Double Digits!

Happy Birthday to ANDREW!!

He turned 10 years old today! Never again to return to the age of a single digit. Wow! Time flies!
Andrew picked his favorite dinner...french toast and sausage. We had a little Andrew movie night, watching footage of when he was born and toddling around. Can I just say, he was the cutest baby! (I also need to say, the mom overalls were waaaay overdone! ugh!) I remember his bright blue eyes and cute, round head like it was yesterday. He was an angel as a baby and still is (mostly!). He is a model student. He follows the teacher and rules to a "T" and is very diligent with his homework. I even have to encourage him to loosen up a bit! Right now, he enjoys playing with and collecting Webkins and playing the Wii. Both wishes were fulfilled with a new Wii game and three new Webkins (yes, this is the new Beanie Baby craze). Later this week he will enjoy dinner out with the family and friend to finish off his birthday celebration. Andrew, we love you!!

Sarah shows her stuff!

Sarah has been taking gymnastics for about 6 months now. It seems to be something she really enjoys and I think moving around from event to event is perfect for her busy mind and body. On Saturday, she got to show off her stuff. It was fun to see her smiling as she did her best on vault, bars, beam and floor. She says the vault is her favorite. I think that has something to do with the pit of foam cubes she likes to play in!

A Super Kid and a little Yeee Haw!

We had a busy morning at the school today. Sarah has been the "Super Kid" for her class this week and this morning I got to visit her class. You know...mom's chance to brag about and embarrass their child! I had fun sharing a few stories and pictures. Even though Sarah acted embarrassed, I really think she liked the attention. :)

Next, it was off to the gym for the 4th grade recorder program. Not only did they play their recorders, they sang songs about Utah and did some square dancing. It was very fun to watch...and even participate in (Andrew pulled me up to dance with him!).

What fun to see both Sarah and Andrew this morning. I am so proud of their efforts in school!

Bringing down the house...

...the church house???!!!

Last night our youth had a talent show. I was thrilled to hear how many of them participated from skits, to camp songs...even a dolsimer performance! I don't know that I would have had the confidence to do it...I probably would have played the "I'm too cool for that" card (ie...I don't have the guts to put myself out there).
Josh has been working hard on the guitar for the past year. In fact, he just got his first guitar and amp for Christmas. It's been great seeing his desire to play push him to practice and improve. I loved that he didn't hesitate at the chance to get a shot on stage (uh-oh...should I be worried?) Whenever he had a free minute, he'd be in his room practicing. Now being Josh, he had to inject a little humor into his performance. Hence the sunglasses. He thought it would be funny to pause before he started and put the glasses on. I think he got a few laughs. This persuasive child also got Chad to follow suit. It's not that my men think they are "too cool for school"...they were just trying to be funny. (I think...I hope). Josh (who recently complained he was born in a time with no good music) played "Sweet Child of Mine." What?? I have a child playing the guitar...and playing songs that I grew up with?? Life is funny. Josh did a wonderful job. During his performance he got little relaxed doing a Jack Black jig and lost his strap...he didn't lose a beat going to one knee to play. Gotta love it. Chad also got the chance to play...so far it hasn't kept him off the stand on Sundays. ;) Love it or hate it, we've got Rockers in the house!

Happy *Heart* Day!

Sending out a little Valentine love. Cookies have been frosted with Grammy and Papa. Valentine boxes and class parties were done yesterday. This morning a little sleeping in and breakfast at Mimi's with Chad. Now, it's time to dip the strawberries and get the heart shaped pancakes ready for the kids. Then it's off to the movies with Chad!

15 years in the making...

It has only taken Chad and I 15yrs to go on a cruise and it was worth the wait!

Imagine my surprise when I opened a cruise itinerary for Christmas...and I thought I was getting new faucets (and I would've have been totally thrilled with that). Yes, Chad managed to pull off a huge surprise. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Chad really is so thoughtful and awesome with his gift giving. He'd even already asked my mom and dad to stay with the kids while we were gone.

