Merry Christmas 2003

I am going to go ahead and give a recap of everything that has gone on in our lives in the past year.  Deciding we desperately needed new storage space, we had two sheds built near our house.  It was very nice to have a place to put the pool and all of the pool supplies and also the bikes, jogging strollers and other storage.  Rick also finished the diamond block wall in the back yard and the stairs going up to the mountain trail and we got curbing put around the grass.  Everything turned out really nice.  We also ripped out our carpeting in the hallway and living room and put in laminate wood flooring in those areas and the kitchen.  We loved the results and it really opened up our home making it look more spacious. It has also been a lot easier to clean! We also got a new digital camera this year and Rick became quite the pro at using it!! He took these beautiful pictures of the kids!   

This year we had church from 9:00 to 12:00.  Rick served as Executive Secretary for the Bishop and I was Primary Chorister.  Although it was nice having church early, it was difficult getting everyone ready for church on time while Rick was gone to his meetings. Sunday mornings were always a little (okay…VERY!) stressful trying to get myself and all of the kids ready for church on time. It was also chaotic after church trying to get everyone changed and fed while Rick was gone to his other meetings. Needless to say, we didn’t have nice Sunday meals very often this year. One Sunday tradition we started this year was “Quiet Time.” After Rick was home and lunch was finished and put away, Rick and I would go and take a nap (if Janelle and Jared were napping that is). Janika and Jase could quietly entertain themselves by reading or playing quietly together.  It worked out quite nicely!

Janika and Jase both started soccer this year in our local Ivins league.  All of the games and practices were close by at Red Mountain Elementary school. They both seemed to enjoy it but neither one was very aggressive. They both improved a (a little) by the end of the season. We had quite a variance of weather this year and we actually woke up to Snow on March 1^st!   The kids had fun playing in the snow and making a snowman and then just one week later it was 70 degrees out! 

Over Spring Break we went up to East Canyon (which we didn’t like and ended up trading for Park City) and took the kids tubing. My mom and dad came up for a couple of days and so grandpa went tubing with the kids too and Grandma went swimming and hot-tubbing with us.  Our newly married friend Karen (Varner) Hunter came up with husband for dinner one night while we were there.

For April Fools Rick and the kids played a funny joke on me.  I came out of my Sign Language class and realized that the car was missing. In its place was Janika's little bike with a note attached to it and a bright pink head-band with two pink braids.  Laughing, I read the note which was a rhyming poem saying I had to ride the bike in three large circles around the parking lot with the pink braids on my head while singing and screaming at the top of my lungs, “Attention…I’ve been April Fooled!!” Rick and the kids were hiding in a borrowed van video-taping the whole thing! During the summer we started Janika in piano lessons (I had been teaching her on and off before this) and she progressed really well although it was still difficult getting her to practice!

For Mother’s Day we had our annual “Mother’s Day Tea.” We all dressed up in costumes and Rick greeted us at the door in his “Butler” English accent and invited us to the party.  We drank milk from miniature china tea cups and ate peanut butter bars on miniature china plates. 

Jase graduated from pre-school!! Jase still has trouble understanding the concept of answering machines and caller ID.  He can recognize when the phone says "UNAVAILABLE" and warns us all not to answer the phone.  He can also recognize when it is dad calling or Gerilyn.  One time he picked it up too fast and then said, "Mom, it's for you!" After being stuck on the phone for ten minutes with some salesperson, I told Jase, not to pick it up so fast next time. I explained that the caller ID said "unavailable," which means we don't know who they are.  He said, "Next time I answer the phone I will just ask, "Are you unavailable?  And if they say "yes" then I will say I can't talk and hang up!" I laughed out loud at that one!

In June Gerilyn, Shelby and Abbee tended the kids while Rick and I went to our annual Area Convention in Springdale near Zions Canyon.  We brought Janelle with us and she ended up getting a cold and was so fussy during the trip that we decided not to bring her with us on our next trip!

For Father’s Day we went on our annual “Father’s Day Flee.” Rick assigned a theme and assigned lessons for family members to give while we were there. We went to Bear Lake and had several family members come up at alternating times to stay with us in the condo. We waded in the lake and went swimming in the condo pool and played tennis and went through the Minitonka caves among other things.  It was a fun vacation.

 

This year Rick became an EFY (Especially for Youth) speaker. He had never applied before but decided to try it out this year. He was very excited when he got accepted.  He spoke at BYU in Provo and also in Rohnert Park. This is where he served his mission and so when he saw it on the list of possible choices, he requested to go there and they gave permission.

