The FABULOUS 2012...as told through my iPhone

Well...here we are in 2013. Crazy, right? 2012 was a wonderful year. Today I was clearing data from my phone and feeling a little nostalgic as I looked through my pictures because some pretty incredible things happened in 2012. Let us review them all together!

2012 will forever be known as The Year of the Owl in the life and times of Katelyn Christensen. I have no idea why I decided to decorate my room in my apartment with owls, but I did. They have grown on me. How cute are they? My fabulous cousin Emmie is a budding artist and drew this picture for me to hang in my room.

2012 will also forever be known as the year of the Missionary Training Center. I taught Spanish there all year. QUIERO REGRESAR YA! 

In 2012 I wrecked my car for the first time... BUT look how long and pretty my hair was in I got it back form the shop. Poor pedro : ( He's such a cute car, but he's been through a lot.

In 2012 my little sister, Lindsey, graduated from high school. She's pretty. 

In 2012 Jace came home from his mission to Las Vegas, Nevada. It was awesome. This was a definite highlight for the Christensen family. 

In 2012 Mom and Dad celebrated 28 years of blissful matrimony and I made them a banana bake to celebrate...even though I was in Utah and they were in Washington. I'm thoughtful sometimes. I missed my mom dancing around in her wedding dress as she has been known to do on her anniversary. 

In 2012 Riley graduated from BYU with a BA in Exercise Science and moved back to Washington to work at the Plant. 

In 2012 I GRADUATED COLLEGE WITH RILEY!

In 2012 my best friend EVER came home from her mission to England and we were finally reunited. Good times, Steph. 

  

In 2012 I got new glasses. 

In 2012 I learned to slack line. 

In 2012 I also learned to do Taylor Swift curls in honor of her new album. 

In 2012 I became somewhat obsessed with Family History Work and discovered that I am royalty in the process.

In 2012 the Royal City Chapel got a much needed makeover. Everyone almost died of a heat wave.

In 2012 I had my golden birthday. THAT was a good day. 

In 2012 I cooked a lot...thanks to the cooking supplies I got for Christmas in 2011. 

In 2012 I learned to shoot a target, thanks to my Grandpa Ted. 

In 2012 I rediscovered PhotoBooth. 

In 2012 The ROYAL KNIGHTS went to state and I wore black and gold to cheer them on.

In 2012 "my room" was redecorated. Five years after high school and my mom finally decided to turn it into a guest room. It is WONDERFUL. 

In 2012 I voted ROMEY/RYAN for President and am proud of it. 

In 2012 I was Mary Poppins for Halloween. I looked pretty cute : D

In 2012 I moved into a new apartment...

and in with these three cuties.

I also met a lot of new friends in 2012. 

In 2012 Feliz Hernandez pitched a perfect game for the Seattle Mariners - and we were there in Safeco Field a DAY later to celebrate.

In 2012 Princess Melissa came to Utah to visit me. 

In 2012 I went to Saint George multiple times...

and experienced the Tuachan for the first time. 

In 2012 we went to Hawaii on first family vacation together in five years. 

WHAT A GREAT YEAR! Here's to 2013 and many more memories to come. 

Making Sense of Things

So today I am pretty depressed. I am not usually a sad person. I don't get my feather's ruffled easily. I don't get upset very often. I consider that to be one of my best God given talents. I am resiliant. Today, however,  I am legitimately sad. I am still in my PJ's. I have no motivation to do anything. That is one reason you know you are having a hard day...

I know that everyone is sick of reading about, talking about, and hearing about the election. Myself included. But we live in America, and the political process is important. Also, I need to put my thoughts down in an organized matter or else my head honestly may explode. 

I am sad that Obama is going to be our president again. I wish that it were different, but we have survived the past four years and we will survive the next four. He is the President of the United States of America and I support him. I support any president who will support the constitution, even if I don't agree with everything they do. 