We were scheduled to sail on the Norwegian Pearl from Miami on January 25, returning on February 1. Our ports of call were: Roatan (Honduras), Belize, Cozumel and a private NCL island in the Bahamas (but was changed to Key West).

By far, the highlight of the trip was experiencing the people. Whether it was on the ship or on one of our excursions, I loved meeting people that were so different from me.

I was amazed to learn that the ship had over 1,000 crew members from 65 different countries. They sign 10 month contracts and work 10-14hrs a day, 5-6 days a week. Wow. They work hard and are so grateful for these jobs (unlike the NCL American ship that can't stay staffed because the Americans won't do the work). Our last night there, we met the cutest married couple from the Philippines...they were hoping to take 3 months off to start their family. We also loved talking to Emil from Jamaica. He teased us saying he knew where we were from because he recognized the Book of Mormon in our room. I asked if he had read it. He said he had, but that religion wasn't for him. I told him to give it another try. ;) We also met such a wonderful couple from New Hampshire. We enjoyed having Mary and Glenn join us on many activities and look forward to keeping in touch with them. We also had a great time being with another couple from our neighborhood, Jackie and Eric Peterson. It was great to get to know them better and even tease Jackie about her fear of new foods. The Peterson's are such wonderful people!

Roatan, Honduras was our first port of call. While I loved each stop for different reasons, if I had to pick a favorite this would be it (maybe because it was our first stop?). When we got off the ship, I couldn't believe how huge the ship was against this tiny village and port. I loved that this port was less developed and less prepared for the tourist...it made the experience feel so much more authentic. (although they were constructing new shops to cater to the ships). When we arrived it was gray and rainy, I was touched to see the people lining the streets just watching us drive by...maybe hoping for work...maybe just with nothing else to do. The next thing that struck me was the homes. Rusted roof shacks on stilts. I've seen pictures like this, but to see it in person is a humbling experience. As we drove up over the hill to the other side of the island, I felt like I was in "Romancing the Stone". I was half expecting to be slipping down a muddy hillside (remember that great scene) as the bus struggled to get up the rainy slope. When we arrived at the beach, it was still wet and gray, but we opted to head to the water and snorkel anyway. Can I just say, "Wow!" The reef was right there in the calm, clear waters. We headed out and snorkeled out as far as we could go. As we headed back, we got a bit off track and ended up on top of the reef with inches to spare before our tummy's were toast! While in the water I got a few small jellyfish stings...when I got out I had little red dots on my arm. Before we got out of the water, the sun was shining. The sand was so beautiful...I even brought some home and have run my fingers through it wishing to be back there. It was also fun to see the wild iguanas on the cliffs. The food. Oh the food! Lunch was prepared by the locals. Jerk chicken and rice and beans. It was so good!

Our next port was Belize City, Belize. We planned to do cave tubing. When we arrived, we were one of the last to meet up with the group. This was actually quite fortuitous. With the bus full, we got to ride in a van (this is where we first met Mary and Glenn) with two of our guides, Minor and Mark. What a wonderful experience getting such personal insights on Belize. After a bit of a drive, we arrived at our stop and were outfitted with headlamps and giant inner tubes. Now, this is the part where I feel like Indiana Jones. We had to hike a bit through the rain forest to get to the launch spot. As we crossed a river, hiked through caves and trees, we were given great bits of information about the forest. Like, "eat this if....," or "avoid this when..." We even got to sample an alternative source of protein. Termites! Yes, we really did. Our guides told us they tasted a bit minty...and well, they did! As we hiked these muddy paths, I could totally envision the Mayan living here (or Indiana searching for treasure). We finally arrived at the cave entrance and jumped in the chilly water with our headlamps and tubes. What an amazing experience to float through these huge caves...there was even a fresh spring waterfall inside! As we headed back, we had another local lunch of jerk chicken and rice and beans again, it was delicious. As we came through Belize City, our guides drove us by the local LDS chapel. Mark commented that the high fence made him feel unwelcome. I didn't want to offend him by telling him the fence was for obvious reason...the rest of the city was run down and full of vandalized buildings. Instead, I challenged him to be proven wrong by going behind that fence and seeing just how friendly and happy the people on the other side were!

