For the month of love please enjoy another Pinterest board "Radiant Red".
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Tickled Pink
I love the stunning, visual photos found on Pinterest! Enjoy following my boards; this one is titled Tickled Pink
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Family Holiday Newsletter :)
Christeson Family Holiday Newsletter © Vol 24 - 2011 (a catch up as I haven't sent out my letter for a couple of years)
Cameron – motivated, personable, driven, vagabond, let’s fly by the seat of my pants, entrepreneur in the making (blame that one on mom – yeah baby!! lol) Christeson – Graduated from Utah Valley University in 2009 in International Business; UVU is a campus of approx., 33,000 students, sandwiched between a breathtaking mountain range of 11,000 feet of shear granite and beautiful Utah Lake (where, in our teens, we were always on the lookout for submarine sightings ha! ) … He continues to work as a supervisor slash innovator of creative motivational team challenges as he awaits finishing touches on his friends innovative start up business. Cam will then be returning to home plate (the burgh) for a time as he helps to launch the biz as the companies East coast Sales Manager (trust me when I say ‘you are going to die’ when you hear what this business focuses on!) We’re excited for the guys to see how their venture fares as it has the potential of being an incredible blessing in countless lives! … He also continues to enjoy his circle of friends, activities and ward ... Fall 2010 Cam had a horrific motorcycle accident, was hit by a drunk driver, but after surgeries at two hospitals (orthopedic surgeon in Provo who saved his life and inserted rods and pins from hip to ankle & plastic surgeon in Salt Lake who saved his limb via muscle, artery, veins transfer from upper to lower leg to provide blood supply for limb to thrive) & rehab he is a walking miracle!! With only one artery in his leg I fear he will always suffer but he walks, drives and hopes to run again one day … He continues to date a bevy of darling girls hoping to meet the girl of his dreams, not Miss Perfect simply Miss perfect for him (and he would prefer a girl who can carry on an in-depth conversation lol, has her own individual goals and will love him as deeply as he will her (hey that’s not asking too much is it?!) He is a riot, without hesitation in implementing innovative ways to meet and/or ask a girl out on a date (He’s got places to go and people to meet so chop chop) … Currently he also serves as big brother extraordinaire to little sister Ashley; he has been experiencing first hand the challenges of acting as a phantom father behind the scenes assisting Ash in everything from adapting to a new area, learning the transit system, seeking employment, transferring to a new university, locating safe, equitable, housing, meeting new friends, etc. J … Cam & Ash share a remarkable sibling relationship – they’re best friends! … Other than that he continually keeps us in stitches due to his cracker jack sense of humor, misses attending live Penns & Steelers games with Jon and movie & lunch outings with me, longs to finally live in a warm, sunny climate one day and texts & calls frequently which pleases us greatly! … Cam the man rocks; we love this dedicated, hard working, innovative thinking, caring man to pieces!
Ashley babe – passionate, talented, singing & English fanatic (editing & spelling soup Nazi lol), female heartbreaker (but hey that’s life), independent woman on the run, Christeson - attended Penn State University for two years where she made the Dean’s List several times, was nominated to Who’s Who Among Students in America, also nominated by several professors as an orientation leader, chaired the winter formal and was awarded lead female roles in two PSU musical productions Frankenstein (the musical) & Grease (hitting the high notes & morphing from Miss goody-two shoes to black spandex diva suited her haha) all the while working part-time at Longwood of Oakmont has now flown the coop and calls Provo, Utah home! (Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen) … Ash currently works part-time as one of her companies top collectors; she is fearless collecting overdue accounts from customers screaming at her on the other end of the line (you don’t want to mess with this chick lol. Seriously it requires expert listening & negotiation skills combined with a thick skin and sense of humor) … At the end of spring semester at PSU she wanted to move to Provo for the summer for a much needed and well earned change of atmosphere so as to hang out with Cam. Our two kidlets are devoted to one another, always having fun from road trips to Vegas to double dating in Salt Lake, jamming/performing via his guitar, her voice, baking cookies or preparing dinner for her roommates (I think Cam has an ulterior motive here haha), enjoying concerts, photo