I had faith that things would turn out otherwise, but my heart and my mind kept telling me that too many people didn't want it to be so. THAT RIGHT THERE is what makes me sad. Not President Obama himself. He is fine. The fact that so many people in America were not willing to listen and learn and keep an open mind is what is so frustrating. The fact that so many people are relying on government for everything is so frustrating. The fact that people did not vote for Romney because of his conservative stance on moral issues is so frustrating.

People want free birth control from our government. They would rather have our country provide for them then learn to provide for themselves. I know that not everyone thinks this way or is this way. There are people out there who legitimately need help. I want them to succeed. I just personally think that Mitt Romney's plan would have better helped them to succeed. 

My roommate Emma served her mission in London and we were talking about England the other day. She told me that in the United Kingdom if you get pregnant out of wedlock and the baby's father is not going to provide for you, the government will give you a home. Excuse me? This is the problem with socialism. I know that America will not go that far, but I still think the best way to help someone is to allow them to suffer the natural consequence of their choices and then help them learn how to provide for themselves. After all, that is how God teaches us. Also: it is our job as family members and friends to help those in need - NOT the government's job.

You may be thinking, "Kate, you silly girl. You come from an affluent family. You come from a good home. You have never had to suffer such consequences. You don't know what it is like..." You are wrong. Just like you were wrong when you said Mitt doesn't know what it is like to suffer because he is rich. My parents have allowed me to suffer the consequences of my own choices, and I have made some stupid decisions. My family is willing to help me, but I still have to pay the price for the choices that I make. That is how you become independent. That is how you know you are an adult. 

Mostly I just feel so sad for Mitt Romney today. He worked so hard and he came SO. CLOSE. Think of all the time, the effort, and the money that he spent. I would have felt bad for President Obama had he lost. I always feel sorry for the Loser. I started watching the speech that Mitt made last night and I didn't even make it a minute in. Part of it is pride. I won't be watching the news or getting on Twitter anytime soon. Most of all I just feel empty inside and sad for Mitt. Sad seems like a stupid word. I am sad when the Cougars don't win a football game. This is so worse.  I know Mitt will be fine. I still feel sad. Sad for Mitt Romney - and even more sad for the country that will never have him as a president.  I am sad for my country that she lost such an incredible opportunity. 

I am sad for my state. I am from Washington. Gay marriage and marijuana are officially legal there now. I have nothing against people who are gay or people who use drugs, but I am tired of others telling me that I am judgmental because I believe these things are wrong. You can't have a country where everything is OK and everyone can just do whatever they want. That is called anarchy. It is chaos. It have never worked in the past and it will not work today. 

I feel a little bit today like our Heavenly Father must feel with us sometimes. I feel I know what is best for our country in the long run because I can see the bigger picture. It is frustrating because I can see SO CLEARLY what is best and people obviously don't care. They don't want it. They want something else entirely. They have to suffer the consequences of their choices because God believes very strongly in a thing called agency. Stupid agency. I have often wondered why God doesn't intervene more aggressively in our lives from time to time. Now I know. Agency. He always lets us decide. Stupid agency. 

Some people have been posting in frustration "WHAT IS THE POINT OF EVEN VOTING?!" To them I say - because the righteous will always stand up for what is right even if they are the last people on the earth to believe in their cause. Take some comfort from Mormon and Moroni in the Book of Mormon. They know a little bit about that. They saw their entire civilization destroyed. Thank Goodness I don't have to watch that! I say unto you as Mormon said unto his son Moroni,

 "My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.

And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you forever. Amen."

I do have faith in our country and faith in the future and I have no doubt in mind that God is very much aware of each of us and our struggles and He is aware of this country and it's president. As Elder Holland puts it, "Trust in God and have faith in good things to come." As President Monson puts it, "Your future is as bright as your faith." Good things will come. I am still allowed to be sad for today. Just for today. Eventually this will all blow over. 

