2022 Christmas Newsletter

We couldn’t let this year pass by without saying how grateful we are for your friendship and your kindness. You truly are the salt of the earth, and we feel we are lucky enough to be salted by you. You have had a huge impact on us and our family! 

Rick: This year we have had some wonderful experiences and many of you played a part in those. I have had the exciting opportunity to continue working with the S&I (Seminaries and Institutes) ASL program for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This year we were able to see history in the making with the establishment of the first ASL Deaf Board of Education! I feel so grateful to be involved in such incredible opportunities to help gather Deaf Israel! 

Working with so many amazing people has been a season of growth for me, and I truly enjoy learning from the great youth and teachers. This year I have also decided to grow in different ways. I finally got the courage to screen for cruise interpreting and interpreted on FIVE cruises this year! I absolutely loved it and have met wonderful people in the process. I’m so glad I did it! Choosing growth is something I hope I always have the courage to do.

Wendy: I am proud of Rick for everything he has accomplished this year! Life has been busy for the rest of us also! Despite being busy, our home has become much quieter the past few months. With our two oldest children married (Janika and Jase), two living away from home and going to college (Jared and Jaiden), one serving a mission in Taiwan (Janelle), that leaves only two children at home with us (Josh and Jenna). It is really different! But Jenna still continues to shake things up by bringing a dozen or so noisy teenagers over to the house often enough to remind us that we aren't empty nesters quite yet!

Like Rick mentioned, this has been a year of growth for our family -- both literally and figuratively! This year we welcomed TWO new grandbabies into our family! We now have THREE adorable grandsons! It has been a delight watching our family expand! We also had five graduations this year -- Jaiden from high school, Jared with his associate degree, Jase and Ellen with their bachelor's degrees, and Janika with her master's degree! With all of the University classes I have interpreted for through the years, I feel like I have earned another degree as well, ha ha! I absolutely LOVE my job, especially University interpreting, and learn something new everyday! Rick loved his experience with cruise interpreting and FINALLY convinced me to give it a try! So, he and I will be teaming together on a cruise next month! 

It has been a fantastic year! Now I will turn it over to the young 'uns for their updates! 

Janika and Brandon: 

This year has been a whirlwind, but we feel so incredibly blessed. At the end of May we welcomed our perfect baby boy, Everett Hayes Jenson, into our family and it's been so fun to watch him grow! Janika was offered her dream job as a part time elementary school counselor and has been loving teaching social emotional wellness skills to all of her little friends. Brandon was recently promoted to Revenue Operations Analyst at JobNimbus and has really enjoyed his time working there. We are currently living in Pleasant Grove and just feeling so grateful for all of the opportunities God has given us this year! 

Jase and Ellen: 

This has been an exciting year for us! Ellen started a new job in January working from home for a financial advisor. It has been a great job for her to still focus on school and be at home with the kids. In May, we both graduated with our bachelor's degrees. Ellen graduated in Communications and Jase graduated in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. Shortly after our graduation, we moved to Baltimore Maryland for Jase’s summer internship at Johns Hopkins University. At the end of the internship, we decided to move to Herriman Utah where we currently reside. Jase started a new job at Co-diagnostics in Salt Lake City and Ellen decided to continue her education online through SUU for a master's degree. In October, our second baby boy Eli was born prematurely and on November 22 he was able to come home from the NICU. We are so excited to have him as part of the family! (You can read Eli's birth story HERE!)

Jared: 

This year has been a blast and I'm already excited for what the next one has to offer! I finished two more semesters and I'm officially a senior at Utah Tech University. The schooling was probably my least favorite part as I took some of my most challenging classes and had to crutch my way around campus with a torn ACL and meniscus. The injury was due to dancing with superior amounts of energy that my body couldn't handle, and although it has been a tough recovery, I have gotten surgery and will be running here again shortly! The highlight of my year was spending my summer working for FSY at Snow College in Ephraim and BYU Hawaii! I was able to have marvelous spiritual experiences and hopefully helped create some for the youth as well! (That's where I learned to dance with great vigor, and I guess as soon as I took it back to the party college environment the spirit stopped protecting my knee). I've continued teaching seminary, and had a memorable year working with the youth during the school year as well as the summer. Overall I had a pretty good time and I'm ready to see where life takes me!

