HISTORY

A Little History:
Our story begins in Pocatello, Idaho, circa 1972, when the lovely Debby Christensen agreed to a first, though fateful date with admirer, David Croshaw. Long story-short, he bade her follow him, and they went arm-in-arm to the Logan, Utah temple for establishment of an eternal family unit, Generation 1, on May 23 1973.

From their first blissful summer in Salt Lake City, educational pursuits took them to Provo/Orem, Utah, birthplace of Leslie and Rebecca, and to San Francisco/Oakland California, birthplace of Colin and Matt. Then, for establishment of livelihood, expansion of the tribe with Abby and Dana, and for raising/unifying of Generation 2, it was back to the roots in Pocatello for a rewarding sojourn.

In time, driven by a raging, but commonly shared sense of adventure and independence, one-by-one, Generation 2 escaped the homeland to distant regions of the country and the world, each ultimately developing their own tribal expansions by pairing with worthy mates and initiating Generation 3.

Now sensing fulfillment of their purpose in Pocatello, Generation 1 has also left those roots and transplanted to Cascade Idaho, from which base, they anticipate more abundant contact with The Posterity, Generations 2 and 3, in the future. That contact however, awaits fulfillment of a call to LDS missionary service in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, wherein they hope to help the state of the world by sharing the love of Jesus Christ.

So now, including Generation 0 (Grandma and Grandpa Christensen) home base includes Yuma, Arizona, Pocatello, Idaho, Cascade, Idaho, Vancouver, BC, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Spokane, Washington, Boise, Idaho, Los Angeles, California, back to Boise, Idaho, and on and on (Generation 3+) to infinity.

Our Mission Statement:
This is the blog of our eternal family unit. Initiated years ago, it served well as a journal, but even more so, as an archive of our personal interaction. It was a gathering place, a confabulation instrument, a unifying force for four generations of widely dispersed and progressively prolific posterity, and their valued associates. Though it served these purposes well for many years, it eventually took a back seat to new-kids-on-the-block, Facebook, and Instagram, and was sadly forgotten.

We now move to resurrect this blog with an added functional purpose of archiving the missionary experiences of Generation 1, of their movements and activities as they participate with The Gathering of Israel in the land northward. In so doing, we hope that via their own comments and posts, this blog will again serve to gather and unify the posterity and their friends.

As in the past, that the young and vibrant may know the old and tired, that enduring bonds may be fostered and maintained, that experience and encouragement may be openly shared, that posterity may embrace truth, and that hearts may be knit together, we must resist detachment despite our geographic divergence. We shall do so here.
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Thursday, January 31, 2008

can you comment me?

please look at my blog!

www.valligirlvalerie.blogspot.com

or you can email me too!

valligirlvalerie@gmail.com

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Reason 1288726 why to eat meat sparingly

A human tongue has been served up in a hospital canteen's chicken risotto — and bosses reckon it was accidentally dropped into the food by a doctor.

Slovenian officials are investigating after a doctor complained about a strange piece of meat on his plate.

Ananova.com revealed the doctor insisted it was not chicken and after some intense bickering it was sent away for tests — and found to be part of a human tongue.

Inspectors have closed the canteen in Izola, southern Slovenia, to review hygiene standards.

Bosses believe a doctor could have unwittingly dropped the tongue in the food after treating a patient.

A hospital spokesman insisted: "I can say clearly that we have never used patients' parts in any of our dishes."

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

No more binki

A historical day for Jackson, I took his BB away and he has hardly noticed, completely opposite of what I figured would happen. He cried a bit for his first nap without it but I cut them and said they were broken and to throw them away and he did. Way to go Jackson!!!

Monday, January 28, 2008

Your Input Please

I was just curious about others' thoughts on the movie Hot Rod. I want to get any input from anyone who has seen the movie and what you thought (Ray, Jason, Matt). I just need to know if my thoughts on the movie are justified, because Lori and I had very different opinions on the movie.
Colin

We're Global

Either word is out that we have a great blog, or we're being spied on. If you check the map below, you will see all the locations from which people have visited our blog today. Usually, there are dots on the North America map, specifically in Idaho, Oklahoma, Mexico, Ohio, and 2 in Virginia, all expected. Last week though, I noticed a dot down in the Northern Carribean and wondered if Leslie had put one of her D R friends onto us. I talked to her yesterday as she was on her way to SF, and she told me she had been in Haiti last week on business. So, mystery solved, it was her dot I had seen. But then today, I noticed dots in both India and Austrailia. New mystery, new conspiracy. Ideas anyone?
Dad

Sunday, January 27, 2008

President Hinckley

For those of you who may not have heard...

