Aug 01

Just Call Me An Antique

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Wahoo! Today I’m celebrating. Well, actually I’m celebrating all month, because that’s how I roll. I highly recommend that when you have a birthday, you celebrate all month too. I can’t take credit for that brilliant idea. It’s a suggestion I got from a friend of mine a long time ago and it means the month of August totally rocks every year. I’ve officially reached “antique” status. For those of you who don’t speak the language of my 2.0, that means I’m now 25 years old. Don’t fault her for the whole “antique” thing – she’s only 11, so 25 is bound to sound ancient.

There are so many blessings in my life! In honor of turning 25 today, I thought I’d list 25 things that I’m grateful for. Yep, this is going to be a long list. Deal with it – it’s my party, and I’ll write what I want to.

  1. The Gospel of Jesus Christ and my membership in His Church
  2. Mom
  3. Dad
  4. Alisha
  5. Logan
  6. Jessie
  7. Reece
  8. Wade
  9. Sam
  10. Cassie
  11. My law degree from BYU
  12. Running my own law firm
  13. Living in KCMO
  14. Cute running clothes
  15. The color blue – that totally bright, really happy blue.
  16. Cupcakes
  17. Country music - Trace Adkins, Carrie Underwood, Justin Moore, Jason Aldean, Jaron & the Long Road to Love… all those good people.
  18. Four Inch Heels
  19. The Piano
  20. Scented Candles
  21. Calla Lilies
  22. Italian Food
  23. Texas Roadhouse Rolls
  24. Men who open doors
  25. Big dreams. And little dreams. Just all sorts of dreams.

I picked up a card a little while ago. There’s a quote on it and it’s how I’m determined to live. “This is your world. Shape it or someone else will.”

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Jun 03

My Dates Would Be A Whole Lot Cheaper

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If I didn’t spend so much time with the same three guys. Yes, three. You recognize them. Or you should. Just call them a girl’s perfect date – they open doors, love the music that plays in my car, make me laugh, and are generally up for anything. The only downside is that I tend to foot the bill. But they tend to do all the heavy lifting that I ever need. Moving twice? They were so there. Carrying loads of files? I never even have to ask. So it evens out. Plus they’re cheap – but not in that skanky sort of way, don’t worry. Cheap, like I can take them to Sonic and they are totally satisfied.

You call them Logan, Reece and Wade. At the house, we call them “Wolverine” (have you seen Logan’s chest? it’s totally like Hugh Jackman’s), “Cowboy Casanova” (cuing Carrie Underwood this instant), and “GQ Romeo” (who should need no explanation, but if you’d like one, look here).

My brothers keep me grounded. In fact, they’ve got their own nickname for me – “Average Sue Leila.” Sounds kind of weird, huh? I mean, I’d heard of an “Average Joe” before, but I’d never heard of an “Average Sue” before they came up with that genius. We were out having burgers or something, when I told them they needed to work on their manners. After all, I’m a classy lady and they were out with me. They took the opportunity to let me know that at that moment, I wasn’t a “big time city slicker lawyer” – I was just a regular “Average Joe” out with my brothers. Then they thought that “Average Joe” didn’t really fit, being that I’m a girl and all, thus “Average Sue” was born. My name was added to prevent any confusion. So if you’re looking for a big-time city slicker lawyer, don’t look for her when she’s out with these boys. You’ll be looking an awful long time.*

*This is, of course, assuming that they are not in trouble themselves, in which case, you will totally find the big-time city slicker lawyer out with them. A girl’s still got to watch out for her family, don’t you think?

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May 18

I Heart Man Night

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This past weekend my family had a man night. Yes, you read that right. My family- girls included – had a “man” night. And that might not make sense to you. “Man” night doesn’t sound like it would involve GIRLS, I know. But really, doesn’t that make it the ULTIMATE man night? Wade picked out what we’d eat, Mom made it (it’s nice having a girl along to do the cooking), and we watched a “kill movie,” otherwise known as an “action movie.” I took pictures of it all. (Sorry for the blurriness… I’m still waiting for a flash to magically appear on my iPhone. Maybe it will come out with one on the next iPhone. Which I am totally getting.)

Reece summed up our collective feelings on man night the next morning when we were cleaning up the carnage. ”I heart man night.”

Me too, Reece. Me too.

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May 15

Everyone Should Have a Romeo

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You thought we only had a Cowboy Casanova, didn’t you? Wrong! My little brother Wade (who is not really “little,” but he is 13 so I’m reserving the right to call him that) is the GQ Romeo of the Christensen household. Trust me on this. I chaperoned on his school field trip this week. “Romeo” is definitely the right name for him.

