2017 Kidisms

Only a few "Kidisms" this year, darn it!  The kids are still darling and funny, but they just don't make the same types of mispronunciations or grammar mistakes that they used to.  They are getting too big, sigh...

January 2017

I will be sad the day Bree stops asking for a "Ricepy-Krispy Treat."

February 2017

The kids empty their lunchboxes after school and there is always lots left to eat, so that becomes their afternoon snack. Today, Miles, stressed, called out, "Mom! Yuck! I think some frogs or something got in my pudding and laid eggs!" (He loves vanilla and Tess loves tapioca, and I guess I got them mixed up today when I was packing lunches.) Whoops!

March 2017

Another cutie from Bree: Chicken Cordon Bleu =
"Corn, Chicken, & Blue"

May 2017

Joke from Bree:

"Knock-knock."

"Who's there?"

"Nunya."

"Nunya who?"

"Nunya of your business."

(haha! not quite there, but good try!)

July 2017

Cute Tess gave us this kidism last night as we were getting ready to watch fireworks and "God Bless the USA" was playing over the loudspeaker: Miles asked if America had ever been in a war with itself and we said yes, in the Civil War. We said it was North versus South. Then Tess piped up and said, "yep, the Yankees versus.... the Red Sox?" Hahahaha! I love it!

December Happenings

Just a few "happenings" for December.  The kids made a huge blanket fort in the basement and played in it for days.  It had teepees, tunnels, and tents, along with the couches, pillows, & ping pong table for structure.  Fun!

Bree had a "first" the other day...our neighbor had a new baby so I went over to visit.  Bree told me she had never held a baby!  What the?  I didn't think she was serious but then I started thinking about it, and she is really right.  She is the youngest of the siblings and all cousins on both sides of the family, so she has truly never held a baby, which is sad!  She loved holding this sweet boy, finally!

 And another first for Bree--this is the first snowman that she has built all by herself, start to finish.  Mr. Snowman looks super, and she was very proud!

Merry Christmas 2017!

We had a great Christmas!  First off, we had our Ward Christmas party earlier in the month.  The Young Men/Young Women were in charge so Bryan and Tess were busy helping.  We had a cookie exchange and a white elephant gift exchange too.  The night finished up with a special visitor from the North Pole!

We also had our annual Jensen Christmas party with my extended family at my Aunt Kathy's house (which I forgot to take any pictures of!)  Food, games, gifts, and family!  A super fun party, followed by a stop to Temple Square to see the lights and visit the Family History Center.  (There are lots of neat things to do there, to learn more about our ancestors and even ourselves--for example, the kids were able to learn that there are thousands of Bryans, Tesses, Mileses, and Brees in the USA, but only 52 Michonnes!  Honestly, I was surprised there are even that many!)

Christmas Eve is always our traditional dinner and party with the Terrys at Bryan's sister's house.  (More great food, games, and spending time with loved ones, and another time I forgot pictures--oops!)

Each year we take the kids to the dollar store and let them each choose a gift for everyone else in the family.  Then on Christmas Eve, we open those gifts along with the new Christmas jammies for the kids.  This year, Bree chose this awesome elf hat for Bryan!  (And it goes great with his new "ugly Christmas sweater.")

Christmas morning is always so exciting.  I am like the kids, I can hardly sleep because I'm so anxious to wake up and see the presents!

 Our main family gift this year was discovered by a scavenger hunt.  Since we couldn't wrap the gift, we made clues (each one was a rhyme sending the kids to a new place in our house, and a letter clue.)  They ran all over the house getting new clues and letters and then unscrambled the letters at the end to discover that we are going on a cruise!

Here is their reaction when they realized what it was!  (We are so dang excited to go in January!  We'll be going to the Eastern Caribbean and it should be wonderful.)

On Christmas day, we enjoyed visits with Gramma & Grampa Terry, and with my immediate family at Papa's house (which, again, I didn't take any pictures of!)  I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!!

Happy 10th Birthday to Miles!

Miles is 10!  Ten years of fun and excitement with this boy--aren't we lucky!?  I wouldn't trade him for anything!

He got to celebrate with his grandparents on both sides...

