Feb 20

I Wrestle Cows On The Weekends

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And that’s not the only thing I do! Well, actually, I don’t wrestle cows on the weekend. That’s Reece. Or at least that’s what he says. It’s too cold outside for me to actually go watch if he’s really doing it. Personally, I have my doubts.

Regardless of the accuracy of Reece’s claim, my weekends sometimes involve cows, even though I don’t wrestle them. Ever heard of the Westport Flea Market? One word. Burgers. Go there next time you’re in KC. Trust me, you won’t regret it. As long as you don’t run into Bob Berdella that is. (And you shouldn’t – he’s dead now.)

This weekend I spent a little time in the books. It doesn’t sound anywhere as cool as wrestling cows, I know. I am simply not as cool as Reece. Get over it. I’m taking bar exam number four this coming Tuesday. Crazy, right? But I registered for it back when my office was less than 30 minutes from Iowa, and since I paid for it already, there’s no reason not to take it. I’m not overly stressed about it. If I don’t pass it, it’s going to cause some damage to my ego but not to my career. So Monday I’m off to Des Moines (mandatory orientation beginning at 1:00) and Tuesday I’m writing a bunch of essays. I don’t have to take Wednesday’s portion (the multiple choice section). Small blessings.

Let’s not call it a bar exam. Let’s call it a mini-vacation. (Normally I’d pick a different destination than Iowa, but I’ll take what I can get.) I’ll let you know how it goes. If I don’t pass, let’s have a virgin mojito together. If I do pass, let’s have a virgin mojito together. (You see, either way it’s going to be good!) Cheers!

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Feb 19

A Girls Night… PLUS “The Man”

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I was on kid duty tonight. A voluntary thing, let me assure you. I like spending time with my siblings. Since Mom, Jess & Logan wanted to go see “Dear John” (I already saw it and enjoyed it – I LOVE Channing Tatum), I offered to watch the kids. Reece was away on a camping trip (who goes camping in the snow anyway?), so it was the 2.0s , Wade and I. Dad is in Brazil, but he gets back soon, wahoo!

At first we said we’d have a “girls night plus Wade.” He quickly corrected us – we were going to have a “girls night plus THE MAN.” And we did – a little popcorn, a movie, cupcakes and some nail polish. (The Man skipped out on the nail polish.)

This isn’t the first time this week that Wade has cracked me up. Mom and I were hanging out at the table while all the boys were being their usual crazy selves.  I said we needed to think of a word to describe them – without skipping a beat, Wade had one. “Sexy.” And then he walked out of the room.

Can I just tell you I love my life? Really, how could I not?

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Feb 10

I Heart You

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Yes, I said “heart.” NOT “hate”! Please make sure you’re listening. (Ahem. Reece.) For all of you that are oblivious to the month of February, Valentine’s Day is coming up. At FHE this week (you’ve heard about FHE before), our family talked about L-O-V-E.

My first memories of Valentine’s Day involved special Valentines on our kitchen table surrounded by great treats. (Thanks Mom!) For a couple of years, I didn’t realize that Valentine’s Day was a “romantic love” sort of holiday – I just thought it was a day where everyone made sure to tell the people they loved that they loved them. Really, you should be doing that on a pretty regular basis – how sad would it be if you saved all your telling for one day a year?!? I know that I’d never have enough time to make sure that everyone I loved knew it.

In the spirit of the holiday, this Monday night my siblings, mom and I spent the night making hearts for each other. (Dad is in Brazil, or he would have been making them too, don’t worry. He still likes us. Why on earth do you think he goes to work every other month?) We put them up on the doors in our house so that we’d all remember how much we love each other. (Kind of like texting - except better.)

Here are a few of my favorites…

Is it any wonder I heart my family?

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Jan 30

Just Wait ‘Til We’re Out With Someone We Actually Want to Kiss

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Normally I don’t blog about my dates. I consider it bad form. You see, my family has to deal with the fact that I blog about my life. (Yes Dad, I’m still going to blog about our family, much to your chagrin.) I don’t think dates sign up for that kind of intrusion.  So great dates, bad dates, bleh dates, good dates, mediocre dates, horrid dates, fantastic dates… I leave them all alone when I’m blogging. Even if I could tell some great stories. ;)

This week I am making an exception. I went on a date that I have to blog about. And I went with not one, but TWO handsome guys. We didn’t do anything expensive. We didn’t drive very far. But man, we had a great time.

These are the gentlemen:

Flattering pictures of both, I know. You recognize them now, don’t you? Logan and Reece. AKA Manly Men.

