Let's hear it for the girl!

Happy first Birthday Lucia Davina! I got an email from babycenter with, "Your toddler this week," in the subject line. Really? At one year they are trying to throw you into the toddler realm? Just because you happen to toddle? I beg to differ. You are my little teeny tiny baby. I really do wish I could freeze time. I love your sweet angel face more than just about anything in this life.

Lucy's little shin-dig was a hit! Everything went great, except her banana cream pie... which she loathed beyond all description. I tried to put just a little in her mouth so she could at least know what it was before rejecting it completely but it just made her even more fiery hot with anger. She hated the messy whipped cream on her fingers. Truly a little lady.

She was surrounded by many who adore her. Thank you family to all who were there!! We had cake and custard and pizza and presents and then I had all 30 of our guests watch the birthing video. I could really feel how much watching it bonded the group together. (haha. We didn't really watch the video.)

And a little something for history's sake:

• Lucy loves giving open mouth kisses on the cheek, and gives them now upon request (which means you will hear, "Can I have a kiss?" about 1200 times on any given day at our house).
• She doesn't just "walk", but now cruises at a pretty impressive pace, arms straight up in the air, right arm always raised slightly higher than the left.
• She gets into EVERYTHING, cupboards, drawers... pulls every last item out of every single purse/bag in the vicinity.
• She loves LOVES her baby doll and walks around with it all day.
• Is obsessed with peek-a-boo. Still!
• Says "mama","dadda", and "hi" indiscriminately (meaning we are still not sure she knows what she is saying).
• Screams/shrieks the highest pitch shrieking you have ever heard (terradactyl style) for no real reason, mostly just out of excitement for life. She also grunts and sighs a lot to communicate. And she laughs so so much. She laughs all day long. She thinks I'm pretty funny.
• She is unbelievably social and friendly. She walks around all day at church just holding her arms up (signaling the "pick me up") to people she doesn't know. Makes friends easy I guess.
• Only nurses for a few minutes in the morning and a few minutes at night. I really don't feel the angst to be done nursing like most. I could keep going for a long time. But, I'm pretty much following her lead and so I guess that means we are on our way to weaning. Sorta makes me sad.
• Falls asleep on her own now. I never felt anxiety to make this happen. I've always sang to her and rocked her to sleep, and have absolutely loved it so it sorta makes me sad, too. :(
• Sleeps at night from about 8:30 pm 'til 7:30 am, and still takes 2 full naps (thank goodness); usually from about 10 until noon and again from 3 til 4:30 or so. A good little snoozer.
• Drinks out of her sippy cup like it's a flask of liquor. Just throws it back.

I don't remember what life was like without you Luce! I can't believe you graced us with your presence just one short year ago. How very, very lucky I am to be your mother. We won't even get started on what you've done to your dad. He is so in love. Happy Birthday little sis!

The Wild, Wild West.

Yes folks, the time you've been waiting for finally arrived.  We had the annual Christensen Family retreat (appropriately named, "The Christensen Connection") this past week and it did not disappoint.  Jason, Lucy and I spent the 4th of July in Idaho Falls with my parents and then we headed north for a full week of fun and sun in the fresh mountain air with Jason's side of the fam.  This year we stayed in Ashton, Idaho and went all through Island Park and Yellowstone.  Being from Idaho myself, I, naturally, was the family authority on the native plants, wildlife and local Indian tribes.  On more than one occasion, by simply licking my finger and holding it into the air, I was able to pick up the scent of an approaching predator and usher all 30 of us to safety.  It's amazing how my primal instincts come rushing back so quickly once I am really in my element.  Another week in that wilderness and I would have been down to my loin cloth again.  Those city slickers would have seriously wasted away without me. 

 Anyway, have you seen Dan in Real Life?  That's pretty much our Christensen side.  Hilarious.  Family get-togethers often include water balloon fights and/or water balloon volleyball, skits and talent shows, group singing, late night 80s movie nights and late night heart-to-heart talks, occasional drama with sleeping arrangements, lots of people losing things followed by search missions and modern day miracles, (I won't tell you the whole story but let's just say I did lose our camera and we all did look for a long period of time and I did say an earnest prayer and Jason did miraculously spot a woman 30 feet away from us amongst a sea of people, while it was raining, carrying it in her hand, we did retrieve it and I did ugly-face-cry for a long time afterward) and an unbelievable amount of food... oh and about 5,000 pictures.  Jason is one of 7 and all of his siblings were there along with their families to join in the hoorah.  

Here we all are setting off for Mesa Falls.

Let's take a closer look at the Pap-in-law, catching just a lick of that fountain water being sprayed in his direction.

Lucy thought those stairs were a rollercoster! Yes!! She high fived me once we reached the bottom, pretty much the same thing she did when we took her to six flags.

Mesa Falls...

Daddy and Lucy Dirt. (sister to Joe)

Right before snapping this I said, "Lucy! Do mommy's face on this trip!" She does such good impersonations.

Sweet cousins

Lucy was very much at one with the bears.  That's why we are renaming her "Stands-with-a-fist -next-to-her-brother-bears".  She is a fierce little warrior.

Lucy has become a bit of an awkward kisser.  She always goes for the open mouth and always plants it when we are least expecting.  Worse than Kiptyn and Jillian.

Our brother-in-law (and dentist), "water skiing" while the raft clipped along at a smooth .3 mph.  If any of you are looking for a dentist, here's your man!

Hooray for Yellowstone! Hooray for waterfalls and geysers!  Hooray for smelling like rotten eggs all day!  Hooray for the Christensen Connection!  Can't wait 'til next time!