Merry Christmas 2002

The biggest news of this past year is the birth of our new baby girl, Janelle.  She was born on October 14^th and has been such an easy baby. She even started sleeping all through the night right from the first!  The kids have loved having a baby around and Janika was especially excited to finally get a baby sister. 

Janika just turned seven years old and loves first grade.  I thought it might be an adjustment going from kindergarten to first grade but it wasn’t at all and it sure made things quieter at home!  She continues to be quite the reader and reads several years ahead of her grade level.  Janika has been begging to get her hair cut short for a long time and so we finally gave the go ahead.  Rick had a hard time seeing her long locks go but she looks darling in her new “do.”  She wanted to donate her hair to the “Locks of Love” – an organization that makes wigs and hair pieces for kids who have cancer – and so she got ten inches cut off and sent it to them. 

Jase just turned five years old and loves going to pre-school.  He loves playing computer games, dancing, singing, playing with Jared and getting Janelle to smile.

Jared will be three in March.  He is very affectionate with his new baby sister (a little too much at times) but also still wants plenty of attention coming his way.  

We went on several fun vacations this year. During Spring Break we took the kids to California and stayed in some really nice condos.  First we went to Big Bear and stayed at a condo in the mountains and then we went to San Diego and stayed at a condo right on the beach.  We went to the beach (which the kids loved!) and also spent a couple of days at “Lego Land” and “Sea World.”   

Rick planned another family vacation over Father’s Day, which he called “Father’s Day Flee.” This later became an annual tradition! We reserved a bunch of condos up at Powder Ridge Ski Resort and enjoyed swimming, hiking, tennis, and ski-doos at Pine View Reservoir with our family and extended family.

Rick and I also went on a 7-day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean with our friends, Curtis and Stephanie Healey.   Unlike last year, this time the Norway actually sailed!   It was fun having some time without the kids and the kids had their own great vacation at Grandma and Grandpa Jensens. The only down-side to all of our vacations was that I was pregnant during all of them and had plenty of morning sickness. 

Rick also went on a church history tour with another Seminary teacher.  They flew out to New York and then drove down to Missouri – visiting all of the Church History sites along the way.

This last summer we finally got our cement brick wall put up all around our back yard and Rick worked very hard putting up a diamond block wall in the back.  We then had cement poured and purchased a 20X4 foot above ground pool in order to go skinny dipping, woops!  I mean, swimming!  It was so wonderful to take a dip in the pool to cool off in the St. George summer heat!  The kids went swimming every single day and Janika pretty much taught herself how to swim.  Jase also overcame his fear of swimming and improved dramatically. Of course they all got very tan and Jani became very blonde.

This yearly update wouldn't be complete without adding a few "funnies" from the kids! 

Last night Jase fell out of bed and started to cry. I don’t know how it happened because he had just barely gone to bed and was still awake. Well I gave him hugs and kisses and then Jared leaned over until he fell out of bed too and then he started into some fake crying. It was so funny. I guess he wanted hugs and kisses too!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few weeks ago in Primary Jase was called up to give the closing prayer.The Primary President must have thought he needed help because she started whispering things in his ear to say. She whispered “We thank thee for the Holy Ghost” and Jase said loud and clear, “We Thank Thee for Legoes!”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was in line with Janika at her school when the lady behind me asked, “When is your baby due?” Janika then whispered to me, “Mom, how does she know you’re pregnant?”

Hmmm……must be that motherly glow….

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Whenever Jared tries to pick up scissors or a knife I always tell him “No, danger!” We were shopping in Staples a couple of months ago when he suddenly yelled out, “Danger!!” I looked on the shelves and sure enough there were scissors there for sale!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rick is teaching Seminary at Snow Canyon High School this year.  He enjoyed teaching at Tuacahn but was glad for the change.  Now he actually has an office again and is with other teachers and has a nice big room that he can set up differently for different lessons.

I am still teaching an evening class of ASL at Dixie College and doing freelance interpreting and mentoring and training other interpreters and interpreter students. Rick is the executive secretary and choir director in our ward and I am the Primary Chorister. 

Speaking of music, we have been extremely busy this Christmas Season with our caroling group “Hands in Harmony.”  Rick wrote all of their musical arrangements and several original pieces and they are gorgeous!  This year he purchased Schlumerich Hand Bells for the group and they have added so much!  There are eleven kids in the group this year ranging from in age from eleven to seventeen.  It is amazing that they have learned all of this difficult music with such tight harmonies as well as hand-bells and sign language on several of the songs.  Word had spread from last year and we had no difficulty getting performances this year.  In fact, they had around fifty performances!  It can get really difficult at home because I feel like a Single Mom in December but it is fun to see the group be so successful and they look and sound great!

 

We feel really blessed as we reflect on everything that Heavenly Father has given us.  We have truly been blessed with a wonderful family and friends and many opportunities to serve.  We hope to live worthy of all that we have been blessed with!!