New Jersey News      

The Ocean Chronicle - No. 12, Volume 11, January 1st, 2009


 

Happy New Year 2009! We hope you all had a joyful holiday. After days and hours we have finally completed our Annual Newsletter - the 10th year from New Jersey. With four active family members, several cameras and computers, the research to select the best photos to describe our year is getting more and more extensive. We hope you will enjoy our selections.

  

(Pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them; resting the cursor on the picture will show the caption.)

 

All family members are also on Facebook. Please visit us there to follow our every day life.   

 

WINTER □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □

A little snow in early 2008 Even with snow around NJ is still warm Yes, we got a lot of rain in early 2008 Jan, Pia, and Charlotte Fischer

■■ LET IT SNOW ■■
2008 did not bring very much snow. Lin found a great spot for an early tanning.
First visitors of the year were the Fischer's from Denmark who stopped by on their way to Florida. There was still time to visit New York and see Mamma Mia on Broadway. 

 

 

Left: Lin, Meghan, Ana  (low) Krissy & Lin

■■ CHS WINTERBALL 2008 ■■
Communications High School's sophomore class hosted their first semi-formal dance: Winterball. Lin and her friend, Ana Santos volunteered to take the formal photos at the dance with the proceeds going to the Class of 2010 prom. 

 

FEBRUARY □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □

Dinner at Wisper's Enjoying the Sandpipers Inn

■■ VALENTINE’S DAY ■■
Per Ole surprised Kirsten with a formal dinner at Wispers Restaurant in Spring Lake followed by a romantic stay at the Sandpiper Inn at the Jersey Shore.

 

 

Friends gathered for gift opening Lucy showered with gifts for Ella James and Julia coloring, Beata watching

■■ LUCY’S BABY SHOWER ■■
With a due date in March Lucy had her shower at Bob & Mary's in February with lots of people, food, and gifts.

 

 

CHS Dance Club

■■ MR. CHS 2008 ■■
Lin and her classmates Meghan, Paige, Kaitlyn, and Sam founded the CHS Dance Club and spent hours during and after school to
choreograph and rehearse for their performance at the Mr. CHS Pageant. 

 

 

Lin and Krissy waiting for "Spice" Spice Girls Concert in Newark, NJ Friends fulfilling a dream

■■ SPICE GIRLS CONCERT ■■
Both Lin and Krissy have been Spice Girls fans since Denmark, but were too young to attend a concert when the Spice Girls were still together. When they heard the Spice Girls had a reunion tour they immediately bought tickets to see them live in Newark, New Jersey. Lin, Krissy and her friends fulfilled their childhood dreams: to enjoy the Spice Girls live.   

  

 

MARCH □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □

Welcome, Ella! Ella Patricia Ketley Ella with mom, Lucy

■■ ELLA IS BORN ■■
On March7th Lucy gave birth to beautiful baby Ella and James became a big brother. Lucy and Paul are now the perfect nuclear family. 

 

 

Julia on egg-hunt I wonder if there are more eggs ... I saw it first ... There is one more over there

■■ EASTER ■■
Upholding tradition we hosted an Easter Luncheon complete with an Easter-egg hunt which James and Julia enjoyed. 

 

 

Lin as a mannequin Where did they go? Dolls or real?

■■ LIN MANNEQUIN ■■
As part of Lin's new model training at Barbizon Modeling in Red Bank she volunteered to stand in the Barbizon window as a mannequin for local Breast Cancer Day.  Her friend, Ana Santos came by to capture the event. Lin started modeling classes to gain experience and knowledge in the fashion industry as part of her interest in fashion photography.

 

 

APRIL □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □

"Qualcomm Town" in San Diego Per Ole at Qualcomm's headquarters Per Ole and a colleague working in the San Diego lab Vacation stay at relaxing Estancia Resort, San Diego La Jolla beach "Pelican Rock" in La Jolla Painting bought at San Diego auction The historic Hotel Del Coronado

■■ QUALCOMM, SAN DIEGO ■■
Per Ole attended a Qualcomm management training course in San Diego and Kirsten tagged along for a few days of vacation in beautiful La Jolla and Coronado Island. Part of the experience was attending an art auction where we won a few great paintings.

 

 

Brunch at Ocean Place

■■ 10 YEARS IN NEW JERSEY ■■

On April 1st we celebrated our 10-year anniversary of living in New Jersey. Our first nights were at the Hilton Hotel in Long Branch which is now Ocean Place. Naturally we revisited it for a brunch.