Click here.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Guy Humor

OK, the guys will definitely like this, but you girls might like it too, if you're in a silly mood. If so, it will be the best laugh you've had all week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egCeIwjIuZM

Dad

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Looks like someone stayed up too late

If you haven't seen this yet, you'll love it. If you have, you'll laugh harder the second time.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=cYvvdZe2l64
Bill Clinton just makes it so easy to pick on him. It didn't help that he's sitting right behind the speaker where everyone is looking.
I especially like how he wakes up and nods his head like he's been listening the whole time. Then he checks his watch like he has somewhere better to be.
This reminds me of a certain Bishop I knew when I was in high school. Anyone else?

Monday, January 21, 2008

American Gladiators - Re-living the dream



Am I the only one that was jumping up and down to see the american gladiators return, and not even to late night NBC after SNL. But Prime time monday nights. Now that is what I call family home evening.
Maybe for the guys the winner of the weight loss contest should try out for american gladiators. Now their is some motivation.




Contestants ready........Gladiators ready.........










Sunday, January 20, 2008

More From Hugh Nibley

Sorry, this is a long one, but Mom's Nibley post and a few other recent events made me think of this quote. It's the one I read at Grandma's funeral. Nibley did have a very intricate mind. This is good stuff. Read this quote (it may take two or three reads, with a dictionary,) and then consider how grateful you are for modern-day revelation. In contemplating the inherent questions of our earthly existence, art and philosopy are entertaining but are otherwise pretty much useless. Science is very helpful in that it provides limited proof to some elements of life, but since it works on hypothesizes it is often wrong and can never claim to offer absolute truth. Beyond scientific bounds, if we can muster enough faith to recognize it, our revelatory religion will give us firm answers, even allowing us to know the mysteries of God. It remains the only medium by which we can know the answers to our individual dilemmas and the essential truths of our existence, with confidence. Always remember that.
Dad

ESCATOLOGY
From the Collected Works of Hugh Nibley: Vol. 3, Ch. 31, pp 268-269

"Since World War II there has been a new look at religion, fundamental to which has been what one eminent scholar calls A the rediscovery of the importance of eschatology within the New Testament. And what is eschatology? A parable can best explain:

There was once a man who went to see a play at the theater. He arrived an hour and a half late, and had barely taken his seat when an emergency call obliged him to leave. The next day a friend asked him how he liked the play. What could the man answer except that he saw almost nothing of it? What he saw may have been gay or depressing, colorful or exciting, but it was no play at all; it was only a three-minute glimpse of what might or might not be a meaningful drama. Such is our position in the world. We come late to a play which has been in progress for ages, and we never stay long enough to find out what is really happening. We get a glimpse of the stage and the actors and hear a few lines of speech or music, and then we are hustled out of the house. From what we have seen, we may rack our brains to reconstruct some sort of plot, but our speculations can never be anything but the wildest guesses. Yet unless we know both how the play began (that is, protology) and how it ends (that is, escatology), the whole show remains utterly meaningless to us, a tale told by an idiot,... signifying nothing. And not to know what the play is about is an intolerable state of things; it is not to be borne. For not only do we find the drama strangely engrossing, but we are actually pushed out onto the stage and expected to participate intelligently in what is going on. We are much too involved in the thing to settle for a play without a meaning, but who can tell us what it is all about?

Literature and Art can help us enjoy or endure the play; they harp everlastingly on the tragic transience of our stay in the theater, help us to appreciate quickly passing beauty of the scene before us, and incite us to speculate and wonder whether there is any meaning to the thing at all and what it might be. But by their own confession (and the greater the artist the greater the frustration) the masters can only tell us that we are such stuff as dreams are made of and that as far as they can see, this world, the cloud-capped towers and gorgeous palaces, the solemn temples, the great globe itself, yea all which it inherits, shall dissolve, and, like an unsubstantial pageant faded, leave not a rack behind. What went before? What comes after? Don't ask the artist: he has seen as little of the play as you have. Philosophy would like to tell us what the play is about, but will not allow itself to run out of scientific bounds; it [philosophy] remains too often the pariah dog, snapping at the heels of religion and scavenging in the camp of science. It is to science and religion that we must turn for definite answers..."