First, I think I’ve never met a 13 year old boy who’s cool enough to want his old lady sister to come help out on any field trip. Second, I’ve never met a 13 year old boy who’s cool enough to hang out with his 5th grade sister AT the same field trip. AND skate with BOTH OF THEM out on the roller skating rink. In FRONT of all his friends.

Those seventh grade girls TOTALLY swooned over him. And why not? Any smart girl knows that a man will treat his wife the same way he treats his mom and his sisters. (Well, there will be a few key differences, but don’t make me go into those here. Please.) Wade’s definitely got a few things figured out. I love him. TONS. Trust me, everyone should have a Romeo in their life. Or at least a brother like Wade.

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May 09

Let Me Count The Ways

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Okay, so I know I told you I was the baddest bad apple of the Christensen family. I lied. Yes, I am admitting it right here in print, to be googled and everything. Actually, I didn’t REALLY lie. I just didn’t explain myself fully. Or, as Logan puts it, I told you a “really good story” and just didn’t tell you if it was true or not. (Yes, he can say that with a straight face. Don’t ask me how.)

My MOM is the baddest bad apple in our house. Since she wasn’t born a Christensen, I can still claim to be the baddest bad apple of the Christensen family. (Like that argument? It’s a little flimsy for a lawyer, but I’ll argue it anyway.) We all love her. You want reasons? We’ve got them. And much like the Alisha post, this is from everyone.

  • She dances in the kitchen.
  • And in the living room.
  • And in her studio.
  • And anywhere else. What can we say? She’s got rhythm, and when she hears a good song, she can’t help but move. It’s a trait she passed on. Everyone dances at our house. Except Dad. Obviously, he was not so lucky to have Mom pass on that gene to him. It just doesn’t work that way.
  • She’s fun to sit on.  In fact, this is Reece’s favorite thing to do. I’m not positive that it’s Mom’s favorite thing, but she humors him. She even tells him he’s her favorite child. That is, of course, a lie. *I* am her favorite child.
  • She’s a rockstar. Especially after she gets her hair done. And yes, she can totally do the headbanging moves. If you’ve ever seen Alisha or Cassie, this is also a genetic trait.
  • She let us have cake on Sunday for breakfast when I was growing up. You know, so we’d look forward to Sundays. Since we couldn’t play outside or do other weekday sort of things, it was definitely a bonus. Sometimes we’d have ice cream instead of cake. And sometimes we’d have both. (And sometimes we still do that sort of thing. We love Sundays at our house.)
  • She’s an excellent painter. And she’s used us for models for a lot of her paintings. Except for Logan and Reece, who are not quite as beautiful as the rest of us. Or they just won’t hold still long enough. You be the judge.
  • She’ll stay up all night talking to us. Or she’ll stay up all night working on a project. She’s a night owl. I definitely did NOT get that gene. Samantha and Reece, on the other hand, definitely got it. Jealous.
  • She loves our Dad. Like crazy. We know, who wouldn’t?

You can see, there are all sorts of reasons that she’s the baddest bad apple. We could keep going, but we’d be at it all day. And since it’s Mother’s Day, we’re trying to spend a little bit of it with her. We love her. What more can we say?

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Apr 27

Reece’s Last Stand

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I totally took down Sam tonight. Okay, maybe bragging about taking down an 11 year old should be above me. “Should be” is the key phrase. We ARE almost the same height, if that makes any difference. But she’s fast – I was pretty proud of myself for catching her. We all played capture the flag tonight – Logan, Jessie, Reece, Wade, Sam, Cassie and I. It’s so nice having a family big enough to play a game like that. (And personally, I think the “little kids” are awfully lucky that they have such bad apple older siblings who are willing to play with them. “Little kids” is what we used to call Reece, Wade, Sam and Cassie. Now that Reece and Wade are both bigger than me – and the 2.0s are getting close! – it seems like it doesn’t really fit.)

Let me lay it out for you – Reece, Wade, and I versus Logan, Jessie and the 2.0s. We had a definite strategy on our team. (Of course, laying it out here might put us at a disadvantage for next time, but I’m pretty sure that they caught onto what we were doing.) Basically, I guarded OUR flag and the boys went after THEIR flag. And we captured their flag three times. It was when we varied from that strategy that we ran into problems. (It could have had something to do with the fact that Jessie wasn’t around for the first two games either, but Logan and the 2.0s should have been able to take us.)