Cozumel, Mexico was our next port. We scheduled to snorkel here. After meeting our boat and guide, the five of us headed out (us, the Peterson's and Glenn). Our first stop was two sunken ships. Very cool. While there our guide did a free dive to the bottom (about 30 ft) to show us a big conch shell and big starfish. We all got to handle them. Very fun...except for the small jellyfish stings my leg incurred. Somehow I was the only one the jellyfish seemed to like! The bites were a nuisance more than anything...not too painful. Next we headed to the other side of the bay to a reef. The snorkeling was okay. I understand there was a big hurricane a couple years ago that severely damaged the reefs. We were able to see the huge fallen piers under the water...amazing they could be destroyed. After our snorkeling we were ready for food and shopping. This was definitely the place for shopping and haggling. While shopping we asked some locals were they eat and decided we wanted to venture out of our way a bit. (not too far...neither of us speaks Spanish) Ohhh yum. What a delicious adventure. We had an unusual queso with the chips and a lentil soup (mmm!) to start. Of course we had to get Coke and Coke "light" in bottles. I had steak and shrimp, Chad had a chicken with black bean sauce. It was so good!

While on the ship we enjoyed the shows. They had a fabulous couple that did amazing and graceful acrobats, a great comedian and fun juggling/comedy act. The crew also did a talent show. I even got to dance with the group from the Philippines. What fun.

Okay, so I do have one negative review: the food on the ship. Maybe I'd heard too many stories of bountiful and incredible food that my expectations were too high. Yes, the food was plentiful, but incredible? Chad and I concluded that quantity was being confused with quality. The other problem was there were only 4 "free" dining rooms, but 7 restaurants with cover charges. So to get some better food, you had to pay for it. I did eat plenty of banana ice cream in the buffet!

Because of bad weather our last stop was changed to, Key West, Florida. I think had we planned to go here and it hadn't been so chilly and windy, we would have enjoyed this stop a lot more. It is a tourist town with lots of charming,quaint buildings....kinda like Park City with palm trees. While here, we had to sample a piece of key lime pie. Here, I ventured off on my own to the local Mel Fisher museum. He was a diver that recovered the treasures from a 16th century Spanish Galleon ship. It was cool to see what was recovered and how it would have been to travel by ship back then (nooo thank you!). For a mere $65,000 I could have purchased a gold trinket box recovered from the wreckage.

We arrived in Miami on Sunday morning. Since we were in Miami both Sundays, we were able to attend a local ward twice. We visited a small, struggling ward. Another humbling experience. Humbling to see many new converts and diverse members working together and showing so much love for each other. Also humbling to recognize what a blessing it is to be in a large ward the functions with more ease. I felt for the bishop. A young father of three boys under the age of five who had just moved from Riverton, Utah 10 months ago. Can you imagine the adjustment?! What a treat it was to attend this ward. After church we did some site seeing along South Beach. I loved seeing all the Art Deco buildings. What a beautiful community. And umm, also diverse. It was hilarious driving by a proudly gay cafe with a drag dancer in the middle of the street stopping traffic. All the while, men screaming and taking photos! It was wonderful walking along the beach and enjoying homemade churros from the local restaurant, Manalo.

So worth the wait....BUT I do not want to wait 15 more years to do it again!

Bound and determined...

...to get back to blogging!! After months of dealing with a computer that was getting progressively worse (and a few other electronic ailments), it looks like I have no more excuses. After lots of help from Frank (thank you!!) and lots of work by Chad I think I'm on the verge of being back in business . Photoshop has yet to be reinstalled but I will press forward nonetheless. So, now my remaining problem is...where do I start?? I hate that part...I hate being so behind.

Anyone still out there?? :)

Anyone have some dynamite??

