Becca’s Shenanigans

Zany Christeson Family Holiday Newsletter – Telling it like it is!

Volume 23 - Copyright © 2010

The tree lights dazzle, the hot cocoa soothes, the music softly penetrates the silence; how blessed to be in a warm, cozy home away from the piercing, cold snow swirling about ... she eagerly awaits her families return.

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Message to Ash at the close of 2009 …. You’re 19 and every 19 years a blue moon occurs! A blue moon is actually the occurrence of a full moon appearing twice in one month; obviously a rare occurrence hence the song Blue Moon and the saying "It only happens in a blue moon." My gift to you, dear daughter who is a rare find in and of yourself, for the coming year is the magical, blue moon I sent your way last night for New Years Eve xoxo Mom

Fast forward … Another year has now passed and it will soon be New Year’s Eve 2010; some of the incredible, challenging, trying and/or joyful things that have happened to Ashley, as well as with the rest of us, throughout the year include … (Note: no time to write this letter in my usual quirky fashion. As always my letter is actually written specifically for my family as an addition to our compiled family history and then shared with all of you as our yearly update; this is not meant to appear as a brag fest but rather as an informational narrative.)

Ashley babe - You are now taking some upper level division classes at Penn State University earning a duel degree/certification in elementary education and secondary English and you passed your Praxis exams with flying colors! You have been on the Dean’s list several times and nominated for Who’s Who among Students in America. You have been selected as an Orientation Leader, CAB member enjoying many leadership experiences and activities and are the selected resident performer of the National Anthem for commencement exercises. You have also completed 150+ hours of student observation & assisting at an elementary and senior high school, received the female lead role in PSU’s Frankenstein the musical literally mesmerizing audiences with your incredible voice of both depth and range; in addition you have chaired the winter formal working your tail off planning and implementing the masquerade ball and ended the year performing with Michael’s band, your daddy at the ward Christmas party and in A Charlie Brown Christmas on stage at PSU.

You’ve also continued working for over three years part time as a food server, and as a nanny for a few months using you skills in situational education with the children as well as continue to serve as ward Primary chorister; it goes without saying the children adore you as much as you do them! In addition, your living quarters look like a cyclone hit, you’ve wrecked the car, stalked the lead singer from one of your favorite bands while we were in southern California and, had a few melt downs due to all of the stress of being a blazing your trails young adult; all of which goes with the territory for someone as motivated and driven as you are. However, with all of your comings and goings you and Michael enjoy your down time together, combined performances, study time and church.

Mica who also received a lead role in Frankenstein singing killer duets with you, was also an adorable Lynas in Charlie Brown, enjoys performing in his two bands one as the drummer the other as lead vocalist, is working diligently at school and at his part time job as a sales associate, and serving as a Sunday School teacher for teens at church. Ash, you also find time to make an appearance each week for our fabulous Sunday dinners and chit-chat session with your phantom family and shower Missy Belle Buttons with mammoth amounts of affection! All in all I think you’ve had one incredible “blue moon” of year baby doll :) … You brighten our days with your love and energy and as I’ve always stated your ability to live life at the speed of light is both admirable and contagious!

Cam the man - Do you ever stop long enough to take a breath, sip a soda or lie on your back to count the multitude of stars in the sky? NO! You graduated from Utah Valley University in International Business after fitting two semesters worth of credits into one with a desire to seek work in your field almost anywhere in the world. Unfortunately the economy has tanked and your generation is taking a back seat currently to out of work Boomers and Generation Xrs who have first dibs on low paying, no benefits jobs and a radical US presidency who promised hope and change but is trying to sell us down the river (grin). Nevertheless, you have been able to retain your full time position as a supervisor at Jitter Bug, a call center for senior citizens who are high on needing personal care and low on understanding technology helping these dear folks with their cell phone plans and pleas. This spring you look forward to helping your friend launch his intriguing start up business acting as sales manager here on the East coast. Of course we will be thrilled to have you living, for a while, on this side of the country once again hanging out with the fam while seeking to make your dreams come true!

