Reunited and it feels so gooood!

I think the hardest part of being back is answering the questions:
Hey! Where have you been?

• Oh - I just got back from Germany!

Germany?! But I thought you moved to Australia!

• Heh - yeah...that didn't work out.

So, you moved to Germany?!

• Yeah...that didn't work out either.

What are you doing back?

• *looking helplessly around* Looking for work?

Really? Didn't you graduate?

• *smiling big* Nope!

Where are you living?

• *still smiling big* Ah, you know - wherever I fall asleep!

Hahaha - really?!

• *wishing I was back in Germany*

I didn't expect my life to be where it is right now - but let's be honest...I've kinda lived my life (the last few years at least) with no real expectations. I've always been taken care of (props to Jesus!) and ended with a few stories here and there. :)

And today - as well as every other day - I am thankful for friends and family that have lived through my stories - chapters, novels, and sometimes monologues at a time - and are still willing to let me edit them over and over - without complaint.

Sometimes those friends - just happen to find you again on facebook - and after 15+ years - you meet up at a Cafe Rio in Lehi, Utah to discuss the Reader's Digest version of each other. Over nachos, salad, and mint lemonade (DEEE-LISH) - we talked, laughed, met each others' kids (Bunny's children, mind you), and relished in the past that - for the most part - only I remembered. ;) It's so nice to have history with people - even when it's been over a decade since you last saw them. <3

Sometimes those friends - are heaven sent - by way of Kekaha, Hawaii - then Logan, Utah - then Lyman, Wyoming - and now Elko, Nevada. We've only known each other for 5 years - but oh, what a glorious 5 years it has been. ;) We are blessed enough to have our cousins, The Weights, with us for Spring Break!!! It's a four hour drive - and it can't be a pretty one - so we are indeed grateful - no HONORED - that they arrived tonight. The kids are so happy to be together - and all of the adults are happy to be together too. It's days like these - that I'm reminded of the history I have with people I've only known a short time. That's a miracle to me - even more of a miracle than the fact that we're related through our white family at least 4 generations back - but the kids still look like first cousins. <3

At the end of the day like this one - the questions I hate to answer don't seem so daunting anymore. People who truly know my story - don't mind hearing about the "Choose-Your-Own-Adventure" parts. In fact, they add a few optional adventures as well.

Tonight - the adventure was break time for mommies (they headed to another showing of The Hunger Games) while Auntie (#1 status, remember?) stayed home with the 7 kiddies. I think the only challenge I have - was to get them to fall asleep by watching a movie...

We've already watched Chicken Little and now they're watching the old school Charlie & The Chocolate Factory...but I'm deathly afraid of the Oompa Loompas...so I'm hiding upstairs...writing this blog.

HAHAHA - #1 AUNTIE!!!

Practice Makes Perfect...

Brown Sugar Month came and went - and I didn't touch my blogspot...that's aptly named after - ME. 

I shared faaaaacts about myself on facebook for 29 days straight!! If that's not testimony against my ADHD - than it's certainly in favor of my OCD tendencies. ;)

People told me to start a Twitter account - but I'm so wrapped up in me that I think it would actually hurt my feelings to NOT have people follow me. Do you know how nerve wracking it is - to post a story about my heart and have only 9 people "like" it? hahaha Actually - not that nerve wracking, but it made me think twice about what I was sharing. ;) 

So, I figured - let's transfer my habit of posting on facebook - to my blogspot. Then - I can practice my writing - share my randomness in more detail - and maybe help a few people smile on the way.

Today we celebrated my niece's 9th birthday!!!

I'm trying to take over the world as #1 Auntie and eventually fade out my brother, Ladybug, as a contender - so I'd be #1 Person-That's-Not-My-Parents-or-Jesus (name under review). 

I made my niece a poster size head of herself, put it on a stick, and held it in front of my face while I sang "Happy Birthday" to wake her up - first thing this morning. If that's not creepy cool - I don't know what is!!! 

My little brother and I have made it a habit - to shout "Happy Birthday" all day to the person whose birthday it is. These are to be random as well as in answer to any question or conversation the Birthday Person is apart of. Here's one of our many successes today:

*Emily walks in to the living room*

Me: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Ladybug: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Emily: Um, thanks...hey mom?

Ladybug & Me: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Bunny: Yes?

Emily: Can I -

Ladybug: You can HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Emily: Can I have a piece of -

Me: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Bunny: *glaring at us* Can you what?