Think of all the amazing missionary opportunities the elders and sisters serving missions are going to have partially because Mitt Romney ran for president and sparked an interest in the Mormon church. That is pretty cool. I am just sad that it can't continue. BUT I am happy for the opportunity I have to vote and to express my opinion. I would not have it any other way. 

  

The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement Tuesday:

We congratulate President Obama on winning a second term as President of the United States.

After a long campaign, this is now a time for Americans to come together. It is a long tradition among Latter-day Saints to pray for our national leaders in our personal prayers and in our congregations. We invite Americans everywhere, whatever their political persuasion, to pray for the President, for his administration and the new Congress as they lead us through difficult and turbulent times. May our national leaders reflect the best in wisdom and judgment as they fulfill the great trust afforded to them by the American people.

We also commend Governor Romney for engaging at the highest level of our democratic process, which, by its nature, demands so much of those who offer themselves for public service. We wish him and his family every success in their future endeavors.

Personal Biographical Sketch

So for my Genealogy and Family History class we had to write a personal and biographical sketch to our future posterity. The point is to inform them about our life and help them get through whatever they will face in the future...WHO KNOWS? Here is mine. We were suppose to keep it under two pages. That is why it isn't super detailed.

                My name is Katelyn Michael Christensen. I was born on the 24^th day of September, 1988 to Michael and Lisa Christensen. I only weighed four pounds at birth. I could fit in the palm of my father's hand and had to wear special tiny clothes made by my aunt Irma because I was so small.  However, I have always been a fighter.  My parents and the doctors were worried about how someone so small could flourish in this big world, but I was determined to do everything my brothers and friends did.

                I grew up in a small agricultural community in heart of the state of Washington called Royal City. I love the Pacific Northwest and I especially loved being a small town farm girl. I was always outside climbing trees and running around barefoot. I also had a slight obsession with princesses and costumes and was rarely found in normal, everyday clothing. It is sometimes difficult when looking at pictures of me as a little girl to determine if it was Halloween or just a normal day in the life of Princess Kate.

My dad also grew up in Washington and several of his siblings stayed close to home as well, so besides my own siblings, Riley, Jace, and Lindsey,  I was blessed to have many cousins and my grandparents living in the same town. My mother grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. Some of my other happiest childhood memories involve visiting my maternal grandparents for Spring Break and Christmas. If you are reading this because you are my child you should know that you come from a very wonderful family. We are not perfect, but we love each other and we love the Lord.

                As a little girl I loved school. I loved to read and I loved to learn. I was a good student and one of the blessings that I most enjoyed about living in a small town was the ability to participate in my High School in any way that I wanted to. I was not a brilliant athlete like my brothers and sister were, but I did participate in Softball, Tennis, Soccer, Drill Team, and Cheerleading. I was also Class president for three out of the four years I spent in High School, Royal City’s Jr. Miss 2006, a state finalist in the Public Speaking event for Future Business Leaders of America, and an elected city mayor at Evergreen Girls State. As previously mentioned, I enjoyed being involved and it became harder at BYU.

                When I was nine years old I diagnosed with a chromatic abnormality called Turner Syndrome. I remember very distinctly being measured by the school nurse and having her tell me that I grew half an inch in the past year. I didn’t know how much that was. I thought it was a lot. She sounded positive.  I happily told my parents, “Hey! Guess what? I grew half an inch this past year…” They were very concerned. That is when we took our first trip to Children’s hospital in Seattle and met Doctor Gunther. He diagnosed me with Turner Syndrome.

                After my diagnoses my life changed in two was. First, I frequently visited Children’s Hospital and I was able to associate with many children who were very sick and dying. I learned that each of us are very blessed and should be thankful for everything we have.  I also started taking daily Growth Hormone injections. This was difficult at first, but I was able to learn that we can all do hard things. Today  as an adult woman I only stand 4 foot  10 inches tall, but I love every inch of my almost five foot frame.