You also discovered that you actually enjoyed camping deep in the breathtaking Wasatch Mountain range with friends, along with taking numerous road trips to Vegas, Seattle and Huntington Beach. You also purchased your first and last motor cycle excitedly enjoying solo rides throughout Utah valley and into the mountains, rides with friends, and on a date that ended in the Twilight Zone!

After a horrifying hit and run accident (by a fellow with several DUI’s speeding approximately 50 mph through a light hitting you and your date then dragging your bike approx., 400 feet then jumping out of his car fleeing on foot); you spent weeks in two different medical centers receiving four different surgeries which resulted in rods and screws from hip to ankle as well as a muscle, artery and vein transfer to your lower leg in order to save your limb! It was a miracle that you both survived the accident but survive you did and we thank the Lord every day for preserving your life sweetheart! Six weeks of rehab, then home health and now a couple of years of physical therapy still looming ahead all the while learning to administer your own IV antibiotics through a portable picc line, initiate electric scooter races down the isles at Walmart and watch every Steelers and Penns game on TV in order to keep your sanity through it all has also occupied your time.

Magnificent Priesthood blessings from your dad and friends, your name placed on temple roles and family and friends from diverse religions endlessly fasting and praying for you resulted in literal miracles too numerous to address in this letter; all of our lives were truly blessed through this ordeal. You are now back at work, finally driving your own car (?!) and enjoying living with friends Brent and Carlene as they so generously insisted on helping to take care of you in our absence. My month spent in Utah by your side was heartbreaking, stressful yet also extremely faith promoting; and dad’s weeks spent with you and I were equally eventful! We were touched by the numbers of visitors and even strangers who came to know you and sense your humble, positive, motivated spirit and of Brent and Carlene’s devotion to you. And here we are three months later, your picc line about to be removed, able to place some weight on your foot with crutches and hopefully you should be able to endure the flight home for the Christmas holidays – simply incredible!

And just like your sister your bedroom in your apartment also looks like a cyclone hit, you wrecked your motorcycle and you cyber stalked your favorite rock star finding his home through real estate records, drove us to his home in Los Angeles, proceeded to knock on his door, surprise his wife, enjoy chatting with his wife and then gleefully jumping back in the car to make a quick get-away! Are we noticing a pattern with our two kidlets?! haha :) Your devotion to your family and friends, affectionate, cheerful personality brings great joy into our lives as well Cameron! And I am so pleased that you and your sister share such a warm, magnificent brother-sister relationship; always having fun together, sharing advice, laughter and prayers. How very blessed we are to be you and Ashley’s parents and partners in crime :)

Jon beloved master of OUR universe - You continue to keep the manufacturing of steel rolling along in spite of ongoing crisis calls and headaches with the company’s outside operations. I’m simply amazed at how you juggle the balls locating and securing commodities from throughout the world at a moments notice, solve unsettling dilemmas and are also able to bail plant managers and others out of unexpected fiasco's. The manufacturing and marketing of steel is quite an intriguing process to say the least; your comical stories make it that much more fun to hear about!

You’ve also passionately attended many Penns, Steelers and Pirates games in ‘the’ coolest stadiums and arenas’ in the country right here in the burg! Enjoy both the pleasure and honor of having you and Cam’s photo inserted into the famed Mario Lemieux mosaic at the new Consol Energy Center, and slipped off to Florida on business and a rocking, fun time attending a Steelers game in Miami. Upcoming is the soon to be historic ‘Winter Classic’ wherein the Penns will compete outdoors at Heinz Field (Steelers stadium) wherein you and Cam will continue your father-son tradition of attending ice hockey games together – Goooooo Pens!