 

 

Traditional visit at McDonald's on Times Square Seing RENT off Broadway

■■ RENT ON BROADWAY ■■
Both girls are big fans of the movie RENT. When we learned that RENT was about to retire from Broadway we made sure to experience it there before it was too late. 

 

 

MAY □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □

Krissy, 18 years old Passed the driver's test and got her license Lovely gifts from friends Scenic Girl Scout Camp Sacajewea Eating outside Lakeside on GS Camp Sac Introduction to ropes course Try your best - Did it!

■■ KRISSY’S 18TH BIRTHDAY ■■
On May 10th Krissy officially became an adult - and got her unrestricted driver's license. To celebrate her birthday she and her friends "embraced adulthood" by spending the weekend at Girl Scout camp with a team building ropes course.

 

  

 Beautiful couple ready for prom Cris Belfer and Krissy Kristensen Avi, Kelly, Krissy and Cris Prom girl with parents Last touch for the special night Ready for Junior Prom

■■ KRISSY’S JUNIOR PROM ■■
May 16th was the big day: Junior Prom. Accompanied by Cris Belfer Krissy had a terrific evening which was followed by a post prom at the Sheraton Hotel together with her friend Kelly and boyfriend Avi.

  

 

JUNE □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □

Kirsten celebrating her 50th B-day in Las Vegas Two Danish B-day girls in Las Vegas: Mette Marie (30), Kirsten (50) Hostess of Fif-Tea Dancing Les Lanciers Fif-Tea garden tea party Delicious afternoon tea Waitresses: Meghan and Gianna (Lin's friends)

■■ KIRSTEN’S 50TH (FIF-TEA) BIRTHDAY ■■
On June 10th Kirsten celebrated her 50th birthday in Las Vegas at the World Tea Expo. Later in June friends and networkers from Shore Women gathered for her Fif-Tea with a garden tea party and donations to Three Cups of Tea

 

 

Program for Ballet Recital Lin in action Lin with dance troupe Grand finale 

■■ LIN’S BALLET RECITAL ■■
June 17 was the day of Lin's ballet recital, Sleeping Beauty. After 10 years of dancing at the Margery Carroll School of Ballet, Lin has become an experienced dancer. Lin's friends Gianna, Meghan, and Ana (who took pictures of the show) came to support Lin's performance.

 

 

SUMMER W. GIRL SCOUTS □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □

Arriving in Hawaii Just been leid First step into the Pacific Ocean Beach girls Visiting Pearl Harbor Beautiful Hawaiian  beaches Sharing a coconut the Hawaiian flower: Hibiscus

■■ GIRL SCOUT TRIP TO HAWAII ■■
Lin and Krissy embarked on their first Girl Scout wider-op trip to the Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Kona. The trip's agenda had a nice balance of sightseeing and relaxation. Not a sight was left unexplored, including some of the top beaches in the world.  

 

 

■■ GIRL SCOUT TRIP TO EUROPE: GERMANY, FRANCE & SPAIN ■■
Four days after returning from Hawaii Krissy and Lin were back to traveling with the Girl Scouts, this time on the other side of the world.  Traveling by bus through Europe, the girls visited Munich and Heidelberg (Germany), Paris and Nice (France), and Barcelona, Madrid and Toledo (Spain).  The trip was not as much a vacation as it was a cultural experience, spending only a few days in each city. The bus rides allowed time for good friendships to develop.

 

  

SUMMER @ HOME □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □

Landscaping the back yard Enjoying the finished work A last swim before closing the pool for the winter

■■ GARDEN WORK & LANDSCAPING ■■
After completing the sunroom and deck last fall, the areas around the deck needed a total new landscaping. Loads of topsoil were spread and plants found new homes. The left side of the garden became a 'world' experience with a Mexican, English and Asian garden.

 

 

Gazebo arriving from Pennsylvania On the spot ...

■■ NEW GAZEBO ■■
To complete the 'new' backyard a gazebo was added. It arrived from Pennsylvania on a truck, ready to be placed in the garden.

 

 

Hibatchi dinner with the Tran family and Jan in Pitman Family barbeque dinner in the sunroom

■■ JAN’S VISIT ■■
With the passing of old Uncle Erik in Pitman cousin Jan came over to take care of the estate. Kirsten had the opportunity to meet the Tran family and to help with the challenging house clean-out.  

