So many incredible blessings both large and small are being experienced by our family! Our move to St. George has been glorious!
We loved our east coast life with the abundance of activities, pro sports, cultural events, museums, galleries, foodie heaven with incredible restaurants and cafes, and a wealth of unique, fascinating things to see and do, etc. We loved the densely wooded terrain, glorious green, a myriad of birds always singing, white tail deer and cotton tail rabbits traversing our back yard.
We adored our travel and adventures especially our countless road trips especially to Washington DC, New York City, Ocean City, Maryland (the beach); also to festivals and fairs, historical sites and quirky places like the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame :) We also enjoyed our out of the home career opportunities as well. I take great pride in my company Christeson & Associates - Training With A Twist! (I have not closed my doors, I've only taken a break while relocating and settling in here in the west.) and Jon enjoyed his years with USS dealing with people from around the world.
We also enjoyed our many varied ward and stake callings in the church where we had opportunities to serve a vast number of good people as well as learn a great deal in the process while seeking to follow our Savior Jesus Christ's loving example. Jon served as a bishop for seven years and as a counselor in two other bishoprics; also on the High Council twice, stake Young Men's presidency, ward YM president, gospel doctrine instructor, etc. I enjoyed serving as a stake Relief Society president for five years; with my presidency planning and implementing incredible women's conferences, leadership training sessions, etc., I also served for a time as the stake Activities Chair and we planned some outstanding, unique activities for members and non members alike! I also enjoyed my callings in my ward Relief Society presidency, Gospel Doctrine and Gospel Essential's instructor, ward activities chair, etc. However, most of all we loved our many diverse friends and colleagues throughout the years! Incredible people from diverse ethnicity, cultures, religious, educational, and political backgrounds! Our life was greatly enhanced by listening to the promptings of the spirit, taking a sound risk and moving to Pittsburgh!
As our little family expanded with the birth and sealing of our precious daughter Ashley along with rearing our precious son Cameron, Jon and I experienced the remarkable blessings of parenthood with all of its challenges and exciting blessings that come with such a sacred privilege! In addition, our relationship as husband and wife grew tremendously both spiritually, and emotionally! Here we are after 27 years in Pittsburgh and about to celebrate 40 spectacular years of marriage - over the hill Barbie and mid-life crisis Ken continue to rock and roll haha :)
We will always hold dear our wealth of memories of our life in one of the country's most spectacular cities in the nation! With this said - I embrace change! I like variety in all things and seek out new opportunities and challenges; and now it is time to move onward and upward with our newest chapter in life here in beautiful "color country" - the painted desert where palm trees grow and the mountains are rich in hues of coral and reds. A place where the sun shines constantly and the air and water are clean and pure; and coyotes and cougars are known to come down from the mountains and roam our newly built neighborhood/ward boundaries on occasion at night - YIKES! lol . An incredible area of the country where the sky is so big it's like looking at an ever changing panchromatic view of cumulus cloud formations. A part of the country where sunsets in brilliant pinks and orange hues embrace the sky at dusk, and the heavens are saturated with star light at night. I love the sun baked earth outside of our front door and being surrounded by rugged mountains once again and guess what - I adore having side walks with curbs and gutters (the small pleasures of life I suppose). I've named the rippling mountains that circle around our lovely area "the stone ruffle mountains", because they, indeed, look like stone ruffles to me.
We are thoroughly enjoying the beautiful home we had built from the ground up. Of course the dwelling is simply "a house", though a glorious one at that! Eighteen foot high vaulted ceilings throughout peaking at different points in each room. An open concept great room and kitchen for easy entertaining of guests; with my longed for white cabinetry and soft contemporary style with shabby chic touches. :) Four bedrooms and three full baths; however, we plan to restore and hang Jon's grandmother Helen's carved wood doors with oval glass windows which Jon removed from her old home in Santaquin and which have traveled with us throughout our marriage ever since waiting for just the right home and room where we could hang them and enjoy their beauty from days gone by. They will open into our sitting room (where guests can escape the great room and TV for a more intimate place to chat, listen to music, read a book and so forth. And we are using another room for our creativity room/office which I look forward to having Jon decorate with his Civil War prints and memorabilia. Our guest suite is lovely and our master retreat incredible and extremely spacious. Best of all, are the huge windows throughout the kitchen, great room and master bedroom allowing sunlight to spill into every nook and cranny of our home! I loved our East coast "green" but disliked intensely the constant sticky humidity, rain, gloomy gray sky and winter ice storms! Here in St. George the climate is glorious year round and it feels like we reside in a resort area - it's just a very HAPPY environment and we LOVE IT!
