Happy Birthday Jaiden!

Jaiden is five years old today!! Since today is Sunday, we had a quiet family party tonight. Janika made Jaiden's cake and wrapped her presents for her. Last night Jaiden and I got to go out for a little "Mommy Time" so that Jaiden could pick out a special present.

Jaiden is excited to be starting kindergarten in the Fall. She is vivacious and fun. Jaiden is outgoing and confident and plays well with everyone. She loves to wear dresses. She also loves earning treats and prizes. She enjoys playing with stuffed animals and loves dress up and creative play. She enjoys swimming and riding her big wheel or bike down our long driveway. She is always getting bumps, bruises, and scrapes. I have had a hard time keeping her pretty little face free scab free. She is constantly taking off her glasses and so that is why she is only wearing them in about half of her pictures. We are always searching for her shoes and her glasses!

Jaiden is a great little helper. Now that she is five, one of her new jobs is to unload the dishwasher. She is now also old enough to go down the GIANT slide at Grandma and Grandpa Jensen's house. Jaiden has a contagious laugh and I still crack-up at the "jokes" she comes up. She loves to sing and always wants to listen to our family CD so that she can sing along. Jaiden brings so much life to our family. We love you, Jaiden!!

Girls' Camp

Janika had a great time at girls' camp! They drove six hours up North to stay at the ranch of one of the ward members. Gorgeous scenery! These are a few of the activities they did: rappelling (Janika is afraid of heights and so she hated that!), horse-back riding, canoeing, hiking, and making crafts (they made the wooden signs and decorated flip flops with little balloons tied around the top rather than material) and they turned out so cute! And yes, that is a snake in that picture. Janika said that some of the girls were catching and holding the water and garden snakes -- yuck!

Boy these girls are really roughing it. Not only did they have real bathrooms, they stayed in an incredible cabin with a game room, exercise room, and movie theater room! They worked out and gave each other manicures, pedicures, and facials. Talk about spoiled. I never went to a girls' camp like this! The girls all slept on the floor of a big room so it was like one big slumber party (and the leaders all got king sized beds)!

I asked Janika if they did anything spiritual. She said, yes, they had devotionals each day, lessons and a testimony meeting. Janika had a great time and came home with all sorts of stories to tell. She wasn't home for long though. Thirty minutes later all of the Beehives got back together for a pool party at one of the girls' homes. Looks like fun, doesn't it?

Father and Son's Campout

The boys had fun at the Father and son's camp-out last night (in spite of the fact that Jared fell and got a little scraped up). In the picture Jase is doing the sign for "boring" but he said he had fun.

This was also Josh's first time to go. Rick used it as an opportunity to get rid of Josh's beloved, tattered blanket. He purposely didn't bring it on the trip and told him what a big boy he was for sleeping without it. Then he came home and hid it and Josh has successfully slept without it ever since!

I was worried about my guys when I checked the forecast. It was supposed to rain the entire weekend where where. But they were blessed and the weather was fine except for a few little sprinkles.

Rick had been asked to give the camp-side talk Friday night and I heard lots of great comments about it from those who were there.

It was weird for me at home because Rick and the boys were gone and Janika was also gone to girls' camp and so it was just me and the three little girls. We had our own little movie party at home, but it seemed so quiet!

Poor Rick was exhausted when he got home today and really didn't want to put up the pool, but he did it for me and the kids (thanks, hon, you are the best!!) We had to stop part way through because of a big wind storm that kept blowing the pad over, but eventually it calmed down and we were able to get it up. Yeah! I'll post some "pool pictures" later!

Boo!

This is Jared's latest creation -- a dinosaur helmet made in scouts. The kids have been fighting over it. They put it on the baby and she looked just like "Boo" from Monsters, Inc! So cute!

Dinosaur Tracks

We went to the Dinosaur Tracks tonight for Jared's Cub Scout Pack Meeting. It was a perfect evening -- overcast with sunshine leaking through the clouds and the slight smell of rain in the air.

If you look at the rocks in the pictures you can see the dinosaur prints. I had never been here before and so I didn't know what to expect. Josh knew it was something about dinosaurs and was a little nervous thinking we might run into some. Then as we started to hike out of the rocky area where the prints were he started to cry, "But I wanted to see dinosaur bones!!" I pointed out the dinosaur prints and explained to him what they were. Then a minute later we heard some thunder and his head snapped up, "Was that a dinosaur??"

The rain waited until we were done with the hike and the kids were finishing up their popsicles. Then it suddenly started to come down and we bolted for the van. We were blessed with a beautiful rainbow on the way home.

Early Morning Exercise

I tried to sneak out this morning to go running when Josh said, "I wanna go!" Then Jared said, "I want to go!" And Jase said, "I want to go!" So we four (and Jenna) headed out the door -- the younger two in the jogger stroller and the older boys on their bikes. Luckily it was overcast and cool since we got a late start. I brought my camera so that I could take some pictures along the way (much to my boys chagrin!)

Josh didn't like me putting him up on that big tire (last two pictures) and wailed until I took him off. Check out that little eye-brow raise!

Movie In The Park

We went to the splash pad and movie in the Town Square Park tonight. This is the first of the summer series.

It is free and makes for a great family outing. They do have a few vendors there (which is why I purposely left my money at home knowing my kids would be trying to mooch off me). But since they had Little Caesar's Pizzas for the regular price...well, I may just splurge next time.

The only draw-back for little kids (for the movie) is that it doesn't start until it gets dark (around 9:00 or so) and our younger kids are usually in bed by then. So it makes for a late night for them. But it is a fun free family activity and so I am sure we will do it again!

Jared's Awards

Jared also received the "The President's Education Awards Program in recognition of Outstanding Academic Excellence"

and

"The Utah State Board of Education CERTIFICATE OF OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE on the Iowa Tests...in recognition of scoring in the top ten percent nationally" in Language."

Way to go, Jared!!!

I am especially grateful for Jared, because not only has he done very well in school this year, he is also a tremendous help to me around the house and he is one of my number one baby-sitters!

Thanks Jared, I appreciate you!

Jase's Awards

Jase got a whole bunch of end-of-the year awards. I went with him to a special awards recognition last night where he was awarded the "Excellent Eagle" award. (There were three students chosen from each class in the third, fourth, and fifth grades). The certificate reads:

"This award is presented to all around great students who demonstrate appropriate social skills and show outstanding behavior both in the classroom and on the playground."

We are proud of him! (Although Jase's sister would beg to differ about the "appropriate social skills!") I think he was more excited about the Pirate Island Gift Certificate that came along with it than the actual award.

Then today Jase came home with five more certificates:

"The President's Education Awards Program in recognition of Outstanding Academic Excellence"

"The Utah State Board of Education CERTIFICATE OF OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE on the Iowa Tests...in recognition of scoring in the top ten percent nationally" in Mathematics."

The other three certificates included participating in the Excel Learning Program (ELP), serving on the Safety Patrol Team, and one for being voted "Class Valedictorian."

Way to go Jase!!

Janika Partying With Friends!

Janika had a blast at Madison's Party tonight.

Listed in the picture is :

Janika Jensen, Katherine Ekker, Madison Barney, Michelle Weymouth, and Missy Madsen

Madison's mom borrowed our big red van (which the girls nicknamed "The Big Red Rocket") in order to make room for everyone.

The girls did hair and make-up, went to Pirate Island Pizza, (Madison really cashed in -- check out that last picture!) watched a movie, ate junk food and took a billion pictures (okay, just a couple hundred).