Snow Dance 2009 Meets With 100% Success

Oh Yeah! We did it kids! The snow dance worked. From Dallas to St. George, Boise and Vancouver who can doubt the power of the snow dance?

Thanksgiving Family Reunion

http://www.tmcustomportraits.com/proofs/Jensen

We had such a wonderful time being together and the days went by way too fast. The kids played together amazingly well and stayed in the basement which was very convenient for us adults! Eat, talk, eat, talk, repeat. The food was plentiful and we have much to be thankful for. We watched BYU win in overtime over Utah - life just doesn't get better than that!

Family pictures came together relatively easily, special thanks to those who planned the clothing.

We are just so blessed as a family! Here are words to a song by Michael McLean that came to my mind as it all drew to a close...

Well, it's hard to say goodbye and let go.
And it's hard to see it end.
When the memories we've just made may never happen again.
But it's harder for time to ever erase,
The together times we've shared.
So, when we're apart remember
All the love we've shared together;
And for all that love,
Thank the Lord above who showed us the way
That we can be together forever someday.
We can be together forever someday.

Barbeque Slug Fest

I'm not sure how it started, but for the family reunion we had a talent show where the subject was "Barbecue Slugs". Each family developed an act for the subject. All of them turned out imaginative and we had lots of fun watching the acts and laughing our heads off. Raps, rock and primary songs were great - but I have to share the words for this one Angel & Brad came up with. It is set to the tune of the Beverly Hillbillies...

Let me tell you a story about a man named Dan
In a "Micky Dee's" is where it all began
He had mad skills cookin' on the "Bar-bee"
And that's how he won the heart of Beverly!

Church that is...

Well they got hitched and had a family
Money was tight and they were hungry
So off Dan went to hunt 'em some food
When up from the ground come a slitherin' crude.

Slugs that is..."Washington Prime"...

Well home he came with 'em all in his hat
Beverly said "What the Heck is that?"
He said "Not sure, but I think it's food,
So grab some buns an' fire up the Bar-B-Que!"

Don't forget the Salt!

So now each year the story's told
To all our kin both young and old
How Bar-B-Que Slugs came to be-e-e-e...
The best tradition of the Jensen Family!

Then they danced a hoe-down and played air ukulele. It was great!
You all come back now, ya-hear?

Flash Forward

What if we could see into the future?
What might we do different?
If we saw today, in the past, how might that have affected our choices?

The death of a friend and a new series on television has sparked some thoughts on this subject...

I have tried in the past to claim I am 29, but when 7-year-old grandchildren scoff, "Oh Nonna, you are 50 something" the gig is up. As 100 years (with the millennium) is a best case scenario it is clear that my life is at least half over.
Recently a friend in our ward passed away unexpectedly. He died on a Sunday evening, having been in perfect health and attending church that morning. He was 10 years older than Dan. Although we feel we are young and have many more years together, our friend's passing reminds us that each day is a gift. We've always hoped that the millennium would come before we had to face the reality of mortality.
The passing of our friend has changed how I see my life. The current "holding pattern" of health, security and companionship will someday come to an end. To consider if I had only 10 more years to be together with my husband would be frightening, but to naively think that life will never change is unwise.
What if we could see into the future?
I think that my entire life I have looked to the future as the cure all for unhappiness, stress and frustrations. Whether it was finding the perfect husband, getting the kids out of diapers or serving a mission with my husband - the future always held the promise of happiness. My perspective is changing now. Although I don't want to be that grandma that sits on the couch and talks about the past, the future will have a hard time beating it. Now more than ever I want to treasure the time that is now.