Since it was over our Anniversary, we decided that I would go with him (we had to pay my way) and we could make an Anniversary trip out of it.  We flew to San Francisco and spent a few days there before going to Rohnert Park. Gerilyn, the most wonderful sister-in-law ever, came down to St. George to watch all of our kids.  It was the first time leaving Janelle for so long. She seemed to adjust fine to our absence, but as soon as she saw me after the trip she freaked out and burst into tears. I just held her and tried to console her -- all the while feeling extremely guilty for having left her!     

I taught my ASL class at the college this Spring Semester but my Fall class was cancelled since there were not enough students to carry the class. Instead of being disappointed I was actually a little relieved. Rick is always so busy during the Fall with his Caroling group that it makes teaching harder.  I also did my mentoring job during the Spring but not the Fall.

Both these cancellations ended up being a blessing with our surprise news that I was pregnant! I know I wouldn’t have felt much like teaching or mentoring while I was having morning sickness! We had been planning on going to Hawaii the summer of 2004 to celebrate our 10 year anniversary, but then I found out that I was pregnant and due the first part of June.  I wasn’t very disappointed about having to cancel Hawaii – after all, we can go to Hawaii in the future, but I don’t have too many years left to have babies! It was funny because just a few days before I found out I was pregnant we were going to have family prayer and Rick looked around and said, “Who is missing?”  I said “No one – we are all here.”  He said, “Why do I get the feeling like someone is missing?”  We had also been searching for a bigger house before we even knew we were pregnant.

Rick continues to do the grocery shopping in our home which is perfectly fine with me!  Each Saturday he takes one of the kids out shopping with him for some one on one time.  They like to go to Costco and try the samples (except for our picky eater Jared) and then Rick will offer to take them out to lunch (which usually consists of free hot-dogs at Boulevard Home Furnishings!) 

We continue to have family home evening lessons on Sundays and then a family home evening activity on Monday nights. Of course being a Seminary teacher, Rick has given some wonderful lessons!  Janika has really given some good lessons too – planning them all by herself.  The kids love it when it is their turn to choose the activity. We only do a “big” activity that costs money (like going to Fiesta Fun) once a month or so and the other times it is something small like playing games at home.

We’ve had our morning family scripture study off and on (mostly on) all year.  We get the kids up at 6:30 and they all climb onto our bed and we all read together.  Sometimes the kids just lie there comatose until it is their turn to read. We do our best when the kids are in school and on a regular schedule. December is hard with Rick’s busy schedule and the summer is sort of hit and miss. I love our family scripture study and I’m so glad that Rick wakes everyone up and gets us going! 

This past Fall Janika started second grade, Jase started Kindergarten and Jared started pre-school. Janika was in her first play (Snow Canyon High School’s Broadway Musical Revue) and Jase took a kiddie vocal class at Westside Studio taught by Rick. Janika and Jase sang solos in church a couple of times this year and did a great job.  Janika also played a piano solo in church. Janelle turned one year old in October and continues to be a joy to our whole family!

Over UEA we brought the kids to Disneyland.  It was fun in spite of the fact that we somehow lost our tickets on the way there and on the way home I drove into our garage forgetting that our jogger stroller was in the luggage rack on the top of our van! It totally busted the stroller and so I was pretty sad about that!

Rick was very busy with Hands in Harmony but they sure sounded great this year! This is the best they have ever sounded!  We had a wonderful Christmas (after I got over the stomach flu) and the kids loved their beautiful cozy levi quilts from Grandma Jensen.  Rick and I went to the Anniversary Inn and had a nice time and woke up to a foot of snow the next morning!   It snowed and snowed the whole time we were up North. We loved spending time with family but were sure glad to get back to more temperate weather after Christmas break!

We decided to have Janika’s baptism up North in Farr West over Christmas break so that our family could attend. That morning we learned that the power was off in half of the building due to the storms and there was no hot water! We told her she was going to have a pioneer experience. She was scared because of the feezing water and I don't blame her! But the baptism was still very special and the program and dinner were really nice. 

Well, I was just going to give a quick recap of the past year and here I am three pages later! I am so grateful for my wonderful family.  I have been blessed with a wonderful husband whom I am very much in love with.  We have been blessed with four sweet children and look forward to this new baby who will be coming next Spring. We also have such a wonderful extended family who help us so much!  I forgot to mention that we will be moving in a couple of months to a bigger home in Santa Clara!  Heavenly Father has sure blessed us! 

Click HERE to watch the Jensen 2003 Videos!