Janelle: This year has been great, and I have grown so much! In January I was partying it up in the MTC and headed to the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission on January 17! I served in Duluth for three transfers with my companion Miriam Martinez, which was awesome, and then I went to Eau Claire Wisconsin with my companion Gabby Carter! Afterward Heavenly Father decided it was time for me to go to my original assignment of Taipei Taiwan. I started my Taiwan adventure in Danshui, with Jin Yuling as my companion. She went home that transfer, and I stayed in Danshui and served with Yao Xinci for one transfer! Afterward I became an STL and served in a trio in Jinhua, with my companions Chen Yucai and Li Xinjie. After a transfer Chen Jiemei left and Li Jiemei and I stayed, which is where I am at now! I have loved all of my companions, areas, and experiences and have learned so much from each one. There have been ups and downs and blessings and hardships, and I have grown closer to the Savior through it all. It is a miracle to witness others change their lives and turn toward the Savior. This work is run by God, and it will not stop. I'm so blessed to be a part of it!  

(Click HERE for Janelle's Missionary Blog!)

Jaiden: 

I feel like 2022 just started, but we are already to Christmas! That's wild. This year has been super good!! First off, I graduated!! Senior year definitely had its stressful moments, but I graduated with a 4.0! Summer started off great - filled with dance rehearsals as usual! It was my senior concert, so I had plenty of extra rehearsals to go to. The concert was SO much fun, and I already miss dancing at that studio! Summer was filled with fun, friends, photoshoots of course, and trips! I got the chance to go to FSY with my best friend Emily, and we had the BEST time there!! Our company was on another level for sure!! I also was able to go on a cruise with Emily and Lizzie for our senior trip!! It was the coolest EVER!! We went to three different places in Mexico, and we loved it!! As the summer came to an end, I had to REALLY get my life together because I was starting college in the fall! I am currently a freshman at Southern Utah University, and I love it!!! I am majoring in exercise science and minoring in dance. I have the best roommates in the world: Emily, Liv, Dagney, Josie, and Alexis! It is always a party at apartment 3!! I have made so many friends and so many memories. Everything from silly string battles at parks to prank wars! Cedar City is cold so it is definitely taking some getting used to, but I wouldn't trade my time here for anything! I am so excited to see what next year brings!! 

(Click HERE for Jaiden's Sterling Scholar Portfolio Video)

Josh:  

This year has gone by pretty quick and that's good because the sooner this year ends the quicker I'll be going to Mexi-Cali for spring break!! Here is a list of things I did this year: got my driver's license, learned how to fish (self-taught fisherman), started a job at Wendy's, ended a job at Wendy's a few weeks later (thank goodness for that), started a job at Tuacahn (best job ever), played varsity soccer for the first time, and kept my 4.0. I joined the Snow Canyon Madrigals singing group and I'm currently still deciding if it's worth my time or not. I also recently made the ODP (Olympic Development) soccer team. This year I've developed a love for a restaurant that I never would have imagined: McDonalds. However, with inflation and all that, I'm starting to wonder if it's still worth it to keep going...anyway, stay tuned and I'll let you know next year.

Jenna: 

This has been a great year and a lot has changed -- first of all I got highlights for the first time! I also FINALLY got my braces off! I wrote a song for Reflections and was one of the region winners! My friend, Grace Freeman, and I sang a duet for our seventh-grade talent show. This year I went on lots of hikes with my family and friends! I found out that I love doing hair and so I did my sister's hair for dances and stuff. Now I am in the 8th grade at Snow Canyon Middle School. I dance with Southwest Dance and was in the play over at the high school. I got two new nephews this year! It's been so fun seeing how big our family is growing and I hope it will get even bigger!

As you can see, this has been quite an eventful year! As we continue our journey of growth, I am reminded of the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 50:40-42: 

"Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me; and none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost." 

Thank heavens that all of us can grow in this life and through the grace of Jesus Christ, none of us are lost. We look forward to an ongoing journey of growth with all of you this upcoming year! 

Love, 

The Jensen Family 

Janika, Brandon, and Everett!!

Janika: This year has definitely been one for the books. I graduated with my Master of Education in School Counseling and walked across the stage eight months pregnant. Soon after, we welcomed our little angel boy, Everett Hayes, into our family. That was quite the adjustment. For some reason it did not occur to me that the newborn stage would be as difficult as it was. 🙃 But we made it out alive and now have a happy and healthy 7-month-old cutie boy! 

I was offered my dream job as an elementary school counselor, and it has been so much fun! Brandon was promoted to Revenue Operations Analyst at JobNimbus and continues to kill it with all things data. We are so grateful for all of the learning and growth that we have gained this year, and hope to do the same next year but with more sleep haha.

I am particularly grateful for all of the answered prayers this year. There have been so many, I absolutely cannot justify it as coincidence. I know without a doubt that there is a God in heaven who loves each and every one of us. He loves YOU. If you haven't felt that this year, I would encourage you to ask for and look for it in the upcoming fresh start of a new year. Here's to the (almost) new year!

