Skye's Baptism

Last weekend my mom and I and the kids drove to Utah for my niece Skye's baptism. It was a long trip for such a short time, but I was happy we had the opportunity to be there. Especially because my brother Kurt (Skye's dad) was able to baptize her and I didn't know that until the day of the baptism so that made it all worth it! The baptism was in South Jordan, UT. I really wanted to go to President Hinckley's funeral, but no children under 8 years old were allowed and since Danny wasn't able to go we didn't line the streets either. Danny was opening another food service inside a hospital across the street from us this pass weekend. On Sunday mourning we started driving back home. It was snowing when we left and it was bad weather pretty much the whole way, we were blessed to make it home safe! Uncle Kurt and Max eating the snowflakes.

Cute Stories

Van- When the kids had finished brushing their teeth I went in the bathroom to find Van, on the stool brushing his teeth like one of the big kids. I just thought that was too cute! Hanna- The other day after Hanna's nap I told her to run in and get her pants on. A minute later she ran out laughing at her silly self with her underwear on her head. Max and I laughed. Max- A couple weeks ago Max realized how giving choices works. He came to me and said, "Mom, can I have a gumball, four or eleven?" I laughed and said, "I give the choices, 2 or 3 or none." Kids are just too smart!

Snow Camping

A couple weeks ago (forgot to post this because I have no pictures) Danny took Max, Andrew, and Zachary snow camping! They left at 5:30pm so by the time they got to Kyle Canyon at Mt. Charleston it was already dark. I had made them tinfoil dinners, which I guess I didn't wrap them right and the food kept on falling out of the tinfoil, whoops. I also had sent them with a straberry cobbler in the dutch oven which they said was so good, basically that was there dinner. Danny and our nephew Andrew (10) built an iglo or should I say "a dome" and slept inside. Max and Zachary, thankfully slept inside the truck.I was so nervous about them going. Max said he woke up scared and he woke up Zachary, but Zachary told him to go to sleep. Max said, "I tried closing my eyes, but the trees scared me and the owls were making scary noices." My poor baby. They had fun. I was so upset that I forgot to send them with the camera, maybe next year. I should say, Danny is truly the Man! He is such a wonderful husband and father and I'm blessed to have him as mine!

My husband is the MAN!!!

I just wanted to let all you ladies know that my man IS THE MAN!!! He is just so smart, good looking and well, in bed, what can I say. . . HEAVENLY BLISS! I know I've been blogging a lot lately and my house has gotten to be a mess, toys all over the place, dinner not ready when he comes home from a hard day of work, but he has been so patient with me. I am just so lucky to have him in my life!

I Quit My Job!

Most of you probably didn't even know I have (HAD) a job. I worked for my husband, paying the bills for his business. I had to go in every Thursday night (after the kids are already in bed.) Last night I was there from 8:00-11:30 and I had a break down and QUIT! I know that is not a supporting wife just quitting my job like that, but I couldn't do it anymore. Plus I thought I would spend the money I made on special things I wanted, but it always seems like we need the money so I never used it for me. Yes, you might think it's only one night a week but here is what I have the other nights...
Monday=Family Home Evening (free night)
Tuesday=Young Woman's
Wednesday=Cleaning Night
Thursday=Work
Friday=Date Night
Saturday=usually busy doing something
So I'm sorry, but I so need my nights to just veg and I know I'm just barely pregnant, but I'm tired!

Baby Number 4

Well, we or should I say, "I" wasn't planning on getting pregnant until August, but Danny never thought I was serious about that! So we are pregnant, again! I am excited, but I do have to admit that this is the first time I did cry about it. I just want to make sure the other kids have enough "mommy" time! The baby should arrive some time in October (I haven't figured the date yet.) Which is still the furthest apart out of all the kids (23 months.) I was also going to try and not tell anyone for a month or so, but that's almost impossible for me! And the kids started talking about a baby this morning without even knowing I'm pregnant, so I just had to tell them! This is what they were saying...
Max and Hanna: We'll give this cup to the new baby.
Me: Would you like another baby?
Max & Hanna: Ya!
Me: I have a secret, can you guess my secret?
Max & Hanna: Clueless, Max said some off the wall thing.
Me: We were just talking about babies. I'm pregnant, we're going to have another baby!
Max & Hanna: Yeah! Today?!
Me: No! Around Halloween time.
Then we talked about names. So I figured if I told them I must tell everyone!

Then today I just found an amazing girl on another blog who has triplets that are 3 1/2 and she has a baby, WOW! I think I'll be just fine! (At the time I wrote this I didn't know that I was having twins and they came at the end of August. That makes Van and the twins only 21 and 1/2 months apart).

Pregnant with Max July 2002

 Pregnant w/ Hanna, I had know clue I was already 2 months pregnant July 2004.

(Max & Hanna 22 months apart.)

