Mar 06

The Animals Came Alive

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Just kidding. The animals didn’t come alive – the 2.0s and I were smart enough to go to the museum during the day. (What, you’ve never seen Night at the Museum? Well, WE have and WE played it safe.)

I’ve discovered it’s easy to keep the title of “BEST SISTER EVER.” No, I did not give myself that title. I totally earned it. Just ask the little girls, who proclaimed it today. (Sorry Alisha and Jessie. I’m the oldest, and I’m likely to keep it.) Today, the rest of our family (minus Logan, who had to study, and Alisha, who is busy in Utah compiling reasons that she should NOT move to Missouri) headed to Nebraska today to attend the Winter Quarters Temple. (Alisha, you can’t count the long drive to a temple as reason number 1309 because we are getting a temple in KC. Scratch that off your list.) Once a temple’s dedicated, you need a recommend to attend it, and little kids can’t get recommends.  You can find out more about temples here or here, if you’re curious. The temple in KC will have an open house for whoever wants to come see it before it’s dedicated.

Since Sam and Cassie can’t go yet, someone had to keep an eye on them. I volunteered and we decided we’d make a girls day of it. It was SO fun! The 2.0s put together a soundtrack for our adventures (iTunes is a wonderful thing), we put it in the CD player, and we were off to Kansas City. They got to check out my new office (loved it!), went to Union Station (to pick up my mail, but they thought it was the coolest building ever), to the Nelson-Atkins (my favorite museum in KC, which is now their favorite too), and to Miller Park (where we ate the picnic they prepared and they ran around for ages). It. Was. Great.

And the whole “best sister ever”? Don’t tell the girls, but I already know who really has the title. Here’s a hint – it’s a tie between four people. Alisha, Jessie, Sam and Cassie have me all beat. For now though, I’ll claim it. After all, isn’t that the point of being the oldest?

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Feb 08

Leila Shea Law, LLC

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You probably know it already, but I’m a lawyer. Normally I wouldn’t bore you with the details (it’s not YOUR job to deal with them after all), but I’ve noticed an awful lot of people end up here when they search for “Leila Shea Law, LLC.” If you’re one of those people, welcome! You are on my personal website. My law firm’s site is at www.leilashealaw.com.  (For some reason, my blog ranks higher up in a google search than my business website.  I’m working on that.)

If you’re here visiting, let me introduce myself.* My name’s Leila Shea Christensen and I’m the owner of Leila Shea Law, LLC. I practice exclusively in family law, and I’m licensed in both Missouri and Kansas.  (I’m licensed in Nevada too, but I do all my work out here in the Midwest.) I grew up in Utah, went to Brigham Young University (for both undergrad and law school), worked in Vegas, and then moved out near Kansas City. And no, I did not get a serious case of wanderlust in order to move here – my parents and six (of seven!) siblings up and moved on me, and I finally followed them. (We’re working on getting my last sister out here, don’t worry.) Oh – and I am the oldest. My brothers and sisters will tell you that I never let them forget it. Now that I live here, I can’t imagine living anywhere else.  Kansas City’s a gorgeous place and I love it. I especially love it when it’s warm – this whole freezing thing is not really me.

I’m crazy about great food, working out, salsa dancing, speaking Spanish, and making cupcakes. Reading’s one of my favorite things, and I’m always in the middle of a book. I love all sorts of music, think art museums rock, and enjoy going to movies.

My law firm’s located just a block from the Family Courthouse in Kansas City at 2526 Holmes, Kansas City, Missouri 64141. Reach me at 816-471-1000 anytime.

*The “official version” of my bio can be found at www.leilashealaw.com. You’re getting the informal version if you stick around.

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Jan 29

I Am Not A Computer Genius

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But my law firm site is now up! It is not perfect yet, but it’s done enough for my office move to Kansas City on Monday. Wahoo! Take a look – www.leilashealaw.com.

PS – I promise to blog more later. This weekend is full of boxes and moving. Normally, I wouldn’t plan for anyone to move their apartment AND their law office all at one time, but when you live above your office… It’s going to be a busy weekend.

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Jan 24

A Mile in His Shoes

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Obviously, these shoes are not the same size. No, it did not take a genius to figure that out. (If you couldn’t tell, perhaps you should get your eyes checked. Just a suggestion – worth what you’re paying for it. I’m not an eye doctor after all! But I DID try and line the backs of the shoes up in this picture, though it’s not super clear. Heels are complicated sometimes.) You’ve seen one pair of these before – the black shoes are mine, and they love to go dancing. This weekend, I took them salsa dancing. It’s the first time I’ve gone salsa dancing in over 3 years. But they almost didn’t make it!

You see, my brother Logan hasn’t been to a night club EVER. When we decided to go dancing at the spur of the moment, silly me failed to check that he had the appropriate footwear and we happily took off for Kansas City. He was wearing TENNIS SHOES. Well, technically, they were futbol shoes. But whatever you want to call them (Spanish speaking shoes or not!) they got him turned away at the door. I even used my best pleading look with the bouncer. Total fail. I am out of practice!