Emily: Can I - 

Ladybug & Me: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

*both of us laughing hysterically*

Like I said - #1

Our family also has a favorite game called "What If". It's a silly game of  silly questions and silly answers - dedicated to the Birthday Person. If you've never played it - I'll ask someone to post up instructions on Pinterest for you...BAHAHA

ANYWAYS - here's a list of some of my favorite questions that the Christensens came up with tonight:

• What if Emily was raised by boogers?
• What if Emily was a rainbow unicorn?
• What if Emily was a ninja? (which is funny because she's Asian - get it? NINJA? Asian? I mean - minus the "knows no martial arts" - she's already there, ethnically...hahaha)
• What if Emily was a dumb donkey?

I mentioned this was silly, right? :)

With a plethora of "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" shouts - lots of laughter - filled in with strawberry shortcake - hugs - presents - and games - another birthday for the Christensens was successfully celebrated.

<3 MY FAMILY <3

 

SUPLISE!!!

Let's do a quick survey before I begin this one:


Who actually thought that Brown Sugar would stay in Europe permanently?


*looking around*


I guess that would be 1 vote - MY vote.


And WHO might have prayed that Brown Sugar would come back to the States?


*looking around*


You're all FIRED!!! ;) hahaha


I'm baaaaaaack!


I'll be honest when I say that I was sad to leave Germany, my family, and my 3 friends that I made there. I'll miss them, the food, the landscape, the chocolate, and the idea that I was living in Europe.


I feel close enough to you all that I can share a condensed version of how I ended up back in the States:

• My visa expires on 16 Jan 2012
• I was applying everywhere on base to extend visa - but wasn't getting hired
• Finally applied to a temp agency that "hires EVERYONE"
• Aforementioned temp agency ran a background check and found 2 warrants in Utah and apparently doesn't hire EVERYONE
• Researched warrants and would be unable to pay them off by visa expiration date because
• the only work I found in Germany was cleaning houses and babysitting (flashback to 8th grade jobs)
• Prayed really hard about what I should do
• Complained really loud when it was to move back to the States
• Skyped nightly to plan my trip back and
• Lied to my parents every time we talked - so I could surprise them :)

And surprise Big Ray & Rin-Dizzle - we did. :)


I hid out at Bunny's for a couple of days after I landed. She and Ladybug planned a New Year's Dinner at Cracker Barrel (a little tradition of ours) with Big Ray and Rin-Dizzle.


The night came and we were in a mad rush to get to the West Valley Cracker Barrel. It's halfway for all of us - but still a good 45 minutes away.


As we're rounding up the kids-socks-and-shoes, getting coats on, and heading to the car - we realize that there's dog poop on the bottom of shoes and it's been tracked throughout the house. 


Lare-Bear acts as quickly as he can to clean up the mess - but it's serious enough to enlist the carpet cleaner's skills  - and stress starts to creep into our hearts.


We're running a good 30 minutes late at this point - but we pile into the cars and begin the journey...only to find out that the car Bunny is driving has a flat tire!


We stop at the nearest gas station to fill it up - but the tire spits out the air faster than we can feed it. That leaves us in Clinton - a good 45 minutes away from our surprise. Stress has won and we return home to figure things out. 


When we call Big Ray & Rin-Dizzle to tell them our luck - they insist that we do the dinner another night. 


Bunny: NO - WE WILL EAT AT CRACKER BARREL TONIGHT!!! AND WE WILL BE HAPPY!!!


We change the location to the Cracker Barrel closest to us and find a ride from Bunny's next door neighbor. No shame!


We keep texting Ladybug and make sure that they're all seated before we even leave the safety of the car. 


Lare-Bear and Bunny head in with the kids and leave me with a cell phone. They decided I would browse the country shop while they get settled in - and then they would text me for my grand entrance. 


I knew what my parents' reactions would be:


Rin-Dizzle: *crying*
Big Ray: Are you serious?!
Rin-Dizzle: *still crying*


Hugs would ensue and blahblahblah.


I receive the text and head into the eating area. 


Emy: *pointing away from me walking in* Look at that TV!


*Big Ray and Rin-Dizzle are sitting at the end of the table across from each other.*


*I walk to them and put my hands on their shoulders*


Big Ray: *turns his head and looks at me in shock* >silent<


Rin-Dizzle: *looks at me - looks at Big Ray - shaking her head* >silent<


Me: *smiling - expecting the reactions I had planned*


Big Ray: *still silent*


Rin-Dizzle: *still silent*


Me: *feeling awkward with my hands on their shoulders*


*At least 15-20 seconds go by and there's still complete silence*


Me: *completely thrown off by the silence of my parents* Willkommen!!! (Yeah - I'm so thrown off by this interaction that I say "Welcome" to myself in GERMAN)


Rin-Dizzle: *finally stands, hugs me, and begins to cry*


Me: FINALLY!!!


Hugs ensue and blahblahblah. ;)