 ...and we let him open one gift early (Tess has to leave for school at 6:40, so we woke Miles and Bree up extra early to open one present before school.)  This Nerf machine gun was what he was hoping for!

 The rest of the presents had to wait until Dad got home from work.

He got to have "friend birthday party" this year!  (Usually he only gets to invite one friend to do a fun birthday activity with our family, but when our kids turn 5, 10, & 15, they get "friend birthday parties" with many friends.)  Miles wanted a Superman cake:

 And here he is with all his buddies (except one silly boy who hates pictures and hid under the table! Ha!)  For the activity, we all went to Retrocade to play old arcade games and pinball, and drink yummy mixed sodas.  Then we came back to our house for pizza, cake, presents, and "just playing around with my new presents," in Miles's words!

l-r: Treysen B., Miles, Spencer A., Brigham S., Brexton W., Josh S., Westley H., Danny B., and Cristian G.  (under table: Henry M.)

 I think every boy but one gave Miles a Nerf gun!  (And amazingly, there were no duplicates!)  All the boys had an "epic Nerf war" after the gifts were opened.  Lots of chasing and yelling in our basement!  I think they all had a great time.

Here is Miles's birthday interview:

What is a happy memory you have from this year?  Going to Lagoon a lot because we got season passes.

What is one word to describe you?    There's no word to describe me; I'm just so cool.

Why do you like being a kid?  There's not very many responsibilites.

What do you like to do for fun?  play with friends and play videogames and be with family.

What's your favorite thing to do with your friends?  Nerf wars and videogames.

What's your favorite thing to do with your family?  Play kickball in the church, go on trips, have a little American Ninja Warrior course.

What's the nicest thing you did for someone this year? I don't know; I did a lot of nice things.

What's your favorite song?  I don't know.

What's your favorite color?  green.

 What's your favorite movie?  Star Wars.

What's your favorite book?   I like most books.  I love How To Train Your Dragon.

What's your favorite TV show?   Battlebots.

What's your favorite food?   Chicken Katsu.

What's your favorite dessert?   $100 Cake.

Who's one of your best friends?  Cristian, Westley, and Treysen.  And Brigham.  

What's a talent of yours?  basketball and piano.

What do you want to be when you grow up?  an astronaut or a videogame tester/rater.

What's the best thing about being 10?   I can finally be in the double-digits.  And I get to go to Webelos.

We sure love our Mr. Miles.  He is full of energy and he's almost always happy.  He has a knack for making friends instantly.  He is constantly surrounded by kids who want to hang out with him.  When he makes up his mind to do something, he'll do it, and do it well!  He is a wonderful helper to me and I can trust him to be home alone with Bree and take great care of her.  He is responsible and thoughtful; he's always worried if he hurts someone's feelings.  Happy birthday to my favorite boy!

2017 Volleyball Season

Tess's volleyball season ended with a JV tournament.  It was really nice for her to finally have a chance to play (in the regular season, the coach only played one of the 7th graders, so Tess practiced her "cheering/team-support" role during all those games.)  The tournament lasted several games and she was able to play in all of them.   Here she is serving the ball:

 She really had a lot of fun with the other girls on the team.  Here are some pictures that the school photographer took for the yearbook:

Here is Tess with the only other 7th graders on the team, Sierra J. and Mari G.  Tess won the award for "Tiny but Mighty."

 The team got to go to a nearby elementary school to do a little volleyball clinic for some studens.  Tess is right behind the kid in the green shirt.

I hope she tries out and makes the team again next year; it was lots of fun to watch the "Lady Razorbacks!"  

Family Pictures (Brrrrr!)

    We got new family pictures with our Jensen family.  The weather was freezing c-c-cold!  We did our best to smile even though our teeth were chattering.  But I am so grateful that it didn't snow or rain on us until we were done!  And I love that my sweet Gramma J was able to be in the pictures with us!

    Here are some of my favorites.  

   This is the whole fam-damily. My brother Blake, his wife Aleisha, and their kids Sydnee, Aiden, and Brooklyn are in the front.  My sister Melanie, her husband Mat, and their kids Bayli (with fiancé Ryan), Emma, and Jared are in the back.  Gramma J, Papa, and Charlotte are in the middle.  I sure love these people!

Papa with all his grandkids!