Merry Christmas 2019!!

Another year has come and gone and so much has happened in the Jensen household.  Our family is growing up, expanding, and learning new and important things. Each of our children have listed their adventures below and so I thought I would join the band wagon and list mine at the end. Here goes!  

Janika and Brandon: 

Brandon and I are still in Logan trying to figure out what the future holds for us! I graduated in the spring with a bachelors in psychology and minor in organizational communication and I’m about to finish my first semester of grad school in Utah State’s School Counseling master’s program. Brandon will graduate this coming spring with dual bachelors in marketing and business administration. Brandon is still working at Cache Valley Bank and I work at Cache Valley Counseling. Despite the disgusting winter weather that Logan has to offer, life is really good and we feel so blessed!

Jase: This has been an exceptional year for me as things continue to go well for school and work. I am still working for Deseret First Credit Union and love my job there. I have chosen to tweak my major just a bit and switch to Bio-Chemistry instead of Biology. I still have no idea what I want to do with it, but I really enjoy the classes I am taking. It is really difficult, but I enjoy learning as much as I can. At the beginning of fall semester I also met a beautiful girl named Ellen Bake. I have been dating her for a few months and this month I took her somewhere special to propose. We are planning on getting married this March in the Draper Temple and are excited for the dreams and challenges that lie ahead!

Jared: Elder Jared Jensen is serving in the South Side of Chicago. He has had a fantastic experience and absolutely LOVES his mission! You can read his letters on his Missionary Blog: http://elderjareddjensen.blogspot.com/

Janelle: I am 17 years old and a Junior at Snow Canyon High School. This year I participated in the Madrigals, National Honor Society, and both musicals. I went on a few awesome trips this year, such as Disneyland with the Madrigals and a church history tour with some of my cousins. I also enjoyed Pioneer Trek, EFY, and Girls' Camp. Recently I was in Mary Poppins at our school along with my sisters, Jaiden and Jenna. I played the part of Mrs. Brill, and it was a lot of fun! I also work at Papa Murphy's and make lots of pizza. It's a good time! Right now it is the busy season of Madrigals with over 35 performances this Christmas Season! It is busy, but fun! Besides performing I also like hanging out with my friends and jamming to music in my car. 

Jaiden: I am 15 and a Sophomore at Snow Canyon High School. Earlier this year (9th grade) I was  involved with SCHS Dance Company, Student Council, NJHS, and the Musical Revue. Now I am involved with Madrigals, the Musical (Mary Poppins), and National Honor Society. I take dance at Southwest Dance studio and coach tumbling at the St. George Rec Center. This summer I went on a church history tour with my Dad, sister, and cousins. I also went on the pioneer trek, EFY and Girls' camp. In Mary Poppins I played the part of Neleus, Ensemble, and was the student choreographer!! It was a flippin party and I made tons of friends!(Click HERE to see Jaiden dancing to Mission Impossible with the SCHS Dance Company.)

Josh: I am in 8th grade at Snow Canyon Middle. My favorite classes are PE and Chinese. I played soccer for the United 06 team and I also played up with the 05 team too. I played forward and really enjoyed it. I broke my wrist at soccer practice when another kid on the team kicked the ball and it hit me in the arm. I also like running and got 22.53 in the Swiss Day's 5K and 21.35 and second place in the Turkey Trot 5K. This summer I went to scout camp and went fishing, white water rafting, hiking, and zip-lining. It was really fun.

Jenna: I am in fifth grade. I love Chinese and playing with friends. This year I decided to do the Geography Bee. My mom helped me study everything and I got third place! This year I also did the science fair and won first place in my grade and went to District. I did my experiment on candles. I was Jane Banks in the play Mary Poppins at Snow Canyon High School. It was a great experience! I had a really fun time and loved all of the people in it! I am really sad that it is over because I miss everyone so much!  (Click HERE to see Jenna singing "The Perfect Nanny" in Mary Poppins!)

