Why do you love me so much?

This is Christmas Eve at the traditional Christensen Christmas Party. Mj was sooooo cute this year with the whole Santa thing. She sat up on his lap and looked into his eyes....her eyes wide and glistening (no joke) ...she spoke softly..."why do you love me so much? Just after that she hugged him. I had to check to see if I was tearing up because my heart swelled three times in size.

I wish that I would have gotten her saying that magical phrase...."Why do you love me so much?" But here is just after that ....look how she just stared at him.....she is nothing like I was ....I think I screamed everytime my mother sat me on his lap up until I was at least 5 or 6.

Christmas Morning at the Riley's House.

Notice that Darren and I are not in any of the Pictures....first off Christmas Morning with Children in the house is all about them and their pure excitment. Parents on the other hand are extremly tired from staying up late and are not looking their best....lol. I looked like someone hit me with a sleigh. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!

Christmas Parties in Boise

Mj is really getting the whole Santa thing this year. So we have lots of Santa talks. It is really fun to see the the magic of Santa in her eyes. It an amazing thing to teach your children to believe in something that they can not touch or sometimes even fathom how it is even possible. I believe it is the first time they can truly feel the Saviors love.....to think that there is someone who loves everyone in the world so much that he knows YOU.... and he loves you so much he takes all year to give you gifts he got just for you. It something that they can see and understand. I think if this magic is truly instilled in a child they can have a stronger faith in the true meaning of Christmas because they have already felt what it is all about ....love and the Savior.

Our Christmas Tree....

Our Pictures from the Boise Trip Dec 12th

My Beautiful ....funny girl...

Going to Edwards Greenhouse with Jessica and Corey

Reading with Grandpa Ormand

My Beautiful Babies

sleeping

I will post more Christmas pictures soon.....believe me there are more .....there are always more. Just thinking about all the parties and stuff makes me glad we are now looking into the new year now. Time to set new goals.

If you have never seen a miracle....

This is a long post sorry...I am not usually one to do this but I think I have a good reason. My sister Jamie's 2 year post transplant anniversary is here upon us and I just wanted the blog world to know her and her beautiful fighting story. Any of you that have come close to losing someone you love or have lost someone you love.....this will ring true to you. If you have not I pray that you never have to have this happen to you....but non the less it will that is the miracle of life. There are heavenly miracles out there and if you do not know Jamie's story you should visit her blog it is a true biblical miracle from heaven and around the Christmas holiday for us to remember these things really do happen......

For me I am just glad that I got to spend more time with my big sister and best friend. I will always remember your story Jamie I love you more then you know. Here are the posts that I did around her transplant ....

Dec 5th 2007....waiting for a miracle

Sorry if Its been a while since I posted. I have been a little over whelmed the past three weeks of my crazy life. I've just started directing the Theatre Department now that Jamie is now unable to teach. I hope that I can do as good as a job as she does with these kids. She truly loves this Art and I know she trusts me more then anyone to take it over but I just really want to see it stay here for her return.
I can't explain to you how one feels when they are just thrown into a whirl wind with their best friend/sister as she looks into the unknown. I sometimes wondered how and where to start. Then these angels that come from a small Idaho community, open there arms and said,"this is how" We have had such a positive feed back from this area on the "Hope For Lungs" Fundraisers. We just had our first one Dec 1st, there was so many people that came for the Spaghetti Feed this past week, there was a line out the door from people in our community that had heard that she needed help and came. I felt so full of joy that people had remembered her. Now I am working on a big music, theatre and dance Benefits Concert at the BPAC for my sister's cause in February. The response for this has been very heart warming and I know that the programs will really help them reach their goal to get all she might need for the next year. It so much work but I just take one day at a time. I can't think about how everything is going to come together or I will just freak out. I know the Lord is holding me though when it gets too hard. I'll kept you posted.......

Dec 7th 2007

This is my closest friend. She is also my sister! We love to spend time together but lately I've been going crazy because she is clear across the nation. As most of you might already know she is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania getting her new lungs. She just had her last surgery last night and is working really hard to get off the ventilator today. I wish I was there to be with her during this hard time but I know that my mother and father are there to help her through this.. Her husband is so amazing to me. I have prayed for him the most knowing that he might feel so over whelmed. I know she is a fighter she always push through when she really wants something. She has so much ambition and drive to get things done. I will be able to go and see her the week of Christmas so I am really excited to see her breath without the CF in her lungs anymore. I wanted to post the above video because it has her laughing in it. I love hearing her laugh.....she can make a whole room stop and listen to her when she speaks. This has always amazed me. She is my hero. My whole life I always wanted to be with her where ever she went. I tried to hug her all the time until she would hit me and tell me to knock it off. (I'm a little clingy) I can't believe this is happening still...she once told me that she knew Heavenly Father loves her because he gives her things that make her happy...the Tuesday I called her after she did her second day of testing she told me, "Maybe I'll get lungs for Christmas!" I here we are all amazed that she got lungs a week before this wonderful Holiday. I can't help but know that we have all been so blessed to be apart of this miracle not only for her but to still have her here with us. It is truly a gift, a blessing and a miracle sent from heaven to us all for Christmas this year. In the words of my sister "To ta lee"