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Hugh Nibley

Ok, I am watching byu tv while exercising today. there was a program on hugh nibley. probably one of the most brilliant men ever, not including the savior, and joseph smith, of course, but really, this man is/was brilliant. he said that there are only two things we can do in this life. just two. forgive and repent. so, he said, we had better get repenting. what do you think? xoxo mom

The Hispanic David Croshaw





So, has anyone else ever thought that Bill Richardson looks like the Hispanic (and liberal) David Croshaw?  I have thought so ever since we lived in New Mexico.  You really have to see Bill talk to get the full effect.  You should think about it next time you see him on TV, the resemblance is uncanny! :)

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

I love my job right now.

I just found out that I get to take a trip to beautiful BYU-Hawaii at the end of February, so that I can recruit more people to work at the Census. I fed them some lines about how I attended school there, so I understand the culture (read: religion) and I'll be able to answer questions they'll have about the DC area and social scene (read: what the wards are like and if there are a lot of YSAs in the area). I guess they liked it. I think I was selected in the second round - after someone else was selected and backed out. My head is still spinning.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Sick, sick, sick

We have been living in the cycle of sick children at our house.  It all started with Maggie getting an ear infection about 3 weeks ago.  Then Elliot got an eye infection.  Then Grace started complaining about her head hurting, which turned into a fever that lasted about 8 days!!!  I took her to the doctor twice, only to be told both times that it was "just a virus".  She missed a whole week of school.  About the time Grace was getting better Maggie started getting sick again.  She has a horrible cold, has had a fever and we found out today that she has pink eye!!  Elliot was also diagnosed with a double ear infection today.  Will it ever end?!?  I don't even want to think about how many times we have been to the doctor/urgent care(on weekends).   Thank goodness for insurance, that's all I have to say about that.   This has made me realize that I really need to be more diligent about hygiene-every time I pick Grace up from school she will get her hands wiped down and use hand sanitizer.  The same goes for the grocery store, church, friend's houses, etc.  If anyone has any suggestions for a homeopathic immune system booster I am totally open to it!

On a lighter note, Maggie had her 9-month well baby check today (how ironic is that) and she is in the 35th % for height and the 95th % for weight!!  How cute is that!  She is so roly poly!

PS: I am also posting this on our family blog-cut and paste, gotta love it!

Monday, January 14, 2008

Slow computer

Does anyone know if having a lot of pictures on your computer will make it slow? Our computer has gotten very slow over the past few months but I have not been loading more pictures on it than before just maybe a few digital movies from my camera. Can anyone help us out please?

Thanks!! Lori

The Big Whopper Freakout!


Don't know if you guys have seen this http://www.whopperfreakout.com/index.html, but I thought it was pretty funny. Made me want to go buy a Whopper. ;)


Saturday, January 12, 2008

Gray glove

after reading the socks comments, i thought i would ask all of you out there in cyberspace if you found a gray glove after we were all at kirtland? if not, i'll give up on it and throw it away. i really did like those gloves.

PROFESSIONALISM

The following quote is by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. I do not necessarily consider him a wise man, as we know wise men, but in this statement he said a wise thing. I have found this to be a true principal in my life - except, of course, in the obvious areas of sports and body building. I guess I should qualify that this is a true principal in any area over which you personally have control or in which some physical gift is not required to succeed.
Dad


PROFESSIONALISM

Don’t ever do anything as though you were an amateur. Anything you do, do it as a professional to professional standards.

If you have the idea about anything you do that you just dabble in it, you will wind up with a dabble life. There will be no satisfaction in it because there will be no real production you can be proud of.

Never let it be said that you lived an amateur life. Develop the frame of mind that whatever you do, you are doing it as a professional and move up to professional standards in it.

Learn this as a first lesson about life: The only successful beings in any field, including living itself, are those who have a professional viewpoint and make themselves professionals.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Free Form Verse

For Christmas, I asked for socks.

I needed them.

I got them.

in my drawer I have again, lots of singles...

Is it a metaphor for something I don't understand?

Why does this always happen to me?

Does the dryer eat socks?