Pregnant with Van Feb 2006.

(Hanna & Van 20 months apart.)

How To Become An Author

I just figured it out all by myself! Are you proud of me? OK, so if you'd like to be an Author on my new blog "Mother's In Making" all you have to do is email me at gojensens@hotmail.com and ask to be invited to be an author and then I put you on my blog. I'll just need an email address. Now let's just see if it works.

Running

Some of you might have noticed one of my New Year goals was to exercise twice a week. I know this sounded pathetic, but hey it was two more times a week than all of last year plus most of the year before that! Since I've started that goal I have added a new goal, I guess people have been inspiring me a lot lately. My two sister-in-laws have been running 5ks for the past 6 or 7 years now and last Saturday they ran a 1/2 Marathon in St. George! I think they're amazing; they're 10 years older than me and I can't even run up my street without getting a stabbing side ache. Anyway, I started thinking that it really would be quite neat if I could run a 5k this year. I'm always at the 5ks watching my husband, sister-in-laws, brother-in-law, nieces, nephews and friends running in them , but I'm never one of the runners. So last week I started running up and down my street 2 full times (up and back twice), I did that every week day last week. Today I ran it 3 full times, I did feel like I was running slower than I could walk, but hey I ran the whole way. Danny says he figured out that I ran .6 of a mile, yeah for me! Hopefully each week I will add another full time, wish me luck!

Mothers In Making

So I started another blog! It is a place where we as mothers can go to learn from each other. I will be posting topics or questions then we can post ideas that worked for us. I would like other people to be able to post topics on the blog as well, but I'm not sure how to set that up (if any of you know how to do this please let me know.) Everyone is invited, it is called Mothers In Making so go and check it out! http://mothersinmaking.blogspot.com/

Inspiration!

My friend Melany has inspired me! I received her Christmas letter last week and she talked about how her seven and five year old love to read. So I emailed her and asked her how her kids love reading so much, what sort of things she does with them... She emailed me back saying how her husband loves reading so they take after him, but then she said that they don't watch t.v. all week long only on weekends. Also, that her 3 year old knows all the alphabet names and sounds and that she is going to start teaching her to read pretty soon. I thought that was all amazing! I'm a preschool teacher and I never thought I could teach my own child to read! She says, she teaches them before they go to Kindergarten so when they get to school it's a fun thing not a hard frustrating thing to do. So here are a few suggestions she told me that she does...
No t.v. She says when her kids are board they will open a book and read! We don't watch very much (only at nap times) so now when we watch t.v. on the weekdays it will just be learning videos. I just started this this week...like Leap Frog videos "The Letter Factory" and math videos and other phonic videos.
Bob Books: I just checked some out at the library and I'm going to start doing what I can with Max. Max knows his phonogram sounds, but doesn't know all the names. The program we use "RIGGS" says they don't need to know there names, but I'm learning that it would only help them to know there names as well.
Read to your children: I've also been reading (or doing my best to read) a children's literature book to the kids for 15 minutes a day and then I have Max tell me his favorite part of the story.
I was so inspired by her I just had to share this wonderful information with all of you!

La Casita

The other day I over heard Max (4 1/2) talking to his cousin Zachary (6)and this is how their conversation went... Zachary: Where did you get these tile pieces? Max: At a house we were looking at. Zachary: At who's house? Max: Just at a house we were looking at. Ya, and it has two Casitas! Zachary: What's a casita? Max: A little house. I guess you can say we go and look at houses quite often. It's a fun hobby of ours!

Van's 1st Haircut

Van is 14 months now and received his first haircut this past week. This is the first child that I have been able to see their first haircut! Before the haircut. With some crazy bedhead! The haircut. After, how cute! Danny cut Max's hair at 10 months old taking no pictures and saving no hair, I was just a little upset. When Max was 13 months he had another "1st" haircut where I took pictures and saved his hair for his scrapbook. We were not planning on ever cutting Hanna's hair at least I thought we had both agreed to this, but I guess Danny didn't know we had this plan! Here is Hanna's haircut story...It was my first night of Young Women's when I told Danny to go and get his and Max's haircut, he had to bring Hanna along with them. Well, when they got to the salon he thought Hanna should get a haircut as well. So he sat Hanna in the chair and walked away not saying anything like my wife doesn't know I'm doing this please just do a trim, no nothing like that; as a matter of fact he doesn't even watch the haircut, he walks away and eats his 7-11 hot dog while reading a magazine! After some time he looks up and thinks he sees the lady with the shaver so he walks over to take a look at his little girl with a shaved head! The lady takes off the apron and says, "She's a girl!" But my nice husband pays for the haircut and even tips the lady very nicely. Needless to say Hanna came home with shorter hair than both the boys! Oh, but Danny did save Hanna's first haircut hair; good job Danny! We did cut Van's hair a little later than I like too, but I was there, that's what matters most!

