The Countdown

I was sitting in the kitchen yesterday and Tess was making fun of me because I don't talk too much on my blog about going on a mission. I am leaving in 3 days, so I will now explain to you my thoughts on said subject :)
In my first Stake President Interview, Pres Taggart told me that I need to continue my life "as normal" until I leave. (Sisters are a bit different than Elders in that respect... They try to push you into marriage till the night you're set apart). Of course it hasn't been "normal", but I have continued traveling, working, dating, etc., and it has been a great few months. I have learned and grown in leaps. It is such a rare time of life because I haven't really been starting anything new (such as jobs, looking for cars, finding bands, researching schools, all that jazz), and I've had this time to focus on what the Lord wants for my life. How awesome.
Last week was a little crazy. Mom and dad were gone, the rest of the fam came for the weekend, and I seriously lost my head. Not in a crazyperson way, but in a numb way. I have mission brain, which is a lot like pregnant brain, minus the extra weight and cravings :) I'll admit, at this point my bags are still not packed. My room is mostly packed... If my neatherlands weren't asleep from sitting on this floor right now I would stand up and take a picture. But alas I am very numb in that area, so no pics today.
Anyway, back to my lost noggin... People keep asking me about my emotions. Am I excited? Nervous? Prepared? ...... What are those things? I don't think I am any of those things. I can't wait to get out of here! What else? I guess I could say I am excited... But I'm not losing sleep or bouncing off the walls, I am just so happy to be where I am and I am looking forward to the experiences I will have. I don't know how to be nervous. I don't know if anyone is ever "prepared". But I have done what I can.

Welp, that train of though has left the station. Check out my sidebar for my address and send me something funny :) I like funny stuff.

Later! 

Hawaii Videos... AHOOHA!

Hawaii pic picks

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Hawaii... Sigh. 

The Bros

Saggy buns

And of course the inevitable stolen camera shot

I love 'em and miss 'em. Lots.

Mahalo for the adventures

I have been putting off blogging about Hawaii because there is SO MUCH to say and show, but you'll probly all think it's boring and I hate being boring. But you know what? If you're bored, don't read it! IN YO FACE!

I was particularly lucky to be able to have a different Hawaiian experience than most peeps. It was vacation mixed with real life. Mmmm savory :) Seriously.

The night I got there Amy suggested we go watch the BYU Seasiders basketball game, and I'm a Christensen, so of course I'd rather stay home and watch Hulu. But every time Amy talks me into these things, I end up getting super into it and I never want to leave. I guess I'm part Hale too, thanks Ame!

It is amazing to me how these kids have learned to be so incredibly entertaining.

Somehow Sam ended up in his second home, the hospital, and while we were waiting in the car the girls decided to go... pee. In the woods. If we were in Redmond, these kids would probly be in kidjail. But I think Hawaiian kids get a high five when they piddle in the weeds.

Jones missed the weedpee memo. Lucky.

 

Hello hospital

By the end of the week, we were all snorkeling pros. And I pretended to be a kid, which I'm kind of crazy good at. Weird.

One time it was crazy windy, and JJ sat like this for a good 20 minutes. Smart.

Remember how I said the kids got way creative? My own bed was lucky enough to be a part of this "fort". What you are missing in this picture is that 17 seconds earlier my ever-thinning personal bubble was completely popped by about 2420391375 barreling pillows in my direction, complements of the naked white sneaky ninja demons.

Last summer Aunt Beth showed me the art of sand carving (is there a classier name?), and the kiddos thought it was the best.

 

We do live burials in this fam. 

One afternoon was spent at the uber impressive Polynesian Culture Center. It rained a bit, but we made some nice friends! They were brown. And big. And muscle-ee. JUST FRIENDS!

The Luau.

We are the Christensens. We drink from Pineapples.

 

They were kinda hot. 

The kids temperatures, not the guys. 

I'm going on a mission in 10 days, you really think I still have an eye for hunks!? That's against the rules anywhere close to BYU. (And they wonder why I don't go to BYU?).