If you do, can I have it? I'd like to blow up my computer. My computer has been getting progressively worse over the last couple months. Won't even turn on now. I think I've got everything but my most recent photos backed up. Hopefully we can fix it, Chad thinks it's a software problem. So anyway, just letting you all know in case you are trying to email and it's taking me a bit to get back to you. (not checking my email as often) Man, I miss being able to check my computer at anytime throughout the day! Do you think asking Santa for a new computer is too much?? lol

Bravo!

Josh and Andrew had their Christmas recital this morning. As always they were very diligent in memorizing and practicing their pieces. It was especially fun to hear them develop dynamics in the song, something that usually take awhile to get the hang of. For me, the most rewarding part is hearing them play the piano when they aren't under coercion! Love hearing them play on their own. Well done boys!

Food + Friends

Last Saturday, we had the chance to get together with some wonderful friends from Colorado. We met the Davis' and Sabeys while living there. Davis' live here now so we get to see the more frequently (yay!) however, the Sabeys are still there. It was so great to visit...I love these people and am so thankful for their friendship. The conversation and food were enlightening (we ate Indian food!). Always nice to know that friendships can easily pick up where they left off.

A little Photoshop love!

Thank you to Steph, Shay and Amy for trying to help with my Photoshop woes. Really, thank you for trying to enlighten my little brain! As you can see, I'm back in business! Well, as far as doing a photo collage is concerned since that is all the Photoshop knowledge my brain has capacitiy for at this time.

A wonderful Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful day yesterday. I hope you did, too. It was rather low-key, but equally enjoyable. We had Chad's parents over. We spent the day watching movies, playing games, putting up the tree and talking. Always a bit of Medeiros humor(notice the picture of turkey). I think I've found the key to the perfect, low stress Thanksgiving dinner: part homemade....and part, well, not homemade! Seriously, if you can find delicious rolls and potatoes made by someone else, why not? Cuts my time and stress way down! I did however, make the turkey, stuffing, apple pie and appetizers. Chad's mom helped with the yams, cranberry sauce and other treats. It was a delicious dinner. This year, my friend suggested I add sausage to the stuffing. Have you tried that? Mmm...very good! We really had a great time just hanging out together. At the end of the night, Peggy and I made a pact to go two weeks without sugar (I have to take baby steps!). I have never, ever committed to something like this...please wish me luck!

PS...Can anyone help with Photoshop? I went to to my normal canvas/photo collage and after cropping the photos and trying to move them to the new canvas, they are huge! I checked the crop and canvas size and everything looks right...any suggestions?? I hate not being able to do the photo collages.

A week in review...

It's that time of year where everything seems to accelerate, doesn't it? Here are a some of the pictures I captured from the last week.

-Grammy spent the afternoon with Jenna. Ohhhh did she love that! With Grammy's undivided attention, the read book after book.

-I had a girls weekend in Midway with some women from the neighborhood. Would you believe the only pictures I captured were of the junk food and Andrea and Gaby in the opposing school sweatshirts? (it was the "big" game that day) Pictures or not, we had a great time!

-As family, we went to high school's production of "Hello Dolly." Can you just say, "Hello! It was good?!" I was seriously impressed and not just because we knew some of the kids in the play. What a great production. Don't some of those hats look great? ;) I got to help with a few of the costumes! I know Sarah really enjoyed it because this morning she said, "Mom, is a moment really less than a second?" (taken from the play) Too cute.

-Andrew played in the 4th grade talent show...he did a great job!

-I have been making BIG messes! For the last week, I've been stripping, sanding and staining. I have been working on the kitchen table, kitchen island and powder bath cabinets. I will post pics when I'm done.

-We are getting ready for Thanksgiving tomorrow. We are so excited to be doing it here. Chad's parents will be joining us. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday!

I am too old for this!