So how’d I end up on this date? Well, first of all, I hadn’t eaten much all day. I had a caramelized apple cider for breakfast/lunch and wheat thins for dinner. Caramelized apple cider is fantastic. And I am addicted to it. But it is not very filling. Wheat thins are not a very good dinner. When my stomach was contemplating all this (and loudly protesting the day’s events) I announced to my brothers that I wanted to go someplace and eat something totally unhealthy. So we went out. They opened the car door (after fighting about who got to do it), let me pick the music in the car (easy, because we all agree on loud country music), and didn’t mind that I had the heater full blast (in Missouri, I am always cold). We went and picked up some beautiful greasy cheeseburgers at Sonic. And then we drove to Wal-Mart and ate in the parking lot.

Classy, I know. Reece is the one who coined it “date night.” We hung out and laughed our heads off. And then Reece made the observation of the century – “This is so fun already! Just wait until we’re out with someone we actually want to kiss!”

The. Date. Was. Awesome. And maybe one of these days we’ll all go out together – with people we actually want to kiss. But if we do, you won’t hear about it. Remember? I don’t blog about those dates.

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Jan 16

This Whole Country Thing Was Just An Accident

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You’d think that was me talking, right? After all, I didn’t plan to move out to the middle of nowhere where it’s normal to get your eggs from the backyard. Technically, it’s not the backyard – it’s the chicken coop.  But you know how I feel about technical. I was an English major, remember? Maybe I shouldn’t bring that up – maybe then you’ll be expecting some Jane Austen quality work. Forget it. This is a blog.  So back to the post…

This was Reece talking on our way home the other night. (Right before our car started smoking. Yikes. Dad, Reece and Logan fixed it. Manly.) When Reece lived in Utah, he liked country MUSIC. The rest of it – boots, hat, Carhart jacket, chicken coop, cows, guns, pigs, etc. – were not exactly on his radar. I mean, take a look at him. Does THAT picture look like a country boy waiting to happen? I think not.

(Reece is the boy in the picture. The only boy. Duh.)

But check out the afters… and before you ask, YES, it is the same boy. But I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t recognize him. After all, I didn’t! No, I’m not kidding. When I came out to visit after the “transformation” a cowboy came up to me to hug me in the airport. I thought that was rather forward of him. And then I realized it was Reece. Ooops.



The Cowboy Casanova has arrived.

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Jan 11

“Every Moment of Every Day, We’re Manly”

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No, this was not me talking. I’m more of a “four-inch heels and a pencil skirt” kind of gal, if you really must know. And if any of you are wondering – four-inch heels and a pencil are NOT manly. (That tends to be the kind of thing that ATTRACTS a guy who’s manly.*) Take a look at the picture. (See? It’s not me.)

These are my brothers. You’ve been introduced to them before – you saw the Man Boots post, right? (If you didn’t, now would be a good time to read it. It’d save me some time. There’s no way I could write EVERY way my brothers are manly in just one post.) If you’re still drawing a blank on who’s who, let me re-introduce you. From left to right, this is Wade, Logan and Reece. I call this their “Bad A Moment.” And Mom, if you’re reading – I totally mean “Bad Apple Moment.” Because they are definitely the “Bad Apples” of the Christensen family.

Logan is the genius behind the statement “Every moment of every day, we’re manly.” He had this stroke of genius while sitting with Reece and Wade at the dinner table talking about a fight.

So, you’re curious how they can back this bold statement up? Let me give you four examples. (Yes, just four. As much as you might be dying for a novel tonight, I am not dying to write one. Sue me. Really, try it. I’m a lawyer after all.) First, my brothers shoot guns. (See the aforementioned post. Told you you should have read it.) Second, my brothers open doors. (You’ve heard about this too.) Third, my brothers carry in heavy things. Like me. Or sacks of chicken feed. Or groceries. (Yes, I know groceries aren’t normally as heavy as chicken feed, but maybe you didn’t know that. One of those special “living in the country” tidbits. I’ll let you wonder if I’m as heavy as groceries.) Fourth, my brothers fix things. I’ve watched Reece change a tire in the middle of the night on a highway with no shoulder while semis were screaming past at 75mph. Notice I said “watch.” I am not manly. But I’m sure glad my brothers are. Because trust me, I know – every moment of every day, they’re manly.

*Note to all of you. My pencil skirt and heels do NOT have the same effect on my brothers as they do on other manly men. They are on me after all. So don’t be gross.

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Dec 21

Man Boots

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We went shooting this weekend. “We” is a misnomer.  I did not actually fire a gun. I took pictures.

For some reason, firing a gun seems to ignite total masculinity. Trust me. Take a look at the pictures.

