Jensen Family History 2001

What a fun and crazy year we’ve had!  Our kids just seem to be getting bigger (and noisier) everyday! Janika just turned six and started kindergarten this year at Red Mountain Elementary School. She absolutely loves it!  She rides the bus to and from school each day and helps take care of Jase and Jared when she is home. Jase just turned four this year and wants to know why Janika gets to go to school and he doesn’t!  He spends the morning playing with his little buddy Jared who will be two in March.  They sure make life hectic but fun!

We have had a very busy year, but took some time out for a few vacations.  During Spring Break we got the wild idea to head up to Disneyland with the kids and spend a few days!  I got a great deal on the hotel and so we drove out and had a wonderful time with the kids!  We took all three of them – even the baby – and had a great time!  In fact, we may do it again next year.  

Since we took the trip with the kids Wendy and I decided we needed one all to ourselves.  I found a killer deal on a cruise and asked our good friends Curtis and Stephanie Healey to join us.  They accepted and we were ready for a wonderful vacation.  Unfortunately, the boat never left the dock. The cruise line ended up canceling the cruise, refunded all of our money, and gave us a credit toward another cruise next year.  Though it was disappointing, we were able to spend 3 fun days on a boat with all the food we could eat and some great entertainment.  It was like being on a floating hotel that never left Miami! Hopefully next time we will actually go somewhere.

(Add in Trip to Bryce Canyon with CES...)

Wendy has been rather busy being a mom and teaching her Sign Language Class at Dixie State College.  She is still doing interpreting on a freelance basis and she recently has taken on another job with the state of Utah as a mentor to help other interpreters achieve certification.  It is really nice since the hours are very flexible and part-time.  Since this new job has started she has been extremely busy!  She is currently serving as the 1^st counselor in the primary presidency and shares her talents with the ward by playing for the ward choir.  She’s also been volunteering in Janika’s class one morning a week which helps her know what is going on with her daughter’s schooling.  Janika loves it whenever she comes in.

 I’ve been extremely busy this year as well.  I’m still teaching seminary at Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts and teaching one class at Snow Canyon Jr. Seminary.  It’s a great job and I find it very enjoyable.  I am also still teaching computer classes at the college as well as Infowest Internet services.  I recently received a new calling in our ward as executive secretary to the Bishop and I still serve as Choir director.

This year Wendy and I decided to try putting Hands in Harmony, our caroling group, back together again.  I auditioned quite a number of kids and pulled those that I wanted into the small group.  It has been a crazy first year for the carolers and we’ve had many obstacles to overcome, but overall St. George has absolutely loved them.  They have been in the newspaper and on the radio and have performed all over St. George!  I have scheduled them about  4 – 5 nights a week with 2-4 performances each of those nights.  There are times I feel I’ve overbooked them because of the hectic schedules we have been living this past month, but overall it has been a great year for the carolers!  Heavenly Father has blessed us with so much – a wonderful family, good health, and talents that we can use to uplift and help others. We have reason to count our many blessings! 

Jensen Family Christmas of 2000

I was just thumbing through some old pictures and couldn't resist posting some of them!

Mutual Mall Find: Twenties

Tonight our Mutual was having a Mall find.  That is where different ward members dress up in disguises in the mall and the kids try to find them.  I know it sounds pretty corny, but we were asked to be some who dressed up.  Rick asked what the purpose was and suggested that the seminary kids have to pass off a scripture mastery scripture when they found us.  She gave everyone puzzle pieces with a scripture about “finding the lost sheep” or something. 

Rick made it really fun and really got into it.  He decided to dress up like the twenties.  Jase looked soooo cute!!  He put Jase in black shorts with a white dress shirt and black suspenders and a black bow tie.  Then he parted him hair in the middle and gelled it back.  He looked just like one of the little rascals. I might have him do that for Halloween instead of the pumpkin costume I got for him because he looked so cute.  Jani wore a little twenties style sun dress with a sun hat.  Rick looked like Jase with a black hat and glasses.  He pursed his lips and totally acted the part with an accent and everything.  I wore a dress and sun hat.  We even dressed Jared up in a little bow tie.  We should have done his hair too but he was asleep when we were getting ready.