shoots, sports, church, shopping, movies, you name it they do it together; the two of them enjoy one another’s company and have each other’s back (they realize this is a once in a lifetime opportunity hanging out together like this before they are each married and living who knows where in the world!) once there she fell in love with Utah, all of our family history, experiences living there and our old haunts where we have all hung out and she decided to stay! … Ash has since transferred to Utah Valley University to wrap up her undergrad degree in Elementary Education where she is thoroughly enjoying her classes (except for missing her incredible PSU history professor who had a gift for bringing the subject to life; but she has been dong her student observation in our friend Gayle’s 5th grade classroom which has pleased Ashley greatly!). She has a passion for both English and French and her children’s lit class is by far her favorite UVU class this semester; and she looks forward to returning to music next semester where she has master works a capella and women’s chorus classes; she would like to audition for on campus or community theater at some point when she has the time to do so (she currently takes classes up until 9 pm on top of her work schedule which leaves her limited time to raise the rafters and delve back into the entertaining but sometimes quirky world of drama/music) … Ash loves her life in Utah, though it hasn’t been an easy adjustment leaving family and all of her dear friends and PSU experiences behind, but she has some lovely roommates, has been dating a variety of guys (ever the romantic), and is head over heels for the local Zuppa’s, Jamba Juice, and loves interacting with family and friends who reside throughout the area (a sincere thank you to all who have taken our kids under your wings and helped them in more ways than I can list; you are our families ‘earth angels’ and we will be forever grateful! My parents used to do this for my own out of state cousins J ) … We miss Ashley’s constant singing around the house, her friends bopping in and out, her late night impromptu jam sessions with her dad and giggling girls outings with me but we know she is where she is meant to be! We love our focused, creative, pink obsessed princess slash baby doll to the stars and back!
Jon – loyal, hard working, 50’s throwback dad (the Beaver for President!), Penns & Steelers enthusiast, political commentator extraordinaire, chomping at the bit to move to Phoenix future retiree (ten cheers he did it the right and honorable way!!) man for all seasons Christeson – has been hard at work focusing on home repairs (even Santa can’t climb on the roof with that lumbering finesse that Jon can?!) and renovations in order to sell our home (what a choice neighborhood the future owner will move into! J) … He has been called to serve in the bishopric of the Pittsburgh, PA Third Ward for the third time YIKES (as 1st counselor this go around serving with a fantastic young bishopric, much like when he served as a young bishop himself J & now taking on the role of, “Awhhhh, dad’s home” dynamic if you get my drift) … He’s enjoyed several live hockey and football games, thus far, parading around in his team jerseys … Spent over seven, exhausting, grueling months unselfishly taking care of me in four different hospitals and at home due to my various ghastly surgeries! … Enjoys precious moments catching some zzzzzz’s with his little companion by his side (Missy Belle Buttons our holiday hound dog) … Jon also enjoyed a delightful trip to sunny Phoenix looking at future home sites and later attending a business conference (yup, he still appears to be like a Mafia king pin the way people from diverse companies flock around him attempting to secure his attention ha ha.) and yes he still thoroughly enjoys his work and those in whom he works with internally and throughout the world. Jon has impacted so many lives for good throughout his career and all of his stake and ward church callings; his level of integrity, vast knowledge of every subject under the sun, engaging personality and love and respect for his friends and colleagues of different cultures, ethnicity, religious views, etc., causes him to be well liked and held in high esteem - of course I'm his biggest fan! … Over the hill Barbie and mid-life crisis Ken are one step closer to living our dream in our palm and citrus tree slash cactus ridden non surfs up environment! The easy drive on 101 to southern California or hour flight to either LA or SLC is very appealing to us and hey we will have lovely guest accommodations so we’ll keep a light on for you! (wink-wink-grin) … Next up for Jon is preparing for the kids to come home for the holidays; it doesn’t get any sweeter than that! (I think we can endure an avalanche of snow and these icka East coast ice storms a little longer because having the kid’s home makes everything warm and cozy!)