At our house, when someone’s extra masculine, we say they’ve got their “man boots” on. Well this weekend, EVERYONE had their man boots on. Even Cassie. (I had to include her in the pictures.  Hello – she did a “man” pose too! How could I not include her?)

My dad is the best shot – duh. He can tell the person to “pull!” (to release the clay pigeon) while the gun’s relaxed by his hip and still blow it out of the air. My bros were pretty freaking amazing too – Logan hasn’t been shooting for almost 3 years, and he blew EVERY SINGLE clay pigeon he fired at to smithereens. Reece keeps a cool enough head that if he misses the first shot, he can get off the second while the clay pigeon’s still in the air. It never stands a chance against him. Wade is only 13 and is a pretty good shot. And Cassie – she TOTALLY rocks. If you’ll notice, the gun is almost as big as her. I guess sometimes, you’ve just got it. Enter man boots.

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Nov 30

Cowboy Casanova

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This is my brother Reece. The pictures need no explanation.* Cue Carrie Underwood now.

*Oh. You actually wanted an explanation? Reece is my 15 year old (soon to be 16!) little bro. “Little” is kind of a misnomer. (And no Reece, that is NOT a fat joke.) He is taller, stronger (just ask him), and infinitely more good looking than me. He is also a total poser. (Hello, did you see the pictures? Speaking of, you can see the pictures bigger if you click on them. I am not enough of a computer genius to be able to tell them how to appear when they are in a gallery. Which is why his head is chopped off in one of them. Sorry. If you click on it, you’ll find his head is still attached.)

Reece loves meat, country music, shooting things, staying up late, and me. He is sometimes a snot (he IS a teenager after all), but he also opens doors for me, tells me I’m beautiful, and doesn’t like boys who are mean to me. As an older sister, there’s not a lot more I could ask for! Reece, I loff you!

AlishaPS – We can’t leave Alisha out today – it’s her 22nd birthday! Holla. The whole family misses her tons and we are trying to find a way to trick her into staying out here for forever. Any handsome men care to help persuade her?

Oh – and that’s Reece’s arm, by the way. That way, he’s even in the PS part of the post. Remember, he’s a total poser. Even his arm. :)

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Nov 24

HAPPINESS… a byproduct of gratitude

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Cassie, Me, Mom, Dad, Sam, Reece, JessieFirst off, Happy Thanksgiving!!! (And I know I’m a couple days early, but I’m celebrating all week.) I hope you eat lots of turkey, if that’s your thing. My personal weakness on Thanksgiving is crescent rolls. I can skip the turkey entirely (but I normally don’t) as long as I have crescent rolls. My all-time favorite crescent rolls are made by Alisha. Unfortunately, I will have to settle for not-quite-my-all-time-favorite crescent rolls this Thanksgiving, because she will be stuck in Utah. (Collective *sob* from the entire family.)

At Church this week, the speaker talked about how happiness is a byproduct of gratitude. It’s really made me focus on all the things I’m grateful for – after all, I LIKE being happy! It’s totally worked. It’s been a good week.

I started to write a list of all the things I’m grateful for. It got too long. Like, crazy long. So instead of boring you with all the details (like how grateful I am for the brilliant blue bathmats I have in my bathroom, complete with matching towels), I thought I’d share some thoughts I’ve had about the things I’m grateful for.

Me & CassieI realized that the things I am most grateful for in my life can’t be bought. They actually aren’t “things” at all. They are people. And people are irreplaceable. There is nothing that beats being able to be the big sister who comes home on the weekends to curl your 9 and 10 year-old sisters’ hair. Or being able to play cards with your crazy family until midnight and not even noticing the time. Or being able to watch your brothers grow up and learn to be men. It’s fantastic to have girlfriends who you can laugh (and cry) with. It’s so nice to have guy friends you can dance with (and who will move furniture for you). It’s amazing to have professional associates who will send you examples of things you’ve never done before. People rock.

Things are just that – things. Even though they might make life more enjoyable sometimes, they don’t love you back.  And yes, I hear some of you saying your Audi loves you back. Trust me – it’s got nothing on the people I know.

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Oct 16

Real Men Open Doors

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And real women let them.Real Men

My Dad has opened the door for my Mom as long as I can remember. And so do my brothers. In fact, my brothers even open the door for ME. Even the car door. When I get in. And when I get out. (Yes ladies, someday they will make someone a wonderful husband. If they do that at 12 and 15, just wait until they are really crazy about someone. After all, I’m just their sister.)

I don’t consider it a slight to my gender that my Dad and my brothers show respect for women. To me, it’s the ultimate mark of manliness. So a special thanks to all the real men out there. YOU. ARE. THE. MAN.

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