Is there a sock heaven for all the socks viscously vandalized and removed from their mate?

One thing is for sure...

In the heavens, are stockings single?

No the thought makes REASON STARE!

Seriously... I got like... 10 pairs from my brother and I bought at least 10-15 when they were 49 cents at Target (YAY 75% off on New Year's Eve on Christmas items!)... now I have a bunch of singles!

I need one of those lingerie bags, I had one, but then... well, I didn't need it anymore so I gave it to my friend Tiffany.

Sigh.

Also, random thought... I love the pajama bottoms I got from the Croshaw parentals, they are yummy!

How Well Do you Know Yourself... and Others?

First of all, Lori that is the most-beautiful 8 week fetus I have ever seen- and I mean that. Can I use the picture in my class? It is a PRISTINE image, the ultrasound tech should be congratulated for certain.

I hope everyone is ok- this weather is INSANE! We were at 75 degrees Monday and today, back in the 40's. Yuck. There was a tornado in my brother's town Tuesday and one in the town I attended middle school the day before. In addition, there was a 6.5 earthquake off Oregon and 2 volocanos in South America have erupted and now Georgia and the deep south are being pounded by tornadic activity. If I wanted to, I could get scared that the end times are here!

With all this though, I have still had time (lucky you!) to find out about the below calculator that I plan to show to my huge classes tomorrow. They always want to talk politics, but since we can't, we don't. I can, however, with clear conscious show them this calculator. By the way, I have another boy in my Biology of Women class, he seems fine with it so far, but we haven't gotten into the fun stuff yet... then we will see. He was not so happy to hear about the history of health care and the health profession yesterday though... oh well, I speak the truth.

The reason for the post.

I heard about this and that it was very, very accurate and unbiased and although it took 3 days (the site has gotten LOTS of traffic!) I finally got in. I actually matched with the person I plan to vote for- I am in the 8% of the population... most people do not match up with whom they plan to vote.

How do you match up with the candidate you would like to vote for in terms of voting record, etc?

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE CALCULATOR

Monday, January 7, 2008

Spicing things up a bit.

Could it be a boy? Or maybe a girl?

Ask Mia and she will tell you this baby is a girl. Only time will tell.
This is just 8 weeks. Due date is August 19.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Hey, don't bug MY DADDY!


Colin was exhausted this day, I think we stayed up late watching a movie. Jack just got woken up from his nap early so he would go to bed by 8. It's not the best quality picture but I love Jack's expression. They are just too sweet.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Another blog feature

Since I never mentioned this at Thanksgiving like I said I would, if you want to be able to add to the blog from your own email, here’s how:

* Sign in using croshaws@gmail.com

* From the Dashboard, click on Settings

* Click on the Permissions tab

* Click ADD AUTHORS

* Type in your email and click INVITE

Then check your email and do what it says from there. After that, you’ll be able to log in to the blog and post things under your own name. (Like this!)

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Valerie and her Relationship with Santa...

Valerie never really has liked strangers- especially strangers who are of the male category. I was going to put this up Christmas Eve, but I could not find my frame with all these in it... Why they are all sideways, I do not know... I turned them in Photoshop!


Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Oh, that lake effect snow




Colin's idea of physical therapy for his back consisted of a nap. He deserved it though. I just wanted to take one too. Surprisingly the kids were only out for less than 15 minutes. Last time we could have been out forever as far as Jack was concerned. He loves the out doors.

New blog feature

Hey everybody,
With all the individual and family blogs I thought it would be nice to be able to access them from the family blog. I tried to find Matt's blog the other day by going through all the posts but that took too long. To add your blog to the list just sign in under the croshaws@gmail.com sign in, go to view blog, then click on customize on the top of the page, then go to Family Member's blogs and click edit, then add your URL and name then save it. I think it is a nice feature.
So it snowed last night and with the drifting it left 1-2 feet of snow over the entire driveway. I just got done shoveling it. Luckily I didn't have to work today or I would have had to use a sick day. I know my car does pretty well in snow, but I'm not sure it could have gone far in snow up to the top of the tires. We were told that rent included snow removal, but apparently that is not the case. I had a little help from a neighbor with a snow blower. I guess if we stay here we will be getting a snow blower, maybe this year if we get more storms like this one.
Anyways, I need to go start physical therapy for my back now. I haven't worked like that in a while.
Colin