In my deep thinking mode a few nights ago, it was almost as if I was transported back in time. Remembering myself in our first apartment, sleeping on our hand-me-down bed, eating on a garage sale table and sitting on a D.I. reject couch. I was so happy to have found the perfect man, my new life was just beginning. I had lofty dreams and goals, but never would I have imagined the journey ahead. The places I've been, homes I've lived in, the things I've owned - all beyond my wildest dreams. But they are not what I remember, what I cherish. Not even a Sleep Number bed and two dressers can compare with the love of my life, Daniel and our children. Life brings us amazing experiences, many more than we imagined at 18 and 21 when we began our journey together.
Reflecting on the past, then flash forward to now - I realize that life moves quickly in retrospect, while crawling slowly, tentatively, in the present. Although some of the "experiences" are ones we wish didn't happen, they have all worked together to create the reality of today.
Today is wonderful!

Ode to Drixoral

Oh! Drixoral, Drixoral. Wherefore art thou Drixoral?

'Ere once I openly met thee at the drugstores,

silently thou didst creep behind the counter.

Doest thou lay in slumber whilst I lay in agony?

Oh, my little green m&m pill!

Thou hast brought me relief in my youth when

I took thee into mine abode and cherished thee within my closet.

Never didst I abuse thee.

Ever did I beg thee to keep the formulation of thy youth.

I need thee!

My nose drips, my head throbs, there is no other who can take thy place.

Care ye not for my suffering? Is my searching to be in vain?

No more in the cold & allergy rack.

Not to be found behind the counter.

I journey the land seeking to find your hiding place,

Willing to sacrifice identity and gold to again possess thee, yet I depart empty handed.

I plea to the powers of the FDA and pharmaceuticals!

Enduring commercials for diseases previously unknown are but a minor irritation.

Gladly will I seek my medical professionals advice.

Please tell me where I can find thee once again, Drixoral.

Drixoral. Thy name is hope to me.

It is air in my nostrils, clearness of head and mind.

Drixoral, Drixoral! Please return to me, thy truest friend.

A Blessed Event

Here is a picture of Ellie.

She is a smiler!

On August 2, 2009 our son, Brian gave a name and blessing to our precious grandchild. She was given the name Aelizia Laralei. What a wonderful event for our family. We gathered at our house afterwards to celebrate with lasagna and lots of baby holding. Ellie wore Laralei's blessing gown and is so beautiful we can never get enough of her!

35 YEARS DOWN - ETERNITY TO GO

On August 19th Dan and I celebrated 35 years of wedded bliss. It is incredible to think of the experiences we have shared. I never could have conceived the joys I've experienced along the journey of life. Having children, the blessings of the gospel and temple in our daily lives, owning a business, activities with children and the community, traveling throughout the world for business and pleasure, serving a mission... we dealt with time-consuming jobs, demands of school and sports for the children, house-training pets, demanding church callings, building a home and financial ups and downs...but everything was faced together with the eternal perspective that we are a forever family.

After 35 years our eternal family has gone from two to 12 (5 children + spouses) to 24 (with 12 grandchildren)! I thought that marriage would be "always being together" which is exactly what it is now. The experiences we've shared and the promise of eternity means even when we're apart temporarily we are together...still just the beginning of these two young kids who fell in love.

Enjoy the video of us throughout the years!

TO BED IN TIME, SAVES WHINE

Age 6 mo. here, Justis still sleeps with his dog and blanket. So cute!

I have recently discovered a universal truth in babysitting. Putting kids to bed on time saves tears and whining.

In the quest to be the best Nonna ever I have become very lax in my enforcement of bedtime curfews. This was not the case when I was mothering my children, but when "nonna-ing" grandchildren I fall victim to a "They're being good so what's the harm?" mentality.
My knowledge of child psychology (and physiology) should override such neglect of common sense. When a child stays up past bedtime, the facade of tranquility is bound to be short-lived. We now enter "The Whining Zone".
"I miss my mommy."
Children who are past the tired time quickly enter this zone with little to no provocation or warning. Favorite blankets, stuffed animals, degree of door opening relative to lights in adjacent rooms or the desperate need for sleepy time music is suddenly a crisis. No assurances or distractions can stop the tears.
Key to survival is NSF. The Nonna Sympathy Factor.
Although virtually unknown to my children, the grandchildren know just how to leverage their age, length of parent's absence and level of that day's obedience as key indicators to successfully stalling going to bed. Entering the Whining Zone means both players are losers.
So, "To bed in time, saves whine" are important rules to live by....no matter how old you are.

