Silent Day

Today Rick and I went to the "Silent Day" that the High School ASL club hosted.  I didn't bring my camera but wished I had.  I asked a couple of people to e-mail me their pictures and if they do then I will post some.  The theme was a LUAU on a "silent island."  The silent day helps sign language students become immersed in the language.  All those in the Deaf Community were invited along with Sign Languages students, interpreters, and anyone else who wanted to be involved. The goal was to sign the entire day -- no talking!  They had different ASL workshops, games, skits, lunch, and activities.  It was probably a lot more difficult for the students who are still learning ASL to go the whole day without talking than it was for those of us who already know it. There were a lot of Deaf people who came and supported the activity and so that made it fun and worthwhile for the students to get to know our local deaf community better.  The activity was fun and Rick and I were able to get a good chunk of our continuing education credits by going as well!

A big thank you to Janika for watching the kids all day.  She did a great job.  She brought all of the kids to the park to play (walking, with the youngest two in the jogger stroller), got out the slip-n-slide in the yard for the kids to play in the water, fixed lunch, did the girls' hair, cleaned the kitchen and supervised the kids' chores.  Thanks Jani!  Then she hung out with friends the rest of the night!

 

 

 Here is a student with Angie Roos (the ASL teacher who put this all together) with Bret Hymas (one of the presenters). 

Birthday

Today was my birthday!  This morning I went and watched Jaiden and Janelle's field day in the morning for a couple of hours while the younger kids played at the school playground.  Then was the usual "take care of kids and clean house" routine.  But I did get a little nap in with Jenna!  She is so spoiled.  She won't take a nap unless someone is laying by her.  But at least it is an excuse to take a nap too!

Tonight Rick and I went out to dinner at Red Robin.  It was the first time we had been there and we both really liked it.  We had heard that they had gluten-free menus, but it actually turned out to be a printed off list of everything I couldn't eat -- which was almost everything!  Bummer!  I did have a nice salad though and it was very good. Then Rick and I went to a deaf activity, watching the ASL movie, "Gerald."  It was supposed to be outside at the park but the weather has been unseasonable cool lately and it was windy and COLD!!  So they moved it to the Deaf Center.  It is really different watching a movie with absolutely NO sound!  It gives you a feel for what the deaf go through everyday.  Janika was gone tonight participating in the relay-for-life and so Jase babysat for us.  It is so wonderful having older kids that can take care of the younger ones!

Thanks for all of the birthday wishes...I hope Janika doesn't mind that I print her e-mail birthday note below!  
 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY(: I love you. Thanks so much for being such an amazing example to me and for helping me with all my problems (which I have a lot of)(: HaPpY BiRtHdAy(: (: You're a great mom.(: LOVE YOU(:

--
♥ Jani ♥

---

First and Second Grade Field Day

 

Court of Honor

I have been taking an eight week Deaf Culture class on Wednesday nights for the past six weeks or so.  At first I just signed up to get the continuing education workshop hours that I earn yearly to keep my certification current.  But I have thoroughly enjoyed the class.  Most of the information I already know since I teach a lot of it in my ASL class, but it is a good review and I have enjoyed learning about the experiences from others in the class.  

Tonight, however, was Jase's Court of Honor at the same time as my class.  I told Jase that I was missing my class tonight because I felt that it was more important to be there for him.  He agreed and said, "I am glad you were there -- a lot of the boy's parents didn't come tonight."  Then as a side note he added, "I think sometimes they purposely don't tell their moms because they don't want to have to kiss them in front of everyone!"  Tonight Jase received his "Life" advancement and two more merit badges.  He is moving right along!

Deaf Youth Activity

 

BBQ

Every Monday night our service missionary, Elder Lee, comes over for dinner and FHE.   It is nice because it forces me to straighten up the house and fix a nice meal, even though sometimes I really don't want to!  But tonight I got the evening off because our hearing ward was having a BBQ at the park.  So Janika whipped up a yummy potato salad and we invited Elder Lee along.  He is so cute with our kids and he kept Jenna happily entertained the whole time!  I actually got an entire conversation in with a few people -- it was wonderful!  I was also able to meet several people who have moved in since we were called to the Deaf Branch three years ago.  The new people all probably think we are either inactive or brand new to the area, so it is good to finally meet some of them and learn that we have kids similar ages that we need to get together for play-dates!  Thank goodness for ward BBQ's to pull people together!