Enter the beautiful size 15 shoes you see in the picture. (Note to you – the brown shoes are the size 15s. My black shoes are a size 6. Please. I’m 4′10″. Think about it.) After the total fail with the bouncer, I texted a friend to tell him that I. Was. Not. Happy.  (Actually, what I think I texted was “I. Am. So. Mad!”  But you get the idea.) I was sad, but I wasn’t going to buy Logan a pair of dress shoes so that we could stay and dance. My friend’s 6′4″ – I knew that there was no way he and Logan would wear the same size shoe. And they don’t. But my friend came through and saved Logan’s life. No, Logan does not wear a size 15. But these shoes worked to get into Casa Grande and I danced the night away. And Logan can now claim he’s walked a mile in my friend’s shoes…

And just so you know – I tried them on too. If you want to get specific, I went about 2 steps. Definitely not a mile. But who’s keeping track?

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Dec 31

Get A Sparkly Dress

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2009 is on its way out – tonight in fact. (Just like me! I will be dancing it away in a black sparkly dress. I love sparkles. I think everyone should have at least one sparkly dress in their life. At least if they’re a woman. For men, just get a woman with a sparkly dress.) It’s been the craziest, funnest, saddest, happiest and best year of my life so far.*

There have been definite “I-sure-wish-this-didn’t-happen” moments this year – I’m leaving those behind. That’s the nice part about the end of the year. You throw those things out – at least you do if you’re smart. I’m smart. (At least for things like that!)

There have also been definite “I-can’t-believe-life-is-so-great” sort of things.  In honor of 2009, here are 9 of them:

  • I spent half my year in Vegas – went to some great concerts, some fantastic restaurants and had some wonderful times with my family. (Alisha and Santana? Absolutely fantastic.)
  • I passed 2 bar exams. (Missouri – despite food poisoning and throwing up through the exam! and Kansas – despite dealing with some things I left in Vegas. All I can say is, thanks for the prayers both times. They helped.)
  • I turned 24 and Reece & I celebrated by going to Trace Adkins in Kansas City. (We didn’t care about Toby Keith. Sue me.)
  • I now get to speak Spanish with Logan, who made it home from his mission with his passport intact. (That was a little iffy for awhile. Thank goodness it all worked out.)
  • I discovered I like to run and lost 30 lbs along the way. (I also like the stairmaster. And salsa dancing.)
  • I started my own law firm. (Running my own business is so satisfying. Sometimes stressful. But way satisfying.)
  • I moved to Missouri. (It might be the middle of nowhere, but it’s a happy middle of nowhere. Plus I live close to my family now. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.)
  • I rediscovered a real appreciation for being born a Christensen. (Not only for the name, which matters a whole lot to me. But for the automatic love and support that goes along with that. My family rocks.)

Life is so good and I have a lot of things that I am grateful for this year. I listed 9 – I could list a lot more. But I’m going to dance tonight, so I’m stopping there. Happy New Year to all of you!

*To be fair, I only expect them to get better, so I’m not surprised this is the best so far.  Next year will outdo it.

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Nov 22

Ok, I Admit It

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I might miss the city more than I thought. If you look at how much I am driving lately, I miss it a ton. I’m about an hour and a half away from Kansas City – one way. That hasn’t stopped me from making the drive at least once a week, normally twice. Sometimes three times.  (Something’s gotta give. Obviously.) A few things I miss having close:

  • Concerts. Especially free concerts.  UMKC has a pretty talented crowd and you can check them out often. Here’s the performance calendar. I’ve been to a handful of their concerts and wasn’t disappointed at a single one.
  • Restaurants. I like variety. In a small town, your options are limited. Sushi, for instance, is pretty much out. And if you really don’t want to cook, it’s nice to not have to resort to Pizza Hut.
  • Movies. One screen, one movie, one showtime.  Not exactly the best way to catch the latest. (That makes the assumption you want to see any of the latest,  but it’s nice to at least have the option.)
  • Workout Facilities. Running on the street is awfully nice, when it’s not freezing outside. But sometimes a girl wants a nice gym with lots of machines, a few exercise classes (kickboxing anyone?), and access to a personal trainer. And bikram yoga? Don’t even get me going on how much I miss having a class fifteen minutes away.
  • Education. It’s not even just the “formal” education that’s accessible in the city that I miss, but the other options that are part of city life. Hula dance classes for example. (I used to hula and I’ve started dancing again. I am still very bad. Which is why classes are important.)
  • Shopping. I. Like. Clothes. Now, as a preface – I CAN live without them. But I like them. And the shopping in Kansas City is fantastic. (On second thought, maybe I should move farther away…) It’s not just clothes either – City Market totally rocks.

