Vision

Strife, whimsy, brilliance, absurdity - do not even begin to describe the needs, experiences and outlook of the incredibly diverse, challenging and delightfully refreshing individuals I taught recently!

What a privilege it was to cover a myriad of subjects engaging students at the college in discussions which ripped them out of their comfort zones, compelled them to analyze their core beliefs, evaluate their possibilities and recognize their individual potential, dreams, goals and very reason for being! It was a most rewarding experience indeed!

Leadership skills training for leaders in the making though some may struggle and loose site of their passion due to the heartaches and wounds they suffer daily. Society sometimes does not place a precedence on nurturing our nations precious youth. This country's success, or lack thereof, will be based on that which is achieved within each home by parents who seek to influence their children for good! As a beloved prophet once said, "There is no success which compensates for failure in the home."

Old School

From back in the day around age 30 - yup over the hill Barbie and mid-life crisis Ken are still rockin' & rollin' !

An exciting new year ahead in 2010!

It's time to rock and roll into a new year! Many exciting plans on the horizon (self, family & business) ... look out 2010!

Christmas 2009 pictures

Was such a delight having our entire family home for the holidays! We enjoyed merriment & mayhem from dawn until dusk creating some wonderful memories together!

Christeson Family Holiday Newsletter 2009

CHRISTESON FAMILY HOLIDAY NEWSLETTER Vol 22 - 2009

INSANITY BECOMES YOU … “Oh my goodness - I loved it! A brilliant piece exhibiting a woman spinning wildly out of control into psychosis!” … This was my comment to Ashley regarding a piece of fiction I had read written by Sylvia Plath BUT it could have defined ME!!!!

I wish I had both time and strength to attempt to write my yearly holiday news letter for you in my regular bizarre but clever format but life these last two years has spun wildly but deliciously out of control! As such you will have to settle for our Christeson craziness in a nut shell; a simple, but informative, synopsis of the life of our family during the course of the year. I am working on one of my manuscripts in hope of publication by this time next year (keep in mind this is a target goal) so please cut me a break, at least for now, and I promise to drive y’all nuts in 2010 as I return to my regular, zany writing style. In the mean time this is where we are, where we have been and where we are going … NUTS that is!

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS – except that one where you fly it never ends well … Cam has experienced life’s hills and valleys due to the challenges tied to being a stressed out, stretched thin, sleep deprived student. He also currently works at a local call center pulling his hair out as the deals with customer complaints day in and day out, however, he will be graduating from Utah Valley University in April with a degree in International Business and is eager to finally see a light at the end of the undergrad educational tunnel. Now on to an eagerly anticipated job search within his field and grad school after taking a break from books, exams and extensive group projects :)

JINGLE JANGLE … Up coming holiday fun we are planning for our four kidlets: Jon has tickets to a Pens game in the Igloo section; I am planning a zany scavenger hunt by car, out door ice skating at PPG place (simply magical), a drive through Heartwood Acres to see all of the themed Christmas lights in the woods. Cookie & pie baking and candy making, a $10 bucks you’re it shopping spree (we draw names and with only ten bucks whomever finds the most creative or comical Christmas gift within the designated time frame wins!) We will also be preparing to be another family’s surprise secret Santa to help brighten their holiday. We may take a trip to the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum for fun and adventure (even adults think the museum rocks), story time with scones and hot cocoa (as we love to read to one another from our extensive Christmas book collection). Board games, our Charades marathon, making a zany family video to post on You Tube, dining out and about at a couple of Pittsburgh’s many hundreds of non chain-related restaurants like Fule & Fuddle & The Old Stone Wall Castle and this does not even begin to entail our traditional Christmas Eve Family Home Evening, feast and festivities. Yup, we’ve got a lot to whoop and holler about from the moment the kids hit the Pittsburgh tarmac! I LOVE the holidays

NO PAIN NO GAIN … Spring semester Ashley had to leave IUP to return home for hip surgery due to a congenital problem which has plagued her since she was a child. After years of various treatments, physical therapy and differing diagnoses we finally found an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in arthroscopic surgery who diagnosed the problem precisely. She survived the ordeal including many weeks of physical therapy at which time she enrolled at Penn State University where she is working on her generals leading to a degree in elementary education with a minor in psychology. She has proudly been on the Dean’s List at school and thoroughly enjoys her many new friendships and activities all the while juggling school along with her job at Longwood as a food server with a smile!