                After high school I attended Brigham Young University. I loved my time at the Y. I met some of my closest and dearest friends there and I learned some of life’s most valuable lessons during my time as a college student. I enjoyed living in Utah and getting to know my mother’s family better.

                I was able to spend a semester abroad in Israel at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. It was a wonderful time in my life. I love the Holy Land and I hope to go back someday. My respect for other people and different cultures grew and my testimony of Jesus Christ as our living Lord and Savior was strengthened.  A desire to serve a mission was planted during my time in Jerusalem. I especially loved Galilee and how beautiful and peaceful it was. I really felt the spirit there and I can see why the savior spent so much time on the coast.

                After returning from Jerusalem I began my studies in the field of Communication Disorders. I originally was thinking about becoming an elementary education teacher. However, I have two aunts who are Speech Language Pathologist and they convinced me to peruse a Master’s Degree in Speech Pathology. It has been a very good decision and I love my major. There are not many career opportunities out there where you have the ability to help people and receive good pay for it. It is a very rewarding career and I enjoy learning about how to restore the human necessity of communication to those who have lost it. When you restore a person’s ability to communicate you restore broken relationships and it a joy to see the tiny every day progress that people make.

                While working as an Especially for Youth counselor  on BYU Campus the summer after returning home from Israel I was called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Texas Houston Mission. I was called to preach the gospel in the Spanish Language.  The experience was the most difficult thing that I have done up until this point in my life, but I would not trade any of the experiences that I had or the lessons that I learned for anything. I love the people of Texas and I grew as a person in ways that I could never imagine. I now teach Spanish at the Missionary Training Center.

                My life has not always been easy, but I have tried to work hard and be happy and follow the Savior. One thing that I learned on my mission is that faith plus obedience equals miracles. I know that as you do your best, the Lord will always be there to lift you and sustain you. Here’s to another 23 years – and hopefully a lot more than that. 

                                                                        CHEERS

Back to Blogging

I have taken a two month break from blogging. It was nice for what it was, but I have missed it and I am not really great a keeping a journal. This is probably the only way my children will ever know if I even lived and what I was interested in. Long story short: I'MMMMMMM BACK. Lucky you. HAHA! Most of you probably didn't even notice that I was gone. Like I said, mostly this is a blog to help me organize my life and I really don't care if it is interesting to you as a reader, but you are welcome to stop by anytime.

Things that I am currently obsessed with:

1. FALL

 Let's be honest. This is my favorite time of year. It is BEAUTIFUL outside and the sun still shines, but the afternoon is nice and crisp and you can wear jeans and boots and scarves without burning up. It includes my birthday and Halloween, two of the best days of the year in my opinion. I blame part of this on Pintrest. You can follow me there if you wish. Basically in my mind I am going to be awesome housewife. Look at all these adorable fall crafts:

Speaking of which...what should I be for Halloween? Seriously. I need ideas....Last year I went to the Hale Center Theater to look at their costumes for rent with a friend. Let me just say it was one of the highlights of my life. I do so love a good costume. Here are some ideas from the theater just to get your mind jogging. Really. You should post an idea.

I am sad that Riley left. The four of us were suppose to be the Mystery Gang. It is so perfect...

2. School

Everyone should have a semester where they only have to take two classes to graduate and can take whatever other classes they want. It is THE BEST. I am taking a world dance class. I am taking a genealogy class. I am taking creative writing and LDS Marriage and Family from Brother Newell. It is the best semester. Besides the one I spend in Israel. Check out THAT experience at www.katechristensen.blogspot.com 

3. Fall entertainment

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS: 

or THIS

or THIS 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/watch/downtonabbey3_preview.html

Apparently I like period pieces. Who knew? What movies and fall TV shows are you looking foreword to? 

Life is good. I have no idea what is going to happen after December, but I am really not worried about it. It will all work out the way that it needs to work out. I will keep you updated. Enjoy TODAY.