Visiting my sis in her long fight at the Pittsburgh Hospital .....January 2008

Most of you might already know but January 7th I went to see my sister in Pittsburgh. She was a little skinny when I first saw her and thought how the pictures really didn't show this on her blog before I came. But it didn't take her but a few days and she was laughing and talking with me and asking for her arm to get scratched! Later in the week she wanted to start scrap booking again so we went and got a few things to get her started. Her book is really coming along here are a few picture and sweet moments from when I was there! I miss you Ja.....

My Bestest Friend!

Nothing is like a Mothers Love!

Our favorite nurse "Nurse Dan" He is so wonderful to do the little things for my sis that make a long hospital stay not so horrible. He even rubs her shoulder when they ache from the hard bed!

Here is a video of her walking her 1/2 Mile every morning and night while I was there. She was one of the only patients that wasn't walking with a walker. That didn't really surprise me much, she knows how to push through almost anything now!

Her Ol' stand by, her closest friend, her companion....her faithful husband

SHES BACK!

If you can't tell just by looking at her that she feels a whole heck of a lot better then I am here to tell you that she looks and feels like a new Jamie! She is having so much fun with her new lungs. She is even going to be directing a huge Spring play this year for the end of our season in June. Her Segway is collecting dust that is how great she feels. If you want to read more about her click on the JamieBug link in A few of my Favorite Things... So glad to have my best girlie Friend home. Missed her a ton.

Jamie's Video.....

Cystic Fibrosis Lung Transplant

Transplant follow up

7 years, 5 days and counting.

My Man I and I were sealed for time and all eternity November 30th 2002. Seven years, Five days and counting....lol. We have had a wonderful roller coaster ride that has had some really high highs....like having children. We have also had some really low lows....like learning how to compromise through our problems. I feel like we have learned so much since we first said the words " I love you". I have to say I have learn a lot about myself in learning to love without conditions...something I still struggle with. I can not tell you how many times I have been hurt by love. I feel that I love very deeply, I forgive too easily and know nothing about either of the two. I wish that I could see us as we are older when we are sitting around hoping to not miss the next weather forecast. I would love to see how we treat each other then. I feel as you grow together you learn to be productive in your marriage and not so impulsive.

Here are somethings that I love about my husband......
He is undoubtedly one of the best kitchen cleaners, dish do-er and laundry helper you could ever have. He not only cleans but he cooks. He is a wonderful cook. I love his steaks and breakfast meals. I just learned he can pretty much make almost anything I can in the kitchen....yes it was a hard fact to swallow. He is an amazing father. He plays with Mj and Bodi everyday. I really do mean everyday. Mj face lights up when he comes home and she loves to just be with him. I often find myself looking for them only to find that they are running after each other in the house and teasing each other. He takes care of his family with always having a job. He was taking care of us before we ever came into his life when he went to school and paid for it as he went. He saved money while in one of hardest times of his life.....college. He has never not had a job in all the years we have been married even when he was finishing school and he was putting in longer hours at school, he still had a full time job. He is always looking for ways to get out of debt helping free his family from its bonds that ware on love. He will hold back on his wants to pay something off by having the will power to not always get what he wants. He sacrificed to go serve the lord for 24 months of his life in a foreign country. He has taught me by example how to keep the lord in your prayers every night. He has read the Book of Mormon all the way through 5 times .....now the reason I feel this is truly amazing is because I have NEVER read The Book of Mormon all the way through once. He serves his callings and always helps out when the need is placed before him.....like he never lets my mother or anyone for that fact clean up dinner alone after we eat, he will go out in the cold to help collect cans for a calling he doesn't have just because he was asked and if someone is moving into the area he always makes time to go and help the priesthood move them in. He is an amazing friend to me. He makes me laugh everyday. He has a contagious laugh that spreads through out a crowd. He bring a joy to me that only he can. He has a beautiful smile that I can't get enough of. He spoils me rotten. He knows when to say sorry and when to say I love you....this important because remember I am spoiled so, I am not the definition of sweet all the time.....it melts me like nothing else. He is my best friend, my lover and a true companion.
Everyday I wonder why he picked me. I love him deeply and forgive him with ease......