Mountain Green, Utah 2016 -?

The view from Harvest Point Circle's front door May 2016 

Front view of 5942 Harvest Point Circle home

MOUNTAIN GREEN, UTAH - 2016-?

As previously mentioned our moved to Mtn. Green was a miracle move. We had decided to stay in NSL for the next few years and then look for a home with a large gathering room, bedrooms on the main level and possibly closer to Roger’s work in Ogden (after we paid down our mortgage so we could make an offer without a contingency). But I guess we were supposed to move earlier for some yet unknown reason. I do not think many people have a random stranger knock on their door when their home is not even on the market and offer to buy it. We had seen and liked the Mtn. Green home earlier. This Harvest Point Circle home was still on the market, but we did one last sweep-search from North Salt Lake to North Ogden to make sure that it was where we were supposed to be. The house was definitely too big for us with 6600 square feet, but it had everything we wanted and more. We decided since some of our friends had cabins, this was our combo house/cabin. (I will omit the price, but it was over 10X the cost of our first house). It was only 20 minutes from Roger’s work, but still in a lovely mountain setting and had room for all the family to visit . They all did come to visit shortly after we moved.

Back/side view of Harvest Point Circle home

Back decks and fish pond

Side of the house with a bridge over the stream

All of our children, grandchildren and my parents came to stay for Keegan’s wedding in May only two and a half weeks after we moved in. There were 23 of us total under one roof. I worked from 6:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. every day but Sundays to get everything unpacked and ready. Keegan and Lirenza were hit broadside in my car two days before the wedding, but they were okay. The Honda was not however which complicated the driving situation, but turned out to be a blessing. My car was larger so they were not injured when hit and their car was available to drive to Florida and not be in a repair shop for over two weeks. The Taylor’s arrived first on Wednesday the 11th (the day of the wreck) and Hailey started working on the wedding cake. KC and Macey were stranded in the Oakland airport overnight due to an NBA Finals game and the Platt’s flew in late that night. Buttars, Huber’s and my parents arrived on Thursday May 12th in time for the wedding dinner. After much searching I found a lovely place in Bountiful called The Canterbury Place that had room for us all and would prepare a dinner for the 120 family members. Their lemon chicken was excellent, the toasts were tender and the video of Lirenza and Keegan’s courtship so sweet. It was such a memorable nice night.

Brothers after KC's toast

The head table at The Canterbury Place wedding dinner

At 11:00 the next morning, Friday the 13th of May 2016, Keegan and Lirenza Noelle Gillette were sealed in the Salt Lake City Temple. It was a special love-filled sealing blending our two families. There were many photos taken at the temple grounds and then again before the reception at Liberty Park with all the family and the 14 bridesmaids and 14 groomsmen. It was quite a celebration. 

Keegan and Lirenza on the SLC Temple steps

Newlywed photo op at the Temple

The Christensen original six kids with new sister

The growing Christensen family with all 21 of us

The wedding party with 14 bridesmaids and 14 groomsmen

The reception that night began at 8:00 P.M. on the 3rd story of the Old Primary Children’s Psych Ward just above the Utah State Capitol. Lirenza’s Grandpa Wright owned the building and lived on the 2nd floor and Keegan and many family members from both sides worked for some time to get the place ready for their celebration. (before and after photos)

Keegan, Greg and others working on the reception place.

Keegan and Lirenza dancing at their reception.

So many people came to wish them well at the reception and maybe catch a glimpse of the Psych Ward on Friday the 13th? There was a jazz band playing, dancing (we had a mother/son dance to the Green Day song “Time of Your Life”) and a sparkler-tunnel exit before they headed off on a honeymoon to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico followed by a four-day drive to their new home in Orlando, Florida. Keegan literally had married his “Princess Bride”.

Their wedding cake Hailey made.

Groom with mother, bride with father wedding dance

After the newlyweds departed the rest of the family stayed around until Sunday and we hiked to Green Pond at Snow Basin, had dinner at Huntsville BBQ and a rousing game of ultimate frisbee in the park across the street. It was so fun to have everyone home all enjoying each other. Time went far too fast. Afterward Rog and I settled in to our new mountain life without any family in Utah. So weird. 

Roger has been working on many house maintenance projects and I have been trying to save the fish in our pond and weed the yard while dodging snakes. When we moved in we had over 30 fish of various colors and after returning from a trip to Rexburg (to help when Cash broke his leg), the numbers were down to about 16 due to chemicals and predators. I have cleaned the water, provided lily pads to hide under, a "scare-crane" and a net to keep large birds from carrying them off. Roger thinks I need more to do than save fish. 

Our new family history consultant calling may be helpful in that area. I truly have been gaining a testimony of finding my ancestors. Some of my favor experiences have been 1) finding little Pearl whose other family member's work was already completed, 2) spiritually connecting with spinster Ida Irene who never married and was in a boarding house in her 70’s, 3) Captain Hook’s only son William Walker Hook wanting his family work done including his son's Private Walker who was killed in the Civil War at only 18 from a shot to his groin, 4) finding the parents of Lutheran Reverend Michael Meyerhoeffer who died at 39 leaving nine children…and so many more. Hopefully this calling will help me get better at finding my ancestors and helping “turn the hearts of the children to their fathers” in general. 

On July 9th 2016 we held a section of a Christensen Family Reunion at this Mtn. Green home to help christen our new domicile. Over 60 family members of Roger's family came for breakfast and to hear words from our matriarch Grandma Bonnie Kay Lewis Christensen Welch (sort of like King Benjamin speaking to his people). Only the Taylor's and Huber's were able to come from our family unit since everyone had just been here for Keegan's wedding, but all of Roger's siblings and many of the other grandchildren and even great grandchildren were there. Hopefully Bonnie felt blessed by her posterity that day.

The Huber grandkids stayed with us for two weeks following the reunion since their mom had long days of clinicals for her rad-tech course. We had an action packed time together with passes to go to Seven Peaks water park, went on hikes (which Karley hated and howled much of the way), went to parks (one had the band Chicago playing a concert), to the library (since they are voracious readers), to lunch and dinner, a drive-in double feature movie, Lehi fun center, baseball game, Real Men can Cook fundraiser and a rodeo. Glad grandma can still keep up, albeit sunburned and exhausted. It was a good memory maker and generation bonder and made our home sing with life.

This section will remain unfinished as we are not done living here! We have already met some fun friends who live nearby named the Halls and have found we are nearly the oldest people in the ward. The nearest grocery store is over 10 miles away, but it is lovely to wake up to the beauty of the mountains and enjoy the many hikes in the neighborhood and nearby. One morning when walking the nature trails, I had the impression that this move was a gift from God...living at "Harvest Point" Circle, our harvest of blessings.... and #5942...I was born in '59 and then had 4 girls and 2 boys. I know I am weird, but I do believe our Father watches out for us and "all things work together for the good to them that love God".  Hopefully our lives are blessed here and we can bless and serve others. To be continued…..

Possible songs to be sung at my future funeral:

1) "For Good" from the musical Wicked

2) "Window to His Love" by Julie de Azevedo

3) "Each Life that Touches our for Good" Hymn #293

4) "Bring Him Home" from the musical Les Mis 
(maybe a medley of appropriate parts of my favorite songs from musicals...including #1 and #4)