HYMNS – THE ORIGINAL SOUL MUSIC … Ashley enjoyed performing in the college musical ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ (Feed me Seymour!) using that dynamite voice of hers. Acting and dancing along with the cast, bringing the house down in laughter and mayhem; but alas her hip has unfortunately continued to be the bane of her existence through it all! Michael was the percussionist in the pit which was fun for them to be working on the same musical production together. In addition, her first calling in the Church, as a young adult, is that of our ward Primary chorister. Ash simply adores working with the children and teaching them through her love of music. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Primary children as well as all adults and youth throughout the world follow an identical curriculum from week to week focusing on doctrine and music taught each Sabbath day. The LDS church sets a precedence in how exceedingly organized and inspirational all church meetings, classes and activities are designed and implemented no matter where you attend church throughout the world. Great precedence is placed on music, in our meeting house alone we have four pianos, one of which is the grand piano in the chapel and an organ; this is true to form in most every LDS ward around the world. The Primary auxiliary (for children) is happy, fun and inspirational; Ash loves preparing each week looking forward to working with the children, teachers and leaders of that organization.

AN EVENING IN PARIS … In September Ashley became engaged to Michael Loew, her high school sweetheart! (She is now a sophomore in college) We have known and loved Mica for several years now and watched as the two of them have grown and matured weathering the ups and downs of teenage drama finally arriving at a very happy, more mature young adult plane in life. (Just stab me in the eye with a fork, haha, just a little of my own mama drama. YIKES! ). Michael our intensely devoted, loveable second son joined the Church two years ago and is working on his degree as well; he is also an exceptional singer and percussionist. Michael’s grandfather invited Mica and Ash to travel with him to France where our two kidlets spent an incredible week in Paris. It was Ashley’s dream come true due to her love of the culture, language, art, architecture, cuisine, and history; she speaks the language beautifully. Mica decided he may never have an opportunity quite like this again so he proposed to Ashley while on the Eiffel Tower! They spent their time touring as many museums and historical sites as possible and even enjoyed a day at Disneyland Paris. Ash and Mica do not plan to marry for at least another year and a half as they continue their studies and formulate a solid game plan to begin their life together; but in the mean time mom and daughter look forward to planning the big event which will be in Salt Lake!

VEGAS SCHMEGAS … This past spring Ashley, Mica and I flew to Las Vegas to meet up with Cam or some fun in the sun! We had a riot staying off the strip at the Golden Nugget hotel where they have a gigantic, exotic fish aquarium smack dab in center of the swimming pool with a Plexiglas water slide which runs through the center while sharks circle about! We had fun on the strip and riding the New York New York roller coaster as well as hanging out on Freemont Street at night for the unique light show. We even got to spend some time with our niece and nephew Whitney and Kirk along with Jon’s sister Kathy, Curtis and grandma Bev; it was lovely to see everyone! From there Cam drove all of us to Utah so that we could spend time with grandma and meet up with additional Christeson nieces and nephews: Delanie, Brooke, Kolten, Beau, Jed & Lexi as well as uncle Kurt and we also enjoyed visiting with aunts and uncles Malc & Sharon, Dallen & Joan, Duane & Barbara and many cousins on the Beck side of our family. We hosted a lovely party and program for grandma wherein Cam accompanied Ashley on his guitar as she sang a song he had composed and then Ash and Mica also performed for everyone in attendance. Though they love singing pop and rock it was their a cappella version of ‘I Believe in Christ’ which is most tender and moving. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Utah; it was Mica’s first trip out west so he was mesmerized with the Nevada desert and mountainous Utah. We were able to take him to visit Temple Square in Salt Lake and other local points of interest; as a convert of two years he loved this! I also enjoyed visiting with our dear friends Myra & Gregg as well and staying with Uncle Malc and Aunt Sharon who are always so gracious! FYI In & Out is not our fave haha but the Purple Turtle still rocks.