We didn’t know we were supposed to “blend in” at least that is what the others did.  One guy had a baseball hat and sat at a table with a laptop.  His wife sat at another table with a baseball hat sipping a shake.  Another couple separated and wore black leather jackets with these gray wigs – they looked really good.   We totally stood out of course and were easy to find.  Rick was so funny with his part.  He made the kids stand up on a bench and recite scriptures or sing primary songs. Then our family went out to ice cream amidst all the funny looks.  Rick is so fun to be married to – I couldn’t help but smile every time I looked at him. In the mall he saw one of his students and yelled across the court in his accent “Sister _______! !  What are you doing in such a worldly environment?!”  She squinted and then said, “Brother Jensen????” 

 Rick had already tucked Janika in and then she wanted me to. She actually gets back out of her covers so that we can both tuck her in. When I re-tucked her in tonight she said, "Do you know why I have you and Daddy both tuck me in?" I said I didn't. She said, "So that one of you will not feel sad that you didn't get to do it!"

Janika Funnies -- Precious Moments

Last Sunday Janika (age 4) came out all dressed in her church dress and tights and church shoes.  I was telling her how grown up she is getting and said “what am I going to do?  My little girl is just growing up so fast!”  She gave me a hug and said, “It’s okay momma, I will always be your daughter – just like you are still grandma’s daughter!” It was sweet even though it was actually my own words echoing back to me from a few weeks ago.   She had been asking if I would still be her mom when she grew up and left home and got married.  I had explained that I would always be her mom just like Grandma was my mom even though I am married and have kids. Today Janika added that I could always come to her birthday parties.

Jensen Family

Easter 2000

Sat. 22:  We had a lovely weekend and lots of fun with the Yearsleys here.  I'm glad we could spend Easter with family.  They arrived Friday night around 6:30 p.m.  Julie and Rick and the kids all went grocery shopping and Scott and Haulee went to Dana's.  Saturday morning we went to the Easter Egg hunt at Ivins City park. Then Julie took Abbee and Madee and Jani shopping in the afternoon (while Rick and I took naps with our two boys) and then we all went to Dana's for a BBQ.  They had lots of family there.  Julie brought her "salon in a bag," and gave me a perm and cut Jase's hair (he looks so cute!) and highlighted Rick's. She did Jani's hair up in cute little do's yesterday and today.  She was busy doing hair at Dana's too -- poor Julie never gets a break from work while she is on vacation! Then we came back and had the kids dye Easter Eggs outside.

Sun. 23:  Happy Easter!!   This morning the kids got their baskets from the Easter Bunny with lots of goodies and fun toys and they had an Easter Egg hunt in our yard. Then Rick gave a nice Family Home Evening lesson about Easter. Rick stayed home from church with Jase because he (Jase) is sick with a lousy cold. He got it from Jani and has been coughing and sounds terrible. I hope Julie's kids don't get it.  Tonight Scott and Julie and Madee are sleeping over here and Haulee and Abbee are sleeping at Dana's. Everyone came over tonight for dinner and we barbecued chicken.  Rick and the kids were playing "No Bears are out tonight" until it was time for bed! 

Easter with the Family!!

So everyone had to multi-task a little for Easter this year ... not only was it the Easter holiday, but it was also conference weekend, and the "Spring Forward" shift for Daylight Savings. Whew! Have to appreciate all those other years when it's only eggs to worry about!

The Westra gathering was held on Saturday, April 3. Chris's crew wasn't able to make it up this year, but Scott's family, the Jensen kids and the Blackham Boys came out after the second session of conference. The littles did an egg hunt, then the men went to the Priesthood session.

Sunday it was conference again, and hopefully everyone remembered to change the clocks. There was another gathering that Sunday evening at Merrill and Lorrie's house. Nelva and Arnold and Dale were there too, and Blackhams got to show off baby Callahan. Cousin Emily had picked up a white blanket when she was in Bethlehem for him. The following Sunday would be Callahan's baby blessing.