Wendy: Last July was the 25th wedding anniversary for me and Rick. We celebrated with a quick trip to California, scheduling it early since Rick was directing a church history tour for several of our family members during our actual Anniversary. Rick and I were also called to be a MA and PA for our Stake Pioneer Trek. This helped us to realize exactly how "out of shape" we were!

Rick teaches Seminary and this fall he was transferred to Dixie High School. It has been a nice change and he is really enjoying it. He also teaches an Institute class for the Deaf, which he loves. Rick and I have also enjoyed serving in our church callings in the ward and stake. I am serving in the Young Women Presidency, which is definitely one of my favorite callings, and Rick is serving on the Stake High Council. Rick and I also work part time interpreting for the Deaf and love it whenever we get to work together on assignments. 

I love spending time with our family and work hard to keep up with everyone's busy schedules! One of the highlights for me this year was watching Jenna, Jaiden, and Janelle all perform in the high school musical, Mary Poppins. What an amazing experience it was for these sisters to all perform together! We are also grateful for all of our family and friends who came to support our girls! Click HERE for a short video clip from the show ("Jolly Holiday").

I absolutely love watching our children develop their talents and feel so much pride and joy in seeing them achieve their goals, whether it be in school, on the stage, on the soccer field, or whatever else it may be! More importantly I treasure daily opportunities to witness the development of our family's testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ as we strive to become more like Him.

Rick: Wendy and I are both getting older and have both followed through with the recommended medical procedures for those turning 50 and beyond! My schedule at work has even allowed me the luxury of working out each and every day (unlike last year where it was difficult to get in exercise).  I’m happy to report that Wendy is looking fabulous, and I am also feeling a little less chunky around the edges. We’ve also done some remodeling on our house this year (painting, counters, appliances etc.) So we are feeling pretty good about these physical aspects of ourselves and our surroundings.

The spiritual maintenance exam has also been a thrill.  Because I teach seminary the spiritual self-examination tends to happen a little more frequently.  Unfortunately, I don’t always do as well as I’d like on this exam, but I have learned (particularly from my high school and college days) that failures can be replaced by successes.  A lot of those successes have to do with my willingness to progress and move forward (which sometimes is quite difficult for me because I can be quite stubborn.)  This year, my spiritual progression took place in the following areas:

1. Temple attendance.  I always enjoy attending the temple.  Unfortunately, this year the St. George temple closed for renovation.  That means, if I come visit you, we may be doing a temple session together so I can enjoy you and the temple at the same time.  

2. EFY.  Wendy and I had the opportunity to direct our last session for EFY this summer.  It is always a joy for me to spend time with the youth for a week.  My testimony always grows and so does my hope for the future.  The youth in the church really are superb. 

3. Director of a Church History Tour for my family.  Restudying and revisiting church history sites always strengthens my testimony in the gospel of Jesus Christ and his prophets of the latter-days.  I feel blessed and fortunate to belong to such a wonderful heritage.

4. Created family podcasts for those I love and others who I’ve come to know better.  This year I’ve started a little “business” creating family podcast interviews. This allows me to create a point in time to check-in with a relative while they are alive, rather than reading their life story when they pass away.  I’ve done interviews with teens, newly married couples, and Grandmas and Grandpas. The podcasts have been a fun way to learn about family history and have also been a great way for me to connect with others on a deeper level. Here is the website if you would like to check it out!   www.familystorypodcast.com


 

As you can see, the spiritual maintenance is never ending. I have a long way to go before I can even come close to perfect.  This next year all families in our church will be studying the Book of Mormon through the Come Follow Me curriculum. One Christ characteristic that is taught in the Book of Mormon is that Christ heals all that were brought to him (3 Nephi 17:7-9). I have seen healing happen in my own family, marriage, and personally in my own life. As we celebrate Christmas this year, I believe the same healing can happen to your own families if you allow Him to be with you not only during this Christmas season, but all year long!  We sure love all of you and wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!