M-I-C-K-E-Y … In July Jon and I planned a trip to Disneyworld in Orlando and took Ash and Mica along for the ride. They wanted to audition for American Idol and though they each have remarkable vocal talent they crashed and burned in the auditions though they felt overall the experience was interesting and insightful. We all had a blast at the various theme parks once again and meeting up with dear friends Pam and Joe who now live in the area was delightful! Favorites: zipping from fast pass to fast pass on my scooter, Rice Krispie treats shaped like Mickey heads, Aerosmith Rockin’ Rollercoaster, Cinderella castle bathed in pink, having Sergeant Jon as our daily tour guide haha & Tink! However, we hated that it poured buckets of rain mid July on and off every day, it was bizarre; lots of fun in spite though

CACTUS PETE … Jon remains very busy with US Steel enjoying his work and always sharing interesting or comical stories about the week’s events negotiating with companies throughout the world and dealing with on going commodity crisis. He traveled to NYC on business WITHOUT ME – that will never happen again! Haha. In the fall, however, we spent a week and half in Phoenix for Jon to attend his annual Ferro alloys conference and looking at sublimely decorated new homes from sun up to sun down in diverse communities for future retirement. We had a riot in Phoenix and though we did not have time to meet up with a number of friends and family in the area on this particular trip we were at least able to enjoy a breakfast with dear friends Phil and Anita. We went slumming dining on delicious Mexican food from a questionable, hole in the wall restaurant minus the switch blades lol to enjoying fine dining night after night with several of Jon’s vendors; just don’t ask him about the Mr. Bubble in the Jacuzzi fiasco?! I poured an entire box in forgetting that once the jets were turned on we would find ourselves in an ‘I Love Lucy’ moment with bubbles exploding everywhere!! I razzed him that it was like walking around the resort with a Mafia boss due to everyone knowing him &/or wishing to seek him out for private meetings haha. All in all we enjoyed a magnificent trip and look forward to the day we can relocate to the warm, sunny environment.

PRAYER – the worlds greatest wireless connection … Jon and I also keep busy with our church callings; Jon currently serves as the Teacher Development instructor and I am serving as the Gospel Doctrine instructor. We both enjoy our callings immensely and are challenged to dig deep, study the scriptures and prepare and present lessons which teach correct principles and doctrine. In addition, I continue to keep very busy with my company Christeson & Associates promoting my unique style of training for diverse businesses and industries. I meet so many delightful people and enjoy attempting to educate, motivate and inspire them all the while using a great deal of humor and crazy-fun activities and teaching methods in the process.

Note: The day after Thanksgiving found me in horrific pain once again; I ended up in the hospital for ten days, oddly was released due to improvement (but no diagnosis) and within hours returned by ambulance which resulted in an emergency surgery. FINALLY the culprit responsible for several years of trips to the hospital and a great deal of suffering was determined – gall bladder! Blessed is all that I can say; and an even deeper appreciation for my husband, our relationship (story in and of itself) and for my Savior in whom I felt so prominently by my side through the fear, anxiety and sickness. When you are hanging by a thread in the abyss of illness it is humbling how the Lord never lets go – not for an instant! Many heartfelt thanks to all of you who kept us in your thoughts and prayers! Now its time to play catch up and hopefully still pull off the magical Christmas I had envisioned for my family if I can just get my strength back.

With all of this being said may I propose that you now cozy in, hunker down and feel free to keep up with our comings and goings, as well as see many of the family photos I post on our family blog at http://beccashenanigans.blogspot.com (or Google my name if you have difficulty accessing the blog and link on to it from there). Also catch me on Face Book, or at www.trainingwithatwist.com The wild and crazy blessings of technology, correct?!

There now, that should just about wet your whistle until you hear from us again!

HOME OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE … May God continue to bless you, our troops, and may God bless America! Passionately INHALE life and EXHALE gratefulness! ©

Jon, Rebecca, Cameron, Ashley, & Missy Belle Buttons :)

Christeson Family Holiday Newsletter PHOTOS 2009

2009 photos = Christeson Family Holiday Newsletter

New website: www.trainingwithatwist.com

Christeson & Associates has a new website. Visit us at www.trainingwithatwist.com