A Thankful Heart

Growing up we had 2 crab apple trees in the front yard, and in the spring, the blossoms look like this.

I am feeling an overwhelming amount of gratitude right now for the people in my life. There are many who support, encourage and enrich my life in so many different ways, and today I am especially thankful for my family.

Jilly - for doing jobs around the house (even the extra ones since Mallory is gone) WITHOUT being asked & with a joyful spirit

Mallory - for embracing her new adventure with an open heart & sharing it with us

Jana & Jenny - for watching Mallory while Peter, Jilly & I were in CA and for watching Jilly while Peter & I head to Calgary next weekend

Carrie - for spending the day with Jilly . . . just because

Mike - for giving up his Friday night to help put up the new cabinets

Jeff - for giving up his Friday night (and many others) to help us with our kitchen

Mom - for making dinner not once, not twice, but 3 times this week

Peter - for being my rock & comforter when we left Mallory in Florida & for tirelessly working on the kitchen

It's been 2 1/2 years since we moved back to Colorado, and I am reminded over and over how fortunate I am to have a family that demonstrates "love in action".

Missing Mallory

Most of the Haiti Orphanage team on their first day of Boot Camp
Meal trays
Making the team banner/sign

Hope this was just to show what "could" happen not what actually did happen

It hasn't even been a week yet since we dropped Mallory off at Teen Missions, and I miss her already. She is doing fine, I know. We even have pictures from TMI's website to prove it, but it's oh, so very quiet in the house. I love hearing her thoughts on absoultely everything and the way she so eagerly embraces life and people. I hope her team loves those things too!

Fabulous in Florida

the view from our deck - just before an afternoon storm
Epcot (Japan)

Mom & the girliesDaddy & the girlies

Roberto's Little Havana (Cuban restaurant at Cocoa Beach)

We were thinking that with Mallory away for most of the summer we might not get to have a family vacation, but by then end of the summer, we will actually get 2!!! We are spending the week at the beach (Mallory's favorite place in the world - followed closely by the mall) in Florida before we drop Mallory off at Teen Missions. It has been a week of mostly just relaxing and being together.

Just some of the things in our week:

*sleeping in (at least Mallory & I)

* swimming at the pool

* a day at the beach w/ the Hopkins

* cold beer & red wine on the deck

* cigars (that would be Peter)

* Epcot

* shopping (Peter says we "conquer the mall" on our holidays.)

* yummy food - Indian, Aussie brekky, Morraccan, Cuban & Sushi

* jet skiing

* reading

* going to Ron Jon Surf Shop

* seeing dolphins swimming in the ocean

* the ocean-front view from the deck on our unit

* afternoon thunderstorm
* watching Friday Night Lights Season 3 w/ Mallory

I LOVE HOLIDAYS!!!

Where has May gone?

Mallory w/ Angie & Julia
Mallory's Spring Choir Concert (notice the 60s theme)

Piano Recital

We had our first Pinkberry - YUM!!!

A day in LA - Memorial Weekend

Cal Cup Field Hockey Tournament w/ Jillian - Memorial Weekend (Thousand Oaks, CA)

Mallory stayed home w/ Auntie Jana, Auntie Jenny & Grammie

My last day in Mrs. Wiebe's 1st grade classroom at Westridge Elementary. I LOVED being in her classroom and learned so much from her. She is awesome!

With Hilary, Lisa & Desi - Jillian's 6th Grade Continuation at Westridge Elementary

With her BFF Lisa

With Mrs. Park & Mrs. Corbett (her favorite teacher)

She saved for a set of acrylic nails. You can't see them, but her toes match.

With Hilary

We have had quite the whirlwind of activity at the Christensen house with kitchen renovations, holidays, recitals, concerts, continuation & family events. The past few weeks have flown by. Thank goodness I have pictures to help remember it all.

The End of a Season

A Long Overdue Sleepover

painting grammie's nails - each one a different color
cool chicks in cool sunnies
the beauties - annelise, mallory, lexie & jilly haley & kaitlyn w/ bruce & kyoko
jilly & annelise

mallory & annelise

My brother Jason and his family have been stationed in Germany for the past 5 years and will be moving to Washington as he heads up the ROTC program at Pacific Lutheran College. They have traveled from New York across the US this past month visiting family and friends along the way. This is the first time I've seen Jason since Christmas '03, and this will be the first time in 8 years that ALL 8 of the Shrader children and their families are living in the same country at the same time.

It has been a long time since we've had a sleepover with Annelise and Kaitlyn, so yesterday, my sister Jenny and I took Annelise & Kaitlyn, Lexie & Haley (Jana's girls) & Mallory & Jillian shopping for the afternoon, ate dinner at Chili's, painted nails and all of the girls slept on the floor of our family room talking and watching movies until early in the morning. For breakfast Jenny made Swedish pancakes (my grandma would always make them for us when we slept over at her house) for all of us - plus Grammie, Uncle Jon & all the parents who came in the morning to join us.

It was so much fun, and I am so thankful to have the opportunity to have these moments with my girls and my nieces. So I hope it doesn't sound selfish when I say that I wish Washington was closer.