You see, I’m not faster than Logan. Have you seen that man? What was I thinking? Of course, at the same time I was thinking that I could be faster than Logan, Wade also thought he was faster than Jessie. And most of the time Wade is. But somehow Jessie caught him. (Don’t worry Wade, I’m sure it was a fluke.)

Enter Reece’s last stand. Surprisingly enough, he lasted for quite awhile against the four of them while Wade and I watched. Finally I got up and took a few pictures – totally against the rules, but really, what were they going to do about it? He did look a little crazed by the time they were done with him. See his picture above if you don’t believe me. And see the rest of our pictures to see how much fun we all have together. (ALISHA, this is reason number 2491.)

PS – Notice that Sam and I ARE really close to the same height.

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Apr 23

I’m The Baddest Bad Apple

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We’re a tough looking bunch, aren’t we? Well let me tell you – I’m the baddest bad apple of them all. These two rough-and-ready rednecks follow MY lead. Why do you think I’m in the middle? (You might think it was so that I could look extra small – and you might be right – but work with me here.)

My brothers are some pretty bad apples themselves. Flat tire? Logan’s got it changed in five minutes. (This happened about a week ago.) Files to carry in? Reece meets me at the car when I pull in. (This is more of an everyday occurrence.) Ice water needs? Wade’s all over it. (I never even have to ask.) And no, you’re not missing Wade in this picture. He was inside working hard when we were outside (goofing off) working hard. We’ll get him to pose another time, I’m sure. If you can’t tell, the “poser” gene is alive and well in the Christensen family.

It’s so nice to be part of a family that LIKES each other. Reece said it best the other night when we were hanging out making up our own version of Nickelback songs until 11 o’clock at night. “We pretty much won the lottery when we were born. We got OUR family, we were born in America, and we’re members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” I agree. I’ve got everything I need right here. With all my bad apples.

PS – Ask Reece to sing for you sometime… he totally rocked his own version of Nickelback’s “Never Gonna Be Alone.” In all fairness though, you should really have Logan and Reece sing together. One of these days I’m going to record them when they’re not paying attention. Then I’ll blog about it – no reason to keep that all to myself!

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Apr 11

Well Good, He’s Not Blind

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The 2.0s, Cassie and Sam, take my dating life seriously. They feel like they should be a part of things. You know, just in case I don’t end up with someone they like. So they’ve been interviewing T2 regularly, asking all sorts of questions to make sure that he’s someone they wouldn’t mind having around.  They take notes and everything.

Yesterday, they conducted yet ANOTHER interview. I think this makes the third round. And don’t ask me – I don’t know how many more they’ve got in store for him. Thank goodness T2 is a great sport. Besides, the 2.0s ask some fantastic questions. It’s probably in MY best interest to let them keep interviewing him.

In yesterday’s interview, Cassie was particularly impressed. When she asked if T2 thought I was gorgeous, his response was that “Leila is MORE than gorgeous.” Cassie reported that to my brother Wade this morning. His response?

“Well GOOD, he’s not blind.”

I swear I have the world’s greatest brothers. And T2? Well, he’s a pretty great boyfriend.

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Mar 14

Happy Birthday Alisha

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Just kidding. Alisha’s birthday is November 30th. But that didn’t stop us from gathering around the table today to sing “Happy Birthday!” to her answering machine. Yes, really. We are sometimes crazy like that. We totally missed her (we miss her all the time, but we missed her extra today) and we thought that was the best way to let her know. Thinking about it though, it was probably not the best idea. After all, she might think that we don’t remember when her birthday actually is. Oops.  She’s been busy compiling reasons NOT to move to Missouri – this CANNOT count as one of them (I can just see her now – Reason No. 1285: my family does not remember my birthday), and here are a few reasons that she SHOULD move to Missouri. (Contributed by the family, still sitting around the table after singing “Happy Birthday!”)

  • Cassie will give you a puppy. Dad will throw in a full-grown dog.
  • Wade will sing “Happy Birthday!” to you every day.
  • You could camp on Mom & Dad’s couch and save money for a down payment for your Victorian House – Dad says you could get one for around $400 a month! You could maybe even skip the camping out on the couch with all the programs to try and get people in houses.
  • Free food on the weekends (per Mom).  No, she is not committing to weekdays.
  • Reece. Is. Here.
  • We can sing together – no one plays the guitar as well as you.
  • Cassie will do your chores.
  • Sam will paint your nails.
  • We love you.

Just promise you’ll think about it. Because we miss you. And Happy Birthday!

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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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