We are enjoying our new ward and the many friendly ward members here and our daily outings and adventures. Best of all we can easily drive back and forth to visit our Utah kidlets and soon our California kidlets (Cameron and Sarah plan to marry in the Oakland, California LDS temple the end of May!!!!!) Our sweet little grandson, almost two, visits with us frequently - in fact we are always steeling him from his mommy and daddy haha :) he adores his grandma and grandpa time; a child can never experience too much tender love!
In addition, we look forward to once again enjoying the western portion of the United States. I'm a west coast girl at heart and can't wait to start taking more road trips and flying off to delightful areas on this side of the country once again. I love my LDS pioneer heritage and extended family in Utah and other western states. I have such fond memories of being reared in such a happy home with two loving, upbeat, fun parents and enjoying so many diverse opportunities. We've finally returned HOME and it feels so good!
As mentioned Cam and Sarah are about to marry and we could not have been blessed with a more incredible future daughter-in-law than her! Sarah is very intelligent; she is currently involved in her masters program in education. She is adorable, happy, cheerful, self-motivated, loving, spiritual (served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and such fun to be around. She loves our entire family and feels so comfortable around each of us; in fact she and Ashley are very excited to become sisters because they get along beautifully and have much in common. Did I happen to mention that Sarah is as beautiful inside as she is out?! Cam is head over heels in love with her and she with him. At one point (being the nebby mom that I am haha) and wanting to line him up on a date he said, "Mom, the Lord has my back." and he was right because all of Cam's experiences led him to this moment in time, and this incredible woman and eternal companion! We are very excited for them to begin their life together and look forward to their upcoming wedding festivities!!
Cameron never ceases to amaze us! He is so self-motivated, proactive, visionary, creative thinking, spiritual, cheerful, happy, loving, fun to be around and a man of integrity. Cam is not afraid to march to his own drummer and because he has experienced much in his young life he is not afraid to take sound risks and make decisions that bring unique, stellar results. He enjoys his challenging work in Palo Alto, attending church and the temple with Sarah, travel, friends, and creating memorable moments for all of us! On top of it all he remains a very affectionate, caring, thoughtful son!
Our Ashley babe, husband Paul and tiny dynamo son Connor are happy as three peas in a pod! Ashley is experiencing great success as a music teacher for the school district in her area. She has an innate ability to inspire and enthuse children (even the most sullen or rowdy) to love music! She is adored in her school by the countless number of students in nearly all grades in whom she teaches as well as their parents, and other teachers! She started a Show Choir in addition to teaching all of the other students and her programs are show stoppers! We attended her second grade program for parents and it was simply adorable! We look forward to her spring Show Choir performance this coming week as well. Seeing her in action as the director vs., the performer/soloist has been delightful and her passion for music and kids is heartwarming.
More importantly, she is an extraordinary wife and mother! Ashley and Paul love each other deeply and work together to create a happy, thriving home and environment for their precious little one who is the apple of all of our eyes. :) She simply amazes me with regard to her extensive talents and the devotion she has for her family. She and Paul enjoy serving in their ward and little Connor is learning so much in his Primary nursery class.
Paul is an incredible man with interesting experiences under his belt. He enjoys his career and also serving in the National Guard. He couldn't have in-laws who are more supportive of the many roles in life he excels in! Paul is highly intelligent, a terrific conversationalist, a man of integrity who is hard working, kind, patient, self-less, cheerful, loving and such fun to be around! We adore our Paul and appreciate his sacrifices in behalf of his family and country. He is also such an interactive dad, who just loves his little son to pieces; Paul and Ashley are Connors entire world!! It is so rewarding to have a daughter who has grown into such a remarkable woman, wife and mother and who is such a fantastic daughter and best friend to me! It is also rewarding to have a son-in-law who loves us and enjoys being with us and who magnifies all of the important roles in his life.
I continue to face monumental health challenges which continue to refine my soul; and Jon is adjusting to retirement (yep, sleeping in, doing what ever he/we want all day long haha). Our bodies are aging to our dismay but our minds are sharp and attitudes stellar! We are living life to the fullest enjoying every single precious moment together and as a family with our children and grandchild.
We are richly blessed as a result of being serious, active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; our compass and anchor in life! Nothing is more important than family and loving and serving all in whom we come in contact. I thank the Lord every day for this amazing life I lead and all of the choice people in it. Here's to an extraordinary past melding with an equally extraordinary future! Yes, I am a blessed daughter of God, humble wife and mother and crazy-fun woman who continues to chart my own destiny! As I always say, "Passionately INHALE life and EXHALE gratefulness!"
My dear friend Anita made this surprise for me using my personal motto which I wrote and have lived by for many years "Passionately inhale life and exhale gratefulness." And a few pics of part of our home. We are in the process of decorating our master and guest suites and office. :)
Cam and Sarah's recent engagement picture which was added to our grouping :)
A house is but a dwelling but the "home" we are creating within is built on gratefulness with the light of Christ guiding our every moment and magical memory!