So last night...or umm, I mean this morning was the opening of Twilight. And some of the girls in the neighborhood had the brilliant idea of going to the opening show. At midnight. I am old. This is much past my bedtime. But, I knew it would be fun. We all laughed as we hopped into the car...all commenting that we felt like we were sneaking out. Apparently we were far from the the only ones up to no good. I have never seen the theater so full...even on a weekend. They were showing the movie on 20 (twenty!!) screens and all of them were sold out! It was crazy...girls in prom dresses, picture booths, and pajamas. Crazy. The movie was good (not great). Not as good as the book. Some things I think they did really well and others, well just didn't work. I mean how could they successfully create some of the effects that are in the book? I kept wondering what people will think of the movie who haven't read the book. I enjoyed it (didn't love it)...makes me want to read the book again. Now, I know many of you have seen it...what did you think?

Got milk?

So, last Friday I open up the fridge and look what wonderful surprise was waiting for me! Sarah is the queen of pictures and notes. New friends, old friends, G'parents, siblings and especially mom and dad are the recipients of her artistic expressions of love. She usually leaves these notes on a pillow or bathroom sink...she out did herself with this one. This note was extra special. It was a pouch, actually, filled with pennies and another note. Thank you, Sarah...Happy November to YOU, too! I love you!

What's the best jumpstart for your heart in morning?

The sound of the garbage truck coming earlier than it usually does!
I was caught off guard as I heard the roar of the truck...much earlier than usual. I quickly threw in the Halloween pumpkins and rushed down the driveway. As I glanced down the street, I saw half a dozen of my neighbors frantically doing the same thing! It was hilarious...all of us half dressed running for the curb!

Last month, Josh reached the Star ranking in scouts. He has been working hard and it's exciting to see his merit badges adding up! He also received a special walking stick for earning the most service beads at scout camp this summer. We have great scout leaders...so grateful for that! At the Court of Honor, it was fun to see Josh conducting. He does such a good job. Keep it up Josh and you'll be getting your Eagle in no time!

The Never-Ending Halloween!! (mega post)

{ Chad...always the rocker. This year w/ a political twist to go w/ his department's work theme. Mom...trying to be a witch. And, no, that scratch on my chin is not part of the make-up. Just had a little trouble getting dressed.) Josh...like father, like son! He loved bringing "Slash" back. Andrew...what a charming Indiana, don't you think? "S" is for Super Sarah who wouldn't wear the cute boots that were part of her costume!! And "Grrr..." is for the growling Jenna! She's be practicing her growls all month while watching 'Open Season.' No, cutesy bear here! }

WOW! I think it's fair to say we made the very most of halloween this year. (and I'm tired!) We had several parties with friends (We have neighbors who have a full size coffin in their living room...and that is soo only the beginning!), family, work (The Omniture party left me wondering how many days it's been since the employees actually did any work! It was amazing) and school. Here are a few highlights.

Jenna had to be the doorbell ringer this year...it was so cute to watch! She also loved all the scary decorations (our street goes all out!). And Sarah? She wasn't loving the gore so much this year. lol Noticeably missing from the door to door walking was Josh. Yep. He's old, remember? He was "hanging out" with friends. He did hit a few houses. The night ended a bit early with Sarah feeling sick (toothache...thanks mom for the great teeth)


Remember what a big deal the costume parade was when we were young? Well, it still as...at least with all the parents and g'parents! The gym and hallways were packed. Then, it was off to class parties. It's always fun to be in the classroom with the kids.


Every year G'ma and G'pa Jensen put on a big party for all the grandkids. They seem to step it up every year as was definitely the case this year! The food was (almost) too cute to eat! Fun games and activities....and the SPOOK ALLEY in the backyard!! That was just awesome this year. Buried bones, hiding monsters (neighbor kids), a mad scientist (Uncle Ron) and a gruesome BBQ. It was fantastic!


Looky here....the Jensen's all dressed up! A Sushi chef, Obama (a la horns and pitch fork!), a whoopi cushion (with sound effects), a 70's basketball star and a cuddly bear just to name a few.