 

Jase and Chickens

Jase's scout leader hired him to take care of their chickens for the weekend.  He gave Jase $10.00 and told him that Jase could keep the eggs.  Jase was so excited and had went above and beyond the call of duty, checking on the chickens several times a day.  He was thrilled to get a dozen eggs and cooked them all for breakfast this morning.  He has been begging us to get chickens ever since he was hired to take care of another neighbor's chicken's last year.  We just don't have a very big yard though and don't know where we would put a chicken's coop! 

Egg Bash and Egg Hunt

In sacrament meeting today Janika sang a beautiful rendition of "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" with a quartet of two boys and two girls.  They sang it in the hearing ward and also the Deaf Branch (and I signed it).  After church  we came home and had a huge Easter dinner -- ham, cheesy potatoes, candied yams, various vegetables, and salad.  It was SO delicious!! Then the kids had fun making forts and we continued on with the Easter activities.

Since we had to miss both extended family Easter parties (yesterday and today), Grandma Jensen sent down two grocery bags with candy-filled eggs for our kids to have a hunt with.  So they got two Easter Egg hunts. We finished just before the rain hit.  Thanks Grandma!  Our kids also had their own Easter Egg Bash here (another Jensen tradition -- the kids take turns rolling hard boiled eggs towards each other and whoever has the egg that cracks is out) and Janelle won.  So Janelle called to see if someone could represent her and her egg at Jensen Easter Egg bash up north.  They put her on the phone during the contest and she won!  So she gets to have her name added on to the infamous Easter trophy and keep it for a whole year until next Easter.  She is pretty excited!

Easter Morning

Here is an attempted picture of the kids Easter morning.  The older kids had a sneak peek at the baskets the night before.  Janika said, "That is the most pathetic Easter basket I have ever seen -- a stuffed animal from a garage sale and two cans of stew from the pantry..."  (That was before the Easter Bunny added all of the candy bars).  But thank goodness for little kids because they were absolutely delighted with the contents of their baskets, which is why I love children -- they get so excited over the simplest things.  Jase and Jared loved their stew -- they gave their stuffed animals to the younger kids in exchange for more stew -- and then they ate it for breakfast. It's not every kid who gets excited about receiving food storage for Easter!

 

Coloring Eggs

Jaiden's Dance Program

Jaiden loves her little dance group.  It was fun to watch her perform today at the Art's Festival with the "mini dance company."  But I don't normally allow my kids to wear tank tops, so I wish that their costume leotards had sleeves! 

 

Easter Egg Hunt

We made it just a couple of minutes too late to the city Easter Egg hunt...so we had our own at home.  Janika stayed out late last night partying with the theatre group and so she slept in and is still in her PJ's.    

 

Janelle's Butterfly

Janelle's 2nd grade class got to see caterpillars transform into butterflies.  Here is her words:  "We got caterpillars from school.  Mrs. Hutchings got this mushed up plant stuff that looked like dirt and then she put the caterpillars in and we wrote our names on a little cup.  The caterpillars were eating and eating and got a lot bigger and fatter.  Then webs started going into the little cup.  Then they started going into cocoons and when mine hatched I was really excited.  We got to see them hatch but I didn't get to see mine hatch because it was early in the morning.  Then we got to take our butterfly book home and we got to take our butterfly home.  I named mine "Harry."  That night I let it go. Jaiden will get to do it next year!

 

 

Janika's Song -- You Tube

Here is the link to Janika and Maddie's song:  REFLECTION

"Once Upon a Dream"

Tonight was closing night for the High School's Disney Review, "Once Upon a Dream."  Janika is off partying at Dennys with all of her friends from the show.  Janika had such a blast being in this show and made a lot of new friends.  She was excited that she was chosen for the solo, "Reflection" from Mulan.  Rick helped with some of the numbers and thought it would be cool to have a dancer (Janika's friend, Maddie Pemberton) come out and dance while Janika sang.  They are about the same size and both have long brown hair the same length.  So Maddie was Janika's "reflection."  The number turned out really pretty.

Janika also played "Mulan" in "A Girl Worth Fighting For" and "I'll Make a Man Out of You,"  and she was  Simba's "girlfriend" in "Just Can't Wait to be King."  Rick spent several hours helping out with some of the numbers.  He was asked to choreograph "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," (wow, I can't believe I actually spelled that right without even looking) and it turned out so cute!  I thought it was one of the best numbers in the whole show.  Janika is sad that the show is ending but we will be glad to finally see our daughter again.  And her brothers will be glad since they are sick of doing all of Janika's chores!  (I didn't get pictures in all of her costumes so hopefully she did and I can add them later).  Here is the cast warming up? before the show:

Curtain Call...

Backstage...

 We always knew Janika was talented...!

  "I Just Can't Wait to Be King"