You also enjoy serving as Sunday School president and Teacher Development instructor in our ward, take pleasure in teaching families the gospel along side the full time missionaries, and lovingly take care of your wife and family doing everything from car repairs to laundry with a grin and seldom ever a grumble. I love that you are the most fascinating conversationalist on earth, enjoy lively political debates, share engaging historical accounts and recount mesmerizing stories of your childhood experiences and memories. In addition, you talk to your dog like she is a human three year old chattering, cooing and singing to her in that daddy/doggie language of yours, tease your kids incessantly and zonk out in front of the TV by ten dreaming of sugar plums, ginger bread boys and never having to shovel snow again in your life! haha :) All in all your unwavering integrity, endless acts of compassionate service and ability to love completely with no strings attached due to understanding the Lord’s plan of salvation for all of humanity touches me deeply. Families can be together forever – Over the hill Barbie and mid-life crisis Ken continue to cut a rug! You rock babe!

Rebecca, Becky, Beck – I continue to enjoy my passion for writing, developing and facilitating diverse workshops and presentations for my company in an attempt to compel people to learn and excel while having a great deal of fun in the process; in addition to simply driving people crazy with my sense of humor, zany training methods and sincere appreciation of individuals from all cultures and walks of life.

I also immensely enjoy serving as Gospel Doctrine instructor in our ward having wrapped up this years focus on the Old Testament (whew!) with New Testament soon to follow (yea!). Also, planning numerous fun filled events and adventures for our family; from a terrific graduation party for Cam out West catching up with dear family and friends to an exciting vacation / 35^th wedding anniversary celebration which entailed everything from hanging out at the Santa Monica pier, Disneyland, Hollywood, Beverly Hills and the beach to seeking out unique Pittsburgh ice cream parlors, unique restaurants, exhibits, plays, concerts (James Taylor & Carol King, McCartney, etc.) to implementing the many delightful holiday traditions we enjoy throughout the year.

I’m passionately in love with my remarkable family, adore my incredible friends both near and far, I am a pathological photographer, prolific writer (working on my two manuscripts), manic movie buff, and all around eternal optimist! I also love those warm summer nights while visiting outside on our deck, attempting to beat everyone at our plethora of board games, enjoy making delicious crock pot meals when it’s cold outside; and have an affinity for road trips while singing and laughing in the car as a family, Jon’s homemade ice cream and hunkering in to read as many good books as possible throughout the year! PS Facebook is a riot – a terrific way to keep in touch!

Last January found us buried in 20 inches of snow with 10 additional inches three days later requiring Jon to spend an entire day trying to dig us out! This January we fig hey we’ve only got this winter and hopefully one other to suffer through before we relocate to the south-west if all goes as planned; so I think we can endure a few more ice storms before embracing palm trees, swimming pools and endless sunshine after pulling up stakes, closing the book on this particular chapter of our life while singing in unison ‘Happy Trails to You’ as we eagerly move toward another new and exciting adventure!

A few of my favorite quotes this year …

Jon –

I was once a Democrat and then I grew up! (If you dare talk history, civics and politics and are willing to open your mind and learn then Jon is your man to enjoy a rollicking debate with!)

Rebecca –

I can start a fire with two sticks and pure rage! (grin)

All I wanna do is have some fun until the sun comes up on the Santa Monica Blvd.

Every choice we make, no matter how insignificant it may seem, is tied to a consequence. Superior choices breed successful outcomes. © RC.

Cameron -

I swim for brighter days, despite the absence of sun. Choking on salt water, I'm not giving in. I swim.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.

Really Brigham?? Realllllly?! This is the place?? Maybe Lucifer was whispering that in your ear because according to Google maps sunny warm California is only a 9 day and 16 hour walk away! Compared to what you've gone through you couldn't suck up another week?! No, let's stay in this land of desolation and snow. (Referring to Church history and our entire families aversion to enduring cold and snow, haha)

Ashley -

It’s 4 am and I just finished my 80 page paper! (The sure sign of a college coed lol)

Your noblest dreams are not above the workings of the heart.

Left coast envy! (Longing for another trip out west)

Michael –

Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen

Go Saints! (Steelers traitor! ha ha)

SURPRISE … I cut my hair!

Missy Belle Buttons – Give me the dog bone, the car keys, the credit cards and I’m out of here!

We wish YUNZ a warm and wonderful holiday season as you celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Hugs, from the Christeson family

To see many photos and to follow our comings and goings and/or to easily stay in touch throughout the year check us out at the following websites: