Reunion

For memorial day we headed down to Richfield Utah to the Christiansen family reunion. We were a little nervous about having Rhett in the car for over 7 hours total in one day but he did much better than expected. Highlights of the trip were:
-seeing everyone we hadn't seen in a long time
-talking to my cousins Callie and Sarah and deciding that if our clan of the family were to go up and sing like others were doing, it would not be a song about how much we liked everyone like they were singing about but it would go like this: my uncle Dale would be in the back singing very quietly but laughing most of the time, my father would be explaining about the song before we even sang it and the song would be very sarcastic and most likely be making fun of everyone
-It takes 4 people and almost an hour to finally get my Sarah to the bathroom after hearing her say she was going to pee her pants over and over
-While my dad got gas for the car Rhett decided to have a blow out! One has never seen a diaper so full, and of course the poop made it on my pants
-We saw a "Wanship" truck (need is say more Pace's)

-We saw gravestones including pioneer family memebers

-Rhett's cousin Rebecca (age 1) left her Easter candy under the bed at my parents house. The candy in the bag kept my father awake while driving down south, and this amazing yellow bunny has now become the little mans favorite toy. I don't think he is going to give it back anytime soon. Sorry Rebecca, but thanks for sharing!

The Boys

Here is the update on my boys: Spencer did awesome once again in school this semester, he made the Deans list and one of his teachers said his mini research paper was one of the best ones he had read all semester and gave him a perfect score on it. Because of this perfect score paper the teacher recommended Spencer to work in the research rat lab at the school. It's not the type of psychology work Spencer wants to go into but it could just be his ticket to getting into grad school which he will most likely be applying for next year. I am pretty proud of all he has accomplished this past year.

Our Rhett man as of three weeks ago is now completely sleeping through the night! Except for those very rare but much needed 2 a.m. diaper changes. He goes to sleep around 9:30 pm, he will wake up around 7:00 or 6:00. If he wakes up at 6:00 he goes right back to sleep until 8:00. If he wakes up at 7:00 he will go back to sleep around 9:00. I've decided that God gives super powers to moms when babies are first born, I mean how else could one only get 3 hours of sleep a day and still function. We love him so much more now that he is sleeping so good. And since he is sleeping he's much more happier! Next week he will officially be three months old, today I made a funny face at him and he just started laughing really hard, so I did it again and again he started laughing, so then I started laughing and we laughed for a good 5 or so minutes at each other.

FHE

Welcome to our Family Home Evening tonight

Girls Day

This is a picture of my amazing mom and my three three favorite sisters (I guess my dad is on the left and Joe is on the right but you get the point), when I think of mothers day I think of these people. Growing up mothers day was awesome, each year my father would buy all of us flowers and then there would be chocolate covered strawberries, raspberries and the occasional chocolate covered grapes in the fridge. Mothers day wasn't just about mothers it was about celebrating being a girl. My sisters were the best growing up. Make believe games for hours, claymation movies, letting me diagnose some Green Leaf Fever (Laura maybe you should still be taking that "medication"), shopping trips, Eric Clapton Concert, and they usually let their overly dramatic youngest sister tag along with them and their friends, yes I felt very cool at the age of eight hanging out with people in high school. My mom was the best, she knew exactly when I needed to have a water fight in the house, exactly how much Mayo to put on my turkey sandwich everyday for almost 6 years, she never "yelled" at me when I would put ice down her back and then hugged her so the ice would melt, she taught me how to cook a turkey while letting me dance with it around the room, she makes the best jam aka "red gold", her pie crust is my favorite thing ever, and she was the best at taking you back to school clothes shopping. Happy Mothers Day girls I love you! 

Thanks for teaching me how to be a mom.

Blessing Day

Rhett's baby blessing was yesterday. We were very grateful that so many family members were able to come. All of his living great-grandparents, his aunt Allison and Uncle Jordan, his uncle Jeff and uncle Andrew, a few of my cousins, uncle Nolan and aunt Diane, his grandpa and grandma Pace, grandpa Donovan and two of our favorite couples from our ward showed up to see the little guy. 

My brother Daniel suggested that Spencer go the non-traditional way and bless him with super powers. 

We got a little nervous right before the blessing since Rhett started to cry a lot, but Spencer stood in the back with him and he fell right a sleep. The blessing Spencer gave him was beautiful. I am so grateful for an amazing husband who is worthy to bless our kids.

During testimony meeting Rhett woke up and decided it was time to play "the game." You see he will look at you and say "a-goo" and then wait for you to say it back to him. He loves this game and will smile so big when we play it. Last week in Relief Society he wanted to play it but I wouldn't so he got a little sad. But this week during Sacrament meeting as he started to play it and we wouldn't play it with him he started to cry, so Spencer had to again stand in the back of the room with him. He is sure a funny boy

My one regret is not getting up and bearing my testimony, the meeting was very short due to Rhett and another baby blessing, plus a musical number, plus a million and a half announcements. So...I really do know the church is Christs church. I know the priesthood is real and what a blessing from our Father in Heaven it is to be able to have that power in our lives. I think every parent thinks there child is a miracle but lately I have especially thought this. When we decided that we felt right to start our family I was terrified, not to actually have a baby, (I think I've taken care of enough crazy crack/meth addict babies in my life that a normal baby is so much easier)  but I was so afraid that the medication I was taking would harm our baby. But we went to the temple and basically the spirit told me that I needed to have more faith and trust in God and his plan for our family and he would give us a healthy baby. During my pregnancy I was told multiple times that I wasn't gaining enough weight, again I was nervous that our baby would not be developed properly due to my lack of weight gain or the random weird medical issues I have. Again though I was reminded when we went to the temple that I just needed to trust in Gods plan and what ever happened was supposed to happen. I am so grateful for the plan of salvation and knowing that if Spencer and I keep our covenants that our little Rhett will be with us forever. All we need to do is trust in God and his timing a little bit more.

After church everyone came to our little apartment for food. Some of my favorite moments were when my dad was looking at some genealogy things on the computer and my grandma said "it doesn't let you look up people who aren't dead yet that's why you couldn't see Katherine. See I just talked to Katherine so she's not dead yet"'

I went into the kitchen to talk to our friends and there was my grandfather. He looked like he was hiding in the corner. Then I noticed he was stuffing his face full of brownies. I asked him if he was hiding from grandma so he could eat the brownies, he said he sure was and then put a few more in his mouth. My grandma doesn't let my grandpa eat sweats due to his diabetes. But that 91 year old man is sure sneaky and when he wants a brownie he finds a way to hide and eat plenty of them.

My dad taught my cousin Diana how to tell her boyfriend that she loved him and then basically to make out with him and then to purpose to him. My dad also had a conversation with her boyfriend at church on how girls like a smooth face and not a prickly face. My dad is awesome!

Oh and a gathering wouldn't be complete without having a long conversation on belly buttons and aliens and poop.

4 generations of Donovan men

My dad is funny he doesn't hold baby's but I knew if I just put Rhett on his lap he wouldn't let him fall and he would have to hold him a little.