 

 

Family put to work .... Per Ole working the chain saw Visit to New York

Jess, Lin, Krissy and Jared at Liberty State Park Fastfood in New York

■■ JEANETTE, JESS & JARED VISIT ■■
Cousin Jeanette came down from Canada with Jess and Jared to enjoy some good days with the family. The whole group helped Per cut down trees in the backyard, an exciting activity for everyone! Jeanette, Jess, Jared, Lin and Krissy spent a day in New York City, where they visited the Statue of Liberty and saw a Broadway musical -- Avenue Q.

 

 

Mini Nascar racing Fun competitions Yeah, got it ... Egg throw

■■ QUALCOMM/FLARION FAMILY PICNIC ■■
The whole family attended the annual Qualcomm-Flarion picnic in Forest Lodge, Warren, NJ. Traditionally Krissy and Lin spent a good amount of time at the Nascar mini racecar track. We all enjoyed the games, food and company.

  

 

SEPTEMBER □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □

Lin and Ana Gianna, Lin, and Nina Tables ready for Island Getaway Bartender Jon Whitehead Two birthday girls: Lin Sweet 16, Gianna actually 16 that day! Candle ceremony Sixteen candles Limbo dancing

■■ LIN’S SWEET 16 – ISLAND GETAWAY ■■
On August 10th Lin turned 16. To make it "sweet" she celebrated it with a house full of friends. The theme was inspired by the summer's trip to Hawaii, but had to be held inside, due to a tropical storm ironically ravaging the same day. It was staffed by Krissy's friends: Jon Whitehead who bartended, and Kelly Dobrin who photographed the evening's events. 

 

 

Lin at Riverview Hospital Needles and tests ..

■■ LIN GETS SICK!! =( ■■
Presumably because of all the excitement and stress of the summer's many activities, Lin unexpectedly had a
seizure and fainting episodes. A hospital stay and many doctors' visits didn't give any explanations, but after a spending the first week of her junior year in bed, she slowly gained her strength and made a stellar recovery after having made up for all the missed school work. 

 

 

OCTOBER  □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □

Meghan with her homemade candied apple Powerpuff Girls: Lin, Gianna, Meghan, Ana Trick or Treating in Middletown

■■ HALLOWEEN ■■
 As high school students, Halloween is now more of a social event, gathering candy and spending a fun night together at friends' houses. Unfortunately, not many children showed up at Pal Drive this year. 

  

 

NOVEMBER □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □

Lin at NYLC in Washington D.C. Capitol Hill

■■ LIN GOES TO NYLC IN WASHINGTON DC ■■
On election day, November 4th, Lin had the exceptional opportunity to be in the nation's capital for this exciting day when Americans elected their first African-American president, Barak Obama. The week was spent with other scholars at the National Young Leaders Convention exploring Capitol Hill and U.S. government.

 

 

■■ LIN’S BARBIZON GRADUATION ■■
After six months of training and learning about the modeling industry, Lin graduated from Barbizon. Lin's hard work on creating her Model Magic Magazine paid off: she was awarded the trophy for the best MMM.  Over the previous months her career expanded as she was chosen to be represented by two companies, Highlite Models and Industry Model & Talent Studios.

 

 

Danish hotdogs .. the best! Volunteers in the candy booth Danish meatballs with caramelized potatoes

■■ CHRISTMAS BAZAAR 2008 ■■
Traditionally the whole family volunteered at the annual Christmas Bazaar in the Danish Seamen's Church in Brooklyn, NY. Again this year the candy booth sold for thousands of dollars helping to achieve the highest amount raised for the church at the bazaar. Krissy's friend, Ian volunteered his day to learn about the Danes and their special traditions.

 

 

Induction ceremony Four friends now inducted into National Honor Society Seniors performing induction NHS ceremony

■■ LIN IS INDUCTED INTO NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY ■■
In November Lin and her best friends were proudly inducted in the National Honor Society at her high school. As a senior, Krissy and her class were active in the induction ceremony.

 

 

Traditional cranberry sauce Chef of the year: Krissy The Kristensen's ready for Thanksgiving dinner Krissy, you did well ...

■■ THANKSGIVING ■■
The four of us celebrated a quiet and relaxing Thanksgiving at home this year. We preserved our family traditions, including cranberry sauce made my Kirsten, stuffing made by Krissy, and this year, two chickens prepared by Lin.  

