christmas tomorrow!
We are playing Barenaked For The Holidays and have essence of white fir in the oil-diffuser-thingy. Tonight we'll eat this giant meal, by candlelight, read the Nativity, sing carols (edit: we did, quite irrevrently. Never have so many hymns been made into beer-drinking songs.) and then open a present (I opened a new Bop-It!) and all the kids go down to the basement for the night (we watched reruns of 'The Amanda Show'- classic!)
So, that's been my Christmas Eve! Merry Christmas tomorrow!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Advent, Day 23: A Book I Just Read
My family is one of those were in elementary school we would all read instead of play at recess cuz we love books and we don't have friends. Our big summertime thrill is going to the public library and getting as many books as we want instead of the regular two-book limit. HIGH TIMES.
Yesterday I went with my mom to sneakily return some overdue library books and almost returned this book that wasn't a library book at all, but a school classroom book called 'Princess of the Midnight Ball', by Jessica Day George. It's a retelling of the fairytale 'The Twelve Dancing Princesses', which I, and you, I'm sure, only know from the Barbie version. The book coulda been written better, yeah, but it's, you know, for fifth graders.* The actual story, through all the silly writing, is pretty and touching and is solved by a man knitting things, which I don't know is true or not but is kind of silly and sweet.
So, a good book overall and good for a two-day read. I'm reading 'The Thief Lord' again next, (unless I get something better for Christmas... hehehe), which, yeah, I've read before, but I love Cornelia Funke and also Rissa is reading 'Inkheart' so I can't.
Merry Christmas! Happy vacation reading!
(Sorry Mrs. Rollins' fifth grade class at East Layton Elementary... I'll give it back! Soon probably!)
Yesterday I went with my mom to sneakily return some overdue library books and almost returned this book that wasn't a library book at all, but a school classroom book called 'Princess of the Midnight Ball', by Jessica Day George. It's a retelling of the fairytale 'The Twelve Dancing Princesses', which I, and you, I'm sure, only know from the Barbie version. The book coulda been written better, yeah, but it's, you know, for fifth graders.* The actual story, through all the silly writing, is pretty and touching and is solved by a man knitting things, which I don't know is true or not but is kind of silly and sweet.
So, a good book overall and good for a two-day read. I'm reading 'The Thief Lord' again next, (unless I get something better for Christmas... hehehe), which, yeah, I've read before, but I love Cornelia Funke and also Rissa is reading 'Inkheart' so I can't.
Merry Christmas! Happy vacation reading!
(Sorry Mrs. Rollins' fifth grade class at East Layton Elementary... I'll give it back! Soon probably!)
Advent, Day 22: The Christensen Family Show
Christmas this year is on a Sunday again, which means short church! Yes! Best Christmas present ever!
(Not really. That's terrible. But really. It's Christmas. Sorry.)
I'm sure most Mormon Christmas services are just music, like ours. My mom, unofficial ward pianist extradinaire, is playing in like ever single number. Accompaning, singing, and playing in the Christensen Family Band! Rob's on the bassoon, Nikki on violin, Holly on clarinet, Megan on cello, and me on viola cuz everything else was taken.
We sound re-DIC. It's a stupid combination of instruments. But I love it :) Family band! (Except Rissa and Dad...)
EVERYONE SKIP CHURCH ON SUNDAY AND COME LISTEN TO US PLAY IT SOUNDS AWESOME MERRY CHRISTMAS
(Not really. That's terrible. But really. It's Christmas. Sorry.)
I'm sure most Mormon Christmas services are just music, like ours. My mom, unofficial ward pianist extradinaire, is playing in like ever single number. Accompaning, singing, and playing in the Christensen Family Band! Rob's on the bassoon, Nikki on violin, Holly on clarinet, Megan on cello, and me on viola cuz everything else was taken.
We sound re-DIC. It's a stupid combination of instruments. But I love it :) Family band! (Except Rissa and Dad...)
EVERYONE SKIP CHURCH ON SUNDAY AND COME LISTEN TO US PLAY IT SOUNDS AWESOME MERRY CHRISTMAS
Advent, Day 21: The House That Built Me, In A Lot of Words
I've been working on this post for a while, cuz I wasn't sure exactly how to say this and also I always get so distracted when I have deadlines...
Tonight I was reading a post from a friend's blog about her parents' upcoming move (thanks Sam!). She posted a video of Miranda Lambert's song 'The House That Built Me'. It's not a song I particularly love, mostly because for the longest time I thought she was saying 'Bilby', like a dog or something... But anyway it's a good song and I like it well enough.
So the song and the post helped me find some words for this post. I wanted to write about how much I love where I live. I feel like I live in the greatest country on earth. Not many people would contest that; we have the most freedoms, the most stability, the most wealth, a great education system, equality, health care, all that and more. On top of that, I live in the best state in the greatest country; everyone here is friendly, it's wealthy, low crime, mild summers, and 'the best snow on earth'- plus, who doesn't like living in a place where everyone has the same high values? I ask you.
So, in this greatest country in the best state, I live in the best city. Northern Utah is near enough to the wildlands of central and southern Utah (Moab, Canyonlands, all that) for frequent vacays, but is more mild and green. The Wasatch Front is the best of all this- nestled in the great big bowl created by the Great Salt Lake, close enough to see the Lake but far enough from the smell, far enough from the bustle and pollution of SLC but close enough for like concerts and stuff that happens in the city.
