2016 in Review

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  Here's a short summary of what happened to our family in 2016.

The New Year started off with me, Cliff, Elizabeth, and Catherine staying up until midnight to watch the fireworks.  We made cookies at midnight, the best cookies so far this year!

I finally get a calling: teaching gospel doctrine.

Cliff runs the Rebel Challenge again at Disneyland.  This time I joined him for a fun day at Disney California.

Genevieve turns one! We had a small Sesame Street party with monster cupcakes.  Her favorite part was when her sisters were laughing at her while she opened presents.

Lexa turns five and has a great Superhero birthday with a 3 layer superhero cake.  She was super excited and everyone had a super fun time.

Elizabeth went to Sea Camp in San Diego with her 5^th grade class and then Activity Day Camp and then had a Tea-riffic birthday party all in the space of four days.  She is now the ripe old age of 11.

Grandma and Grandpa took the four oldest to the cabin for part of Spring Break.  Cliff and I got lots of sleep.

Our ward boundaries shift and we are moved into a new ward.  Catherine is sad because it was almost her turn to teach her class.  Elizabeth is sad because she’ll miss her friends.  The rest of us don’t care too much one way or the other.  On the first Sunday, I was impressed by the Primary Presidency.  They had already made new signs so everyone knew where to go.

Catherine and Lexa do a wonderful job in their dance recitals.  Lexa tap-danced to “It’s My Party” and Catherine’s ballet piece was to “Earth Angel”.

We attended the Don & Zona family reunion for the 4^th of July.  It was a great weekend!

Catherine turns 8 with a Candyland themed birthday.  She then got her ears pierced with hardly a sound and no tears!

Catherine was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  The baptism was wonderful, especially with so many family members there!

Roadtrip for me and my mom as we attend the Utah Shakespeare Festival with Suzanne.  We saw “Mary Poppins” and “Murder for Two” which were both musicals and both very good.

Cliff and I went up to the cabin for Labor Day weekend by ourselves.  And Mom and Dad.  And Marianne and her family and Nathan’s brother and his family.  At least part of the weekend was relaxing.

I turn 41.  No huge birthday celebration, but my parents made it special with a lunch date, balloons and presents.

Four of our girls are in the Primary Program at church!  Elizabeth wanted a party afterwards because it was her last program.

Catherine makes it into her elementary school’s choir!  She worked hard practicing her audition piece, “America the Beautiful”.

Cliff’s brother Jeff and his parents are driven from their house by a fire!  His parents come live with us, using Genevieve’s room as their own and Genevieve moves to the toy room.

Elizabeth makes it into her middle school’s Show Choir, one of only two 6^th graders to do so!  The choir is planning a trip to New York City in April.

Cliff’s mom moves in with an old friend who needs at home care for a short while.  Her friend passed away within a week.

Grandpa Christensen takes most of Team Gene on a trip to Disneyland.  Lexa has the most fun.  She had a princess makeover, screamed on the rollercoaster, and watched the parade.  I think Disneyland is the most fun for 5-year-olds.

Cliff’s parents move to Phoenix to stay with some relatives.  Genevieve is happy to have her room back!

Cliff completes the Infinity Gauntlet challenge at Disneyland.  We both had a nice relaxing time hanging out in California by ourselves.

I won tickets to my company holiday party along with a night’s stay at the hotel.  Yay!  Free staycation!  Unfortunately I have the stomach flu that day and could only sip my drink as Cliff ate for both of us.  Our hotel room was on the top, the 29^th floor.

For Cliff’s 44^th birthday, we bought a new house!  It’s only about 2 miles for where we are living now, but it is bigger with a great backyard.  The girls are already looking forward to picking paint for their rooms.

Elizabeth had the best reaction to a Christmas present when she jumped and screamed about receiving a doll-sized sewing machine.  Genevieve also had fun opening presents, so much that she opened a few that weren't for her.

Mom and Dad took our four oldest girls to Utah to visit cousins.  While they were gone, Cliff and I went shopping, went shopping, and watched Rogue One.  We bought a new washer, dryer and microwave for the new house.

The beginning of next year will be full of new house things, but also Elizabeth with be going to Young Women's, we'll have a trip to New York, and Genevieve will move to a toddler bed instead of a crib.  Hopefully 2017 will be just as wonderful as 2016!