(over)Decorating the cemetery cake is a favorite tradition the kids love doing with Grammy each year. Grammy doesn't hold back bringing the candy and sprinkles! I know the kids love having carte blanch with the candy and frosting! Mom and Dad even got lucky this year. Grammy brought dinner...the best soups...mmmm! Thank you soo much Grammy...we had a great time!

Thank you so much to all our family and friends who went to so much work to make Halloween so fun and special for us. We hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween, too!

Sheesh! I think Josh had the never-ending birthday this year! We had to bring teenager-dom in with a boom, right? Having outgrown party games and treat bags, we had to plan something "cool" for him and his friends. We have an awesome high school team and I knew Josh and his friends would think it was pretty cool to head to the high school for a game. They had a great time and headed back to our place after for dinner, dessert and some "hanging out." No more kid-themed parties. Wow. He is getting older!

On the 17th our ward had our "Super Saturday"....on Friday night. I was asked to teach a pumpkin carving class. Really? Yep. Who knew I was an expert on pumpkins...not! However, in preparation for the class, I did come across some cute ideas and great tricks for carving. My favorite two tricks this year?

1) Hollow out your pumpkin from the bottom. Looks so much cuter w/ the stem area untouched. And easy peasy for the lighting...just place pumpkin on the lit candle (no reaching inside)
2) The apple corer!!!! This thing makes the best, most perfect circles!

I had fun with the spray paint and craft paint...even added some rhinestones. If you really want to go crazy try carving only the outer flesh. It took me awhile, but I love the results. Happy Carving!

Blogging blaaahs

Maybe it's the economy, election overload, the layer winter fat that is appearing around my midsection and thighs, or maybe it's the computer problems I've been having, but I just haven't felt like blogging. Hopefully soon I will get my pictures downloaded and get caught up on some entries. I can't be the only one that feels the economy, election and "life" sucking me dry, can I? :)

Well, two days of celebrating and we aren't done yet! We still have a friend party to do! I think Josh had a pretty good birthday. No doubt the highlight was the cell phone! He has been waiting, asking, waiting and asking! The other highlights were dinner with the grandparents: Pei Wei with G'ma and G'pa Jensen and Red Robin with G'ma and G'pa Medeiros. He loves that extra attention. Josh also enjoyed a special breakfast, after school treat (Sarah was disappointed the party wasn't starting NOW, so we did an impromtu ice cream party), the traditional door signs and doughnuts with the carpool.

13thirteen13thirteen13thirteen13thirteen13

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN??
No, really. It can't be. I think I am in complete denial. Josh turns 13 today. We have a teenager. I keep catching myself reminiscing about the day he was born and I have to stop myself so I don't get too emotional. I remember the morning we took him home like it was yesterday. A beautiful, sunny, Sunday morning. Our (awesome) white Taurus. A blue car seat that was much too big. Two new, wide-eyed parents who couldn't begin to imagine what they were in for. As we drove home to our little apartment, we listened to the Jonathan Cain song, "Little River." It goes, "run little river the world waits for you..." I remember laying him in his crib for the first time and Chad and I just turned and looked at each other as if to say, "now what?"

Well...now what?

Now, I take a deep breath. I try to live in the now and not think about how fast tomorrow will come and go. I am trying to ignore the fact that he will be gone before I know it. It's just going too fast.

Josh really is such a amazing young man. He is smart, well spoken, well behaved and an awesome budding guitarist. Nearly perfect except the keeping the room clean part. ;) I have marveled at his ability to teach and talk. When he's been asked to speak at church, teach FHE or a church lesson, he does it with such ease and confidence. I haven't seen many kids that age talk with such maturity, I know I certainly didn't. My one birthday wish for him today is that he will continue on that path. That he will keep his focus and allow his faith to grow and strengthen.
Josh, we are so proud of you. We are so blessed to have you in our family. You are special. We love you.

Andrew:

"MOM! Did you take Jenna to school yesterday? Cause I bet you forgot."

Oh ye, of little faith.