Looking at all this, I realize that I might be (gasp!) a fake “country mouse.” (Some people might call that a snob, but I’m not one of those people.) Of course, whenever I pictured myself living in the country (before I actually lived here), it involved a husband and a few kids. Living single in the country is a little (okay, a lot) different. Sometimes life turns out different than you planned. So you adjust. For now, I’m happy that I can entertain the idea of adjusting. We’ll see where it leads me.

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Nov 01

My Sister Hates Elevators

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AlishaMy sister Alisha and I are pretty close. We’re only 2 1/2 years apart, and even though we currently live about 1200 miles apart, we talk at least once a week. I thought of her this weekend –  I rode in an old freight elevator that would have given her nightmares. She’s hated elevators for as long as I can remember. I remember being places and having to take the stairs because the elevators bugged her too much. The elevator this weekend made me think random thoughts about her.  Here are five (besides the elevator hatred):

  1. She photographs EVERYTHING.  Especially food.
  2. She is tiny, but thinks she can beat people up.  (I can just hear her now… What do you mean “thinks”?)
  3. Her hair is super thick and grows insanely fast.
  4. She writes cool songs super fast.  (See here, here, here, here…)
  5. She blames me for killing her desire to speak Spanish. She understands almost everything though. (She once said “yo sabo” instead of “yo se” and my cousin and I laughed. Three words. GET. OVER. IT.) She’s actually starting to use Spanish again. (A good thing, considering it’s been at least 10 years since I made the horrible mistake of laughing at her.)

My sister Alisha is totally freaking awesome. And I promise that when she comes to visit, I will NOT make her ride in a freight elevator. Unless she doesn’t come to visit soon. Then all bets are off.

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Oct 14

Beautiful Music

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Cello Conservatory Ensemble | UMKCTonight I went to a concert by the Cello Conservatory Ensemble at UMKC. They did a wonderful job and I was quite impressed. The fact that it was free made it that much nicer.  I think my favorite piece tonight was Schubert’s Hymnus an den Heiligen Geist. And no, I did not remember that title on my own – I looked at the program. It. was. simply. gorgeous. Thanks to UMKC for the free concert. If any of you are curious, you can find a list of upcoming events here.  A lot of them are free.

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Oct 07

True Confessions… The List

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Leila Shea ChristensenI had a ladies’ night this week – talk about a good time! A little veggie stir-fry, followed by some homemade Reese’s…. Who knew life in Northern Missouri could be so happening?

We talked about some of the things we love to do and some of the things we’d like to do in the future. We figured it was okay to be “selfish” and do some of those things while we don’t have obligations to anyone else.  (It seems like it would be a lot tougher to jet off somewhere if you had a two year old needing your attention.)  And PS – I don’t think it’s really selfish to live your life and simply enjoy the stage of life you’re in. In fact, I think it’s pretty ungrateful if you don’t!

So, here’s my list of (kind of big) things that I’d like to do*…

  1. Run the Kansas City Marathon in October 2010. This will require a lot of work before October – I am so up for it.  And for the most part (unless you run inside at a gym), running is FREE.  With iMapMyRun, how could you NOT want to do this?
  2. Attend UMKC’s CLE in Italy in November 2010. If it doesn’t cover Rome, make the time for it anyway. I’ve been to Rome once already, but I am DYING to go back.
  3. Take a Latin Dancing Class and/or a Swing Dancing Class. It looks like Kansas City has a couple of options, so I’m going to find one that works and just do it. This should also satisfy my shoes’ need.
  4. Go to Tahiti. I. LOVE. THE. BEACH.  I guess it doesn’t really have to be Tahiti.  Just someplace where the beach is fantastic, the water is turquoise, and I can relax and play all day.  Virgin mojitos, anyone?
  5. This isn’t really a “thing to do” per se, but I’d really like to PAY FOR IT ALL WITH CASH. Like, all of the above.  I think there’s a lot of freedom that comes with that – so if I can’t afford it, I will save for it until I can.

Now, I get that I might not be able to do all these things… my priorities could change.  But for now, I’m dreaming… so these are my true confessions.

*subject to revisions of course!

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Oct 06

Some Days You Gotta Dance

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I LOVE SHOES | Jessica Simpson, MichaelaI love shoes. There are some shoes that demand you take them out.  I got a new pair this weekend that are simply screaming for attention.  I’ve had my eye on them for several months – thanks to the lady at Dillard’s who gave me a discount since they were the display pair (and the only pair left in my size!) I finally got them. (I waited over 3 months for these shoes. Forgive my elation.) A 4 1/2″ heel – and comfortable too! What more could you ask for?

I tried to satisfy my shoes’ dancing needs by dancing around in my apartment. It took a few minutes before I realized that my blinds were all open and my neighbors had noticed. What can I say? Great music gets me going. My brief dancing managed to satisfy my shoes for the moment, but only because I made a promise to myself (and the shoes!) to go out dancing soon.  I’m up in the air about what type – I’m thinking latin or swing.  I’m equally out of practice for both.  I’ll probably have to find a class first. But I will meet the dancing needs of my shoes – after all, some days you gotta dance!

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