Rebecca – optimistic, creative, writer trainer speaker, pathological picture taker, crazy lady, (who has one messed up body but as Jon likes to say “Shine on you crazy diamond” – Pink Floyd lol ?!) Christeson keeps on rockin’. … In all seriousness I feel great humility for the many blessings received, including literal miracles beyond belief as a result of the power of collective faith and prayer! (Thank you one and all, both far and near, for your endless prayers, acts of kindness, visits, letters, texts, calls, emails and yummy meals/deserts throughout my horrifying surgical ordeals! You are exceptional saints from varied religions and your loving concern literally helped our family cope throughout the months of excruciating pain and despair! xoxo) … Three surgeries and four hospitals in four months was mind-blowing; and the accounts of blatant negligence disheartening! (But the Jell-o was rad lol) and with Jon always by my side fearlessly protecting me, talking care of me and trying to help keep my spirits up was priceless! The account would require pages to write and would make an unbelievable read if not for the fact that every snippet is true and did, indeed, happen; but it’s over now and I’M BACK! … Seven months later I was able to return to doing what I have a passion for; educating, inspiring and motivating individuals from diverse walks of life and businesses! (Life begins at the end of your comfort zone folks!) My company Christeson & Associates training with a twist continues to thrive as we provide innovative, interactive training for diverse businesses and industries; I love the people I train and coach as well as the creative outlet of writing and developing my classes and materials :) Having full control over my product and brand meshes well with my internal drive and desire to write and create! … I've also enjoyed non technical time writing (working on family histories and my manuscripts), blogging, reading, speaking, studying the scriptures, scouring decorating and landscaping ideas and the like combined with envisioning the upcoming new chapter in our life (sorry but the petition that its so hot in Phoenix doesn't phase us because its so cold and dreary in the PA burgh and the UT bubble far more many months of the year so we vote for over 300+ days per year of SUNSHINE), however, we LOVE our life here in PA; our wide circle of friends, incredible East coast experiences, adventures, travel, missionary and compassionate service opportunities, as well as everything from the vast history, pro sporting events, culture, distinct architecture, incredible beauty of this densely wooded state and good solid families continue to feed our souls! Penn will forever be a special place in our hearts no matter what the future holds for us! … I have also recently been called as our ward Addiction Recovery program facilitator to help individuals from wards in both Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh North stakes work through this powerful program. I have a personal testimony of this divinely inspired program and of the excellent materials used. Jon and I actually participated in the twelve part series not because of any addictions we could identify within ourselves (poor habits yes, actual addictions no unless you count my pension for cherry ICEE’s :) we participated to simply draw even closer to our Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ as I had been told it would impact our lives on many levels and indeed it did! (Every religion could benefit from this program) We called it our spiritual date night (as opposed to our fun date nights focusing on movies, dinner, activities, etc.) and would participate in the classes, do the required homework and then enjoy a long walk together after each class. It was a magnificent experience and enhanced our lives greatly! I recommend getting over ones apprehension or embarrassment based on the title and focus of the program, enroll, and then allow the light of Christ to further strengthen you, your relationships, and your compassion for others … In addition, after our trip to Phoenix I was able to spend time in Utah with our kids, mom, and other family and friends! Cam & Ash greeted me at the airport wearing goofy mustaches and even had one for me (and boy did I rock the Hulk Hogan look - NOT!) … We enjoyed a lovely family party with dear relatives, I was able to visit mom several times a day (she is so content, happy, enjoys her activities and is constantly visited by family all of which is simply another testament to prayer and another touching story that ends in doing what is best for ones loved one vs. what one feels is best for oneself.) … In closing, I've always said that “Life is an extraordinary adventure!”; and trials and challenges are meant to test our faith in the Lord and to demonstrate our ability to thrive in the face of adversity helping to prove our mettle and worthiness to return to God’s presence one day. I bear you my testimony that God our eternal father lives and loves all of His children on this earth; and His son Jesus is the Christ, our Savior and Redeemer who leads His remarkable church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which profoundly blesses lives throughout the world! Our family is greatly blessed because of this sure knowledge which is our compass in living happy, productive, spiritual lives. Be courageous and seek to learn why I have always been so bold in stating this truth. Please read about countless Mormons on every continent, including myself, who wish to explain why we choose to be Latter-day Saints. www.mormon.org (click on people). Also, feel free to catch up with our family & view family photos on www.facebook.com/rebeccachristeson or my blogwww.beccashenanigans.blogspot.com or follow me on www.trainingwithatwist.com
Passionately INHALE life and EXHALE gratefulness! © Merry Christmas to all with love from the zany, fun loving, march to our own drummer, keep calm & have a cupcake, Christeson family!
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