Dinner with Heather and Billy Kendrick!

Today Rick and I drove to Las Vegas and then flew to Maryland (with a layover on the way). We went out to dinner with some of our college friends, Billy and Heather Kendrick, who live in Virginia. It was an hour drive for them (90 minutes due to traffic) to come pick us up, so we ate at a restaurant close to our hotel. It was so fun to see them after so many years!! Heather is Deaf and she is the one who first started teaching Rick sign language clear back in 1991. Rick was in Hands Up at USU with Heather in 1990. He had several experiences (including some pretty amazing spiritual promptings) that led him towards learning sign language. So he confided in Heather and asked for her help. He joined the Deaf Branch and started hanging out with the Deaf group. As he was learning, they teased him a little saying that he signed "RSL" (Rick's Sign Language) instead of "ASL" (American Sign Language). Later on Heather and Billy (an amazing interpreter) got married It is amazing that Rick went from those humble beginnings to becoming Professionally Certified as an Interpreter for the Deaf and the coordinator over the ASL program for Seminaries and Institutes for the entire nation! It was fun to share stories with Billy and Heather and reminisce. We are sure grateful for those two! 

Christmas Eve at the Westras!!

 (I copied and pasted this post from my sister, Jen!) 

Christmas Eve, with soup and the slideshow and the candy bar game, is an annual tradition for the Westra family. This year, everyone traveled to Alpine to gather in Shane and Alicia's lovely new home. Built for entertaining, it was a great place to get together for food, family and fun. 

There were several soups ...Jen's Chicken Noodle was not gluten-free, but all the others were! Kim's Ham and Bean soup, Danielle's Sweet Potato Sausage,  Janika's Cheesy Potato and Broccoli, Alicia's Creamy Chicken and Rice. There were gluten-free Brazilian Cheese Rolls, and gluten-full breadsticks, dinner rolls and orange rolls. The breadsticks and cheese rolls were baked on the premises (best fresh out of the oven) and Grandma's Kitchen (just a hallway away) came in handy, even with the double ovens in Shane and Alicia's kitchen. There were chips and dips and cheese roll, and SO many desserts!

There were several tables for eating. Plenty of space. Lots of food! Got some pictures in Santa hats and other festive accoutrements. Then it was time to review the past year ... the calendars were passed out, and the slideshow was up on the screen. This year's soundtrack was "Gonna Be Good" by Bloom and the Bliss, "Moments to Memories" by Adeline Hill, "Stars in the Sky" by Kid Cudi (Sonic Soundtrack) and "These Are The Best Days" by PinkZebra. Beyond the birthdays, holidays, school stuff, this was a big HOUSE year, with major moves and other renovations and remodels. See the calendar pages and a slideshow HERE. 

Then it was time for THE CANDY BAR GAME ...

The crew moved to the basement for a little more open an area.

Just to note, lots of things in the center were NOT candy bars.

... here's a little video of the action. 

https://youtu.be/cSj8K-bzn3M?si=ScpcPkoqx_mnQ1Xj

Until next year!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!

Jensen Christmas Eve!!

We celebrated Christmas Eve early on December 22nd. Jase and Ellen had come down the day before. We were worried because Ellen and Evan had come down with a bad cold and so we debated what to do, but they still wanted to come as planned and so they arrived on Wednesday. Thursday I prepared a dinner of ham, cheesy potatoes, pretzel jello, yams, vegies, and rolls -- which is more than I usually do for Christmas Eve. Jenna was a big help again and dinner was delicious! 

After dinner was cleaned up, Rick gave a very nice Christmas lesson. After his lesson he had the kids dress up for the Nativity. He had brought the manger over from the Seminary building and his bag of seminary costumes. The costumes were in pretty bad shape and so Rick dropped the whole bag off to the DI the next day, since he won't be teaching in the classroom any more. I realized that the headband Josh was wearing as Joseph was the belt to my bathrobe, which has been missing for years! I would have been excited about that find except for the fact that someone had cut it in half and so it no longer fit around my waist! Oh well! Jared and Josh were goofing off with the costumes... which is why Josh is wearing a French Beret (not exactly Bethlehem attire, haha) and Jared is wearing a sheep hat with a shepherd costume. Those two things ruined the effect, but baby Eli still looked adorable dressed up as baby Jesus!  