 

 

DECEMBER HOLIDAYS □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □

Tree picking on first Sunday in Advent Yes, this is the right tree! All agree, this is it! Traditional Danish butter cookie baking Rice pudding on Little Christmas Eve, Dec. 23 Calendar candle indicates that today is Christmas! Christmas dinner: duck with caramelized potatoes and red cabbage Danish Christmas desert: Ris a la Mande Krissy got the whole almond - and the gift The Kristensen's, Christmas 2008 Dance around the Christmas tree, "Nu er det Jul igen" Gift sharing

■■ CHRISTMAS 2008 ■■
December is the always a special month in the Kristensen family. We all participate with a variety of chores leading up to our traditional Danish Christmas celebrated on December 24th. Everyone enjoyed a relaxing and long holiday at home having plenty of time to watch movies, read, eat out, go shopping, and 'play' with Christmas gifts.

 

 

KRISSY’S COLLEGE PROCESS □ □ □ □ □ □

Krissy's SAT Score! Friends exploring Columbia University in New York Checking out Stevens Institute of Technology, NJ The old entrance gate to Stevens

■■ SAT SCORES & COLLEGE VISITS ■■
As her senior year approached, Krissy began to prepare for college. Krissy took the infamous SAT Reasoning Test three times, each time trying to increase her score. She finally reached her goal of scoring over 2100 when she took them in October. To celebrate her score of 2140, Kirsten, Lin, Krissy and Kelli had a hibachi lunch after school. In the spring, Krissy and her friends took a day off from school to visit colleges in New York City, touring Columbia University and New York University. Throughout the year, Krissy visited more schools, including Stevens Institute of Technology, and Montclair State University.

 

 

MSU - University of first choice: Montclair State University Celebrating Krissy's acceptance to MSU - 'dorm' picnic

■■ MSU ACCEPTANCE & SCHOLARSHIP ■■
 

In the fall Krissy applied to Ramapo College of New Jersey, Montclair State University, Stevens Institute, Columbia University, Yale University, and Harvard University. Krissy had picked Montclair State as her favorite school, and hoped to receive a scholarship to attend. On December 16th, she received her acceptance to Montclair! The family celebrated college-style: with pizza and soda in the bedroom. Then on December 26th, she got a letter in the mail postmarked on December 24th, informing her she was getting a full scholarship, including room and board, for four years! An incredible Christmas present -- Krissy is now officially enrolled in Montclair State University, anxiously awaiting fall 2009.

 

 

TEA4U □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □

Ivy Cermak's baby shower in January Valentine Teas Open House: Valentine Tea and Chocolate pairing Valentine Tea guests Andres and Gerda Tea 4 U teas served at the Backdoor Cafe Girl Scout Leader Appreciation Tea in May Three tea ladies in Las Vegas: Judy Larkin, Kirsten and Judith Krall-Russo Volunteers at STI tea certification in Las Vegas Pink Tea to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation Keilynn's Bridal Tea in Atlantic City Lin as a published fotographer to Kirsten's article in Tea A Magazine

■■ TEA TIME ■■

2008 was a year of education for Kirsten in her tea business, Tea 4 U, LLC. After attending the World Tea Expo for the fourth time, this year in Las Vegas, she became certified at the highest professional level in White teas and later in Pu'erh teas in New York, arranged by the Specialty Tea Institute of Tea USA. Many tea parties - educational and entertaining - some for fundraising, were held for an audience of tea exploring children and adults expanding their knowledge of tea varieties, health, history and culture. A few tea related articles were published in Tea A Magazine, see: www.tea4u.com/tearesources.html. Tea 4 U also got a blog.

 

 

Fundraising tea for Three Cups of Tea in Bridgewater Brookdale librarians' contribution to 3CT Final deposits for 3CT The official end of the two-year project: Goal achieved, $35,000 to 3CT

■■ 3CT COMPLETE ■■
June was the official end of the "Knowledge is Power, Three Cups of Tea" fundraising project at Brookdale Community College, spearheaded by Kirsten. After numerous fundraising teas, mailings, collections, and other events the goal was reached: $35,000 for an elementary school to be built by Greg Mortenson, Central Asia Institute in Pakistan/Afghanistan. Thanks to all of you who supported us and made this project possible. Together we did it! Asalaam Alaikum: Peace be with you!

  

 

 

 

 

This wraps it up for the year of 2008 for the Kristensen family.

Please visit us on Facebook to stay up-to-date with the happenings of our lives.  

        ■■■■■ Happy New Year To All! ■■■■■       

Lin, Krissy, Kirsten & Per Ole Kristensen