I Need Help!

I have been trying to figure out how to center my family pictures on the left! If anyone knows how please tell me the secret! Thank you!

Happy New Year 2008

The kids all ready for the count down! Hanna didn't want her picture taken, but I got one just in time. Wow, I can't believe it is the year 2008! I was thinking back about the year 2000 and how I was in my first area on my mission in Jia yi, Taiwan! I can't believe it's been eight years already, time goes by faster and faster the older we get. Any way, we went to Jeff and Cindy's for food, games, Halo (some video game the boys played), ping pong (the boys) and fun for New Years Eve. Surprisingly, this year is the first year since we've had kids that we have actually rung in the New Year at a party; we usually throw in the towel by 10:00 and go to bed! Danny's highlight of the night was the fact that he took home the title as the 2007 Jeff & Cindy Jensen New Years party Ping Pong Champion. He will be defending his title December 31, 2008 and is planning on training throughout the year! Wish him luck, I'm his biggest fan! (Sorry no picture, I'll make sure to be in the front row seat next year showing my support! Obviously, Danny had me right all this.)We had a good time and on New Years Day we got our house put back together and started getting back into our routine. Hanna & Max looking so stylish! Dad & Debi came to visit and took us to dinner (P.F. Changs) yummy! Oou it was so cold!

New Year Goals 2008

Yearly goals is something I love to start, but after a month hate looking back at. This year I plan to review my goals weekly, which will hopefully help me accomplish them! I will repent when/if I do not accomplish my goals and I will start again.

1) Daily personal prayers (including morning) and scripture reading.
2) Daily family prayers and scripture reading.
3) Work out 2 days a week.
4) Read a children's literature book to Max & Hanna 15 minutes a day.
5) Give Danny a hug & kiss when he gets home from work/daily.
6) Do 1 thoughtful service each week.
7) Accomplish monthly R.S. "Pursuit of Excellence" goals.
8) Read 3 enjoyable books.
9) Read a book that will teach me how to be more patient and control my anger and then strive to apply the teachings to my daily life! (Any suggestions)
10) The first Saturday of each month I'll have 3 hours of personal time.

Wish me luck!

Christmas Day 2007

Danny and I decided to start some traditions this year since Max is now at the age to remember things. So hear are our traditions... 1) Each child will receive a gift from Santa, a gift from dad, a gift from mom, and a gift from each sibling. 2) I will make a homemade gift for the kids and they will have a fun scavenger hunt to find this gift. Here are the twin quilts I made (with a lot of help from my friend Autumn and my wonderful mother). Thank You Ladies! 3) We will open gifts one gift at a time and Santa's gift won't be wrapped. 4) After our Christmas Eve party we will read (or tell the children) the Luke II story. (The kids are still young and we got home late so Danny just told them the short story). These are the ones we plan to do every year, if anyone has other traditions they'd like to share please do! It is very nice that our kids are still young and don't have expensive wants. Max's favorite gift was from Hanna, which was a backpack (from Goodwill) with some of Danny's old camping equipment. Hanna's favorite gift was from Max, which we got from her cousin Olivia it's a doll house with furniture and dolls. Van's favorite gift was 2 cups of Rice MILK! He wasn't sure which one to drink, he kept going back and forth, he was in Heaven! Danny and I are both cheap and simple. I got him a racket ball glove and goggles (bought from brother, Jeff) and some socks, everything he asked for. I got a new straightener (Thanksgiving weekend) and then we'll hit the after New Year's sales for some clothes. We had an enjoyable morning with our family and then at 2:00 we went to Danny's brother Jeff (and Cindy's) house for their annual Christmas Day open house, where we enjoyed lounging around and visiting with family and friends. We had a wonderful Christmas 2007!

Christmas Eve

For Christmas Eve we go to Danny's oldest brother Tom (and Becky's) house. There the cousins do the Nativity play, perform, exchange gifts and eat lots of yummy food! We eat the food that is most like what "Jesus ate". We have hummus & pita bread, pomegranate chicken, a way strong lemon chicken, basmati rice and a bunch of other yummy stuff. We all had a wonderful time! Above: Jensen Cousins Wise man (Max) talks to Mary & Joseph (Ruby & Zachary) The Nativity Cast Hanna & Ruby performing

Christmas Sunday

My mom has always loved to dress her children in matching Christmas Sunday outfits and she continues to do so with our children. I think it's cute, but Danny told Van that he was sorry for dressing him in his outfit. Max, Hanna and Van Gandma Susan and kids Jensen Family We had a great day at church today, the sacrament program was really good! Young Women's was good too, we brought food and yummy treats and blankets to sit on the floor with. We ate, listened to a story and then each of us leaders bore or testimonies, I think the girls really felt the spirit it was a great day!