After the lesson the kids opened up their "home-made" sibling gifts. Jenna gave Jared a "dating kit." The basket contained home-made cookies, candy, and a jar filled with dating ideas that she had printed off. Jared wrote a book for Jase and Ellen, written from the perspective of Evan! It is pretty hilarious! Jase and Ellen made Jenna home-made soap in the shape of Phineas and Ferb! Jaiden made Janika and Brandon a Christmas sign (but gave it to them later when we went up north. Apparently I forgot to get a picture of that!) Janika and Brandon made Josh this awesome cute book. She had gathered up thoughts from family and friends of why we love Josh and added pictures and had the book printed. It turned out really nice! Josh made Jenna a "photo-shoot kit" with props for a photoshoot.  Then Rick passed out gifts to everyone, which was the matching hoodies you see below. It was a fun night! 

Jase, Ellen, Evan, and Eli in their matching jammies! So cute! 

Jaiden and Maddox -- Matching PJ's!

 

Jenna: Southwest Dance, Parent Night

 

Josh Salt Lake Madrigal Trip

Josh went on the Madrigal Salt Lake Trip this weekend! This is what the director wrote about it: 

The Madrigals have returned from a successful tour.

This Year we:

Toured the Capitol
Caroled at Gardner Village
Skated at the Rec Center.
Sang at the Mall Did a concert in the Assembly Hall at Temple Square
Sang for South Point Senior Assisted Living
Ate too much food. 
Sang the National Anthem before a Stars Game. 
Made up a third of their audience with Gabe Layton being a lunatic on courtside.
Saw the lights, heard the sounds, and felt REAL cold. 

Thanks for sharing your kids with us. They did amazing.

Jase and Ellen brought Evan and Eli to surprise Josh at the Gardner Village. It was the first time Josh had seen Evan walking/running. Unfortunately Evan took a little fall! So sad! 

Janika and Brandon Cruise to Ensenada

Janika and Brandon went on a cruise to Ensenada in December while Everett stayed with Brandon's parents. They were there over her birthday, like last year. Janika wrote this in her history: 

We had the opportunity to go on a cruise with Brandon’s work in December. Everett stayed with Grammy and Bud. We were pretty nervous for our first time away from him (for more than one night) but it ended up going really well and he hardly even missed us! I can’t say the same haha. But we had fun, and it was a nice little getaway. 

Jenna's Room

Jenna covered the entire walls of her window seat with photos of her and her friends! I think it was about 200 photos! It turned out really cute! 

Rice Krispie Treats!

 Here are the recipes for some of our recent gluten free treats! (Just so I can find them when I need it!)

Mary Dawn's Cousin's Candy

(Krispie Marshmallow Peanut Butter Treats)

1 1/2 pounds (24 oz) almond bark type white chocolate (or white choc chips)

1 1/3 cup peanut butter

4 cups mini marshmallows

3-4 cups rice krispies

1-2 cups peanuts (optional)

 Directions:

Melt white chocolate in microwave. Stir in peanut butter. Pour in marshmallows. Stir and then pour in rice krispies and place spoonfuls of the mix on a cookie sheet to harden. (I keep in fridge).  

 Rice Krispie Treats

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40) JET-PUFFED Marshmallows OR
• 5-1/2 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows
• 6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal\

Directions:

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.

MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:
In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Follow steps 2 and 3 above. Microwave cooking times may vary.

Note
- For best results, use fresh marshmallows.
- Diet, reduced calorie or tub margarine is not recommended.
- Store no more than two days at room temperature in airtight container.
- To freeze, place in layers separated by wax paper in airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 weeks. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

 

Chocolate Scotcheroos

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 6 cups Kellogg's® Cocoa Krispies® cereal OR
• 6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal
• 1 package (6 oz., 1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• 1 cup butterscotch chips

 Directions:

1. Place corn syrup and sugar into 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Mix well. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated. Press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over cereal mixture. Let stand until firm. Cut into 2 x 1-inch bars when cool.

Note: Before measuring the corn syrup, coat your measuring cup with cooking spray--the syrup will pour easily out of the cup.

 

 

Black Friday and Rudolph

Months ago I ordered six tickets for Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer at Tuacahn for Thanksgiving weekend, thinking that the married kids would be in town and we could all go together as a family. I thought Jenna might be interested since she had been in the Jr. version of the show at Lava Ridge last year. But Janika and Brandon weren't able to come for Thanksgiving and Jase and Ellen weren't able to either. So it ended up just being me, Rick, Jaiden, and Jenna (Josh had other plans) and so I told Jaiden and Jenna that they could invite a friend. Jaiden brought her boyfriend, Maddox, and Jenna invited Bria (Maddox's little sister). The show was darling! We really enjoyed it! Afterwards Jenna and Bria went to a friend's house and Jaiden and Maddox came over to decorate gingerbread houses!