See? Perfect. Layton is a great little town, half farming village, half 'biggest city in Davis County', which it is. Then there's the East Bench, where I live in the East Layton neighborhood of Snow Canyon (no one rob me). The air force base is a ten minute drive, so there's a huge population of military families. In school, class was constantly halted by No crime, nice people, a view of the mountains in the back and clear sights all the way over the valley to the Ochre Mountains across Antelope Island the Lake. It's beautiful (plus the pollution from the city makes for great sunsets!). On the Fourth of July we can see the firework shows from twelve different cities! I haven't even talked about the small-town feel of these people. We have Independence Day breakfasts, bicycle parades, Christmas concerts, all sorts of neighborly events. My favorite it the generic 'Neighborhood Party' in the summertime up at the home of the richest family in town. We play games, ride horses, have watermelon-eating contests, watch a football game, and, this year, roast a pit in the sandbox. De-lish.
So, Snow Canyon on the East Bench of East Layton of the Wasatch Front in Northern Utah in America is the best place to live in the world.
Tonight I was reading a post from a friend's blog about her parents' upcoming move (thanks Sam!). She posted a video of Miranda Lambert's song 'The House That Built Me'. It's not a song I particularly love, mostly because for the longest time I thought she was saying 'Bilby', like a dog or something... But anyway it's a good song and I like it well enough.
So the song and the post helped me find some words for this post. I wanted to write about how much I love where I live. I feel like I live in the greatest country on earth. Not many people would contest that; we have the most freedoms, the most stability, the most wealth, a great education system, equality, health care, all that and more. On top of that, I live in the best state in the greatest country; everyone here is friendly, it's wealthy, low crime, mild summers, and 'the best snow on earth'- plus, who doesn't like living in a place where everyone has the same high values? I ask you.
So, in this greatest country in the best state, I live in the best city. Northern Utah is near enough to the wildlands of central and southern Utah (Moab, Canyonlands, all that) for frequent vacays, but is more mild and green. The Wasatch Front is the best of all this- nestled in the great big bowl created by the Great Salt Lake, close enough to see the Lake but far enough from the smell, far enough from the bustle and pollution of SLC but close enough for like concerts and stuff that happens in the city.
See? Perfect. Layton is a great little town, half farming village, half 'biggest city in Davis County', which it is. Then there's the East Bench, where I live in the East Layton neighborhood of Snow Canyon (no one rob me). The air force base is a ten minute drive, so there's a huge population of military families. In school, class was constantly halted by No crime, nice people, a view of the mountains in the back and clear sights all the way over the valley to the Ochre Mountains across Antelope Island the Lake. It's beautiful (plus the pollution from the city makes for great sunsets!). On the Fourth of July we can see the firework shows from twelve different cities! I haven't even talked about the small-town feel of these people. We have Independence Day breakfasts, bicycle parades, Christmas concerts, all sorts of neighborly events. My favorite it the generic 'Neighborhood Party' in the summertime up at the home of the richest family in town. We play games, ride horses, have watermelon-eating contests, watch a football game, and, this year, roast a pit in the sandbox. De-lish.
So, Snow Canyon on the East Bench of East Layton of the Wasatch Front in Northern Utah in America is the best place to live in the world.
That's the Miranda Lambert video. It's a prettier version of everything that I just said.
Merry Christmas!
Advent, Day 20: It's America! Anyway...
I was watching GAC (that's Great American Country to all you people not raised in Texas) on TV the other day. They only show country music videos, all day long. Also the Miss America pageant.
Anyway, I was watching it, and this Rodney Atkins song came on, for 'It's America'. (Country music always makes me weepy and patriotic, so I was tearing already by this time.) The video's hilarious, cute, American (awesome), and... anyway, I like it. Especially the part when Rodney Atkins goes and and sends the Mexicans out! AMERICA!, as Professor Clybor says...
Sorry for the disorganization of this post... stray thoughts... Merry... Christmas...? Anyway...
Anyway, I was watching it, and this Rodney Atkins song came on, for 'It's America'. (Country music always makes me weepy and patriotic, so I was tearing already by this time.) The video's hilarious, cute, American (awesome), and... anyway, I like it. Especially the part when Rodney Atkins goes and and sends the Mexicans out! AMERICA!, as Professor Clybor says...
Monday, December 19, 2011
Advent, Day 19: A Music Festival
I think these bands would be super awesome together in concert, complenetary sounds and whatever. A super awesome (yes, twice) music festival line-up:
Sufjan Stevens and Freelance Whales
The Civil Wars, Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers
Adele and Kate Nash
James Taylor and The Dixie Chicks
Weezer and Rooney
Noah and the Whale and Yellowcard
My sister, Megan, had some suggestions:
Foster the People and Band of Horses
The Naked and Famous and The Barenaked Ladies... pretty much for the names, I think. So much nakedness!!
Merry Christmas!
Sufjan Stevens and Freelance Whales
The Civil Wars, Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers
Adele and Kate Nash
James Taylor and The Dixie Chicks
Weezer and Rooney
Noah and the Whale and Yellowcard
My sister, Megan, had some suggestions:
Foster the People and Band of Horses
The Naked and Famous and The Barenaked Ladies... pretty much for the names, I think. So much nakedness!!
(That's the Avett Brothers. Are they actually brothers? I don't know.)
Merry Christmas!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)