Oh hey, this is just us at Hanauma Bay. It was dope. 

(Tess, please hold your comments about me looking like a frumpy mom who hasn't showered for days. I am not a mom. I did actually wash my hair WITH SHAMPOO at least once that week. I was the only one on the island using shampoo. And my shower was outside. Also amazing).

Oops, repeat picture. I'm too lazy to delete it, so you get to enjoy it twice! Nom nom nom.

Cute Sethie on his first day of school at BYU... Presh! I tried to find words for that shirt all week, but alas, none have come. still.
(This is after he randomly proclaimed during breakfast, "I love myself today!". He swears that's not what he said, but I have ears like a hawk. Hawks have good ears right?)

 

Shaved Ice... Yes please. 

Then one time I had to leave Hawaii, and the ninjas attacked again.

This is Jake holding my cheeks and giving me smooches. He held on tight.

Kissy face!

I've never loved being attacked as much as I did that day. 

Then I cried all the way home. (I cried because I'm not going to see these guys for probly 19 months. I also cried because I got straight out of the ocean and into my jeans and onto a plane, and half the beach hitchhiked to Utah in my various bodily cracks. I guess you could call it exfoliating.)

Love you guys :)

(But I promise I did actually go HOME. Like, to Utah. It was a tough nut to bite. But it's 70 degrees, weeeeee!)

Saint Bethanie

I have this little issue where I need to have plans to be going somewhere or I simply lay down and die. I haven't died yet, and I continue to get better at making plans all the time! I felt like going home from Seattle would be too sudden and scary, so from there I went straight to Southern California.

The flight from Seattle to CA is incredible. This is Mount Rainier from 37,000 feet. STUNNA.

This is Lake Tahoe. Vur pretty. 

My cutie Auntie (known to me as Saint Bethanie) picked me up, and it was seriously HOT outside. I wore a sweater that morning, and was instantly drenched in the humidity my own talented body provided. Oh, it was also my birthday. Birthday sweat! 

We went to dinner at this awesome mexi place, and... it was just so tasty. And hot outside. And sweaty. 

Goodbye 20!

The next morning I woke up to these...

And these! BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENTS EVER!!!! 

 Beth and I headed to the beach. This feeling is overwheling to me. My chubby piggy toes are happiest in the sand.

None of my piggy toes protest watching shirtless men play volleyball either. I trained them well.

We went to Huntington and took a walk down the pier. I hadn't been there since I was a wittle piggy. 

We ate lots of tasty greasy food at Ruby's.

Then this saintly woman made Molten Lava Cake... my face was molten with delight after partaking of the goodness. 

Luv my cousins :)

Helloooo pool and palm trees and the sun.... I hadn't seen any of these for so very long. My piggy toes didn't protest this either. 

 For some reason it has always been tradition in my family to visit the tide pools in Laguna Beach on Sunday.

 I think the clams are gathering for General Conference. (I don't think they are clams. But clam is a word related to the ocean, and I'm from the desert and don't really get the differences in all these creatures, so we are just going to call them clams. Close enough! I know they aren't flying fish, so you can high five me for that one).

 Finding creatures in the rocks...

Got Hawt?

Something I realized more fully on this trip is that Saint Bethanie is a total gourmont. Everything she cooks is amazing and pretty and tasty and awesome. Check out this pizza. Exquisite. 

On my last day Beth, PK and I went down to San Clemente and walked down their little pier there. This old brittish chap had just caught this bat ray. Poor buddy. Oh well. Now he's with friends. 

Of course it wouldn't be a trip to Beth's without Potato Tacos! Oh man. SO GOOD. I ate it like it's hot. 

Then Beth drove me to LAX, and we seriously bawled, and it was sad, and I shan't see her for a while, but it was fun to hang out and get spoiled for a few days :)

LOVE YOU, KLOEPFERS!!! THANKS SO MUCH THE MOST!!!