St. George - So HOT it's COOL

June 27, 2009 Ethan Michael Jensen

is baptised and confirmed by his dad.

Nonna introduces cream puffs
as a food group to Adam Michael (6 mo.)

Dan and I went to St. George, Utah to visit Michael & Jani, Ethan (8), Emma (5), Aaron (3), Adam (6 mo.). We always have so much fun when we go to St. George. People say that it is the up & coming place to be, and I must agree that it is so HOT its got to be COOL.

Most days it was 110+ and being a "dry heat" wasn't much of a consolation. We went to a laser game place, a production of Annie in an outdoor theatre and some great restaurants. Dan and Michael played golf at some amazing courses while Jani, the kids and I had quality time at the hotel swimming pool. We met Michael & Jani's friends and family and were impressed by what great people they are and how much Michael & Jani are loved.

The best day was when Ethan was baptised and confirmed on Saturday, June 27th. We are so proud of the special young man Ethan is and the choices he has made. There is another precious joy to see our son with his beautiful family knowing the same joy we have known as parents.

It was a special day, back in Washington as well. Laralei & Brian were about to receive beautiful Aelizia as their first born (see previous blog).

It's hard to believe that 8 years have passed since Ethan's birth. We shared his story with our missionaries many times as an example that the Lord is in the details and blesses us with little miracles to bring us joy.

Jani was due with Ethan June 28th, 2001. This was the same day we were leaving on our mission, so we prayed for a little miracle. We came to Utah a week early so Dan could teach a short seminar there at the Provo Marriot. As we were about to leave for Salt Lake we arranged for someone with a cart to help with our many large suitcases. We waited for almost an hour then called the desk to check...they had forgotten us but someone would come soon. We checked the room one more time as the phone rang. It was Michael! Jani was in labor and in the hospital about to have the baby! The only reason he remembered our room phone number was because it was one digit off his work number! He didn't have any other phone number to reach us with him , so without this miracle we would have missed out! As it was, we drove to the hospital, saw them for a minute and went to the waiting room. Within an hour Michael came out to tell us the happy news and we were able to see Ethan when he was only a few minutes old. The night before we left for Italy we skipped the special banquet and went to pizza with Michael, Jani & her family. I held Ethan several times. Finally, as Dan and I turned and left down that long hallway of the MTC Dan said; "Shall we not go forth in so great a cause". And we did.

We did it knowing that the Lord had blessed us to have this last choice experience. It will always be a testimony that the Lord cares about his children so much that he will oversee phone numbers and memory lapses to work for our good.

Aelizia June 27, 2009

Aelizia Laralei Jensen arrived a little early and had a few complications but we are excited to have that behind us and have her home with her mom and dad - Brian & Laralei. She was 6.3 pounds and her length is in dispute but I can tell you she has long fingers and toes. Her features are delicate and her little face perfectly round and innocent.

At birth she had severe anemia and had to be transferred to a hospital with a NICU to receive a blood transfusion. It was critical for a while but they felt the Lord's hand in guiding the timing, process and health professionals who did tests not normally done which revealed the problem promptly. Thanks to all who have fasted and prayed for her.

Brian and Laralei are so grateful to begin their family... I even saw Brian change a diaper! I love seeing the look on their faces as they hold her. It was worth the wait, they're a beautiful little family now.

Aelezia - we'll be calling her Ellie - make an even dozen of grandchildren for me. 6 boys, 6 girls...an OCD dream come true!

DALLAS - HOT LIKE A FEVER!

Dallas in June is hot, or did I have a fever?
My nonna services were needed for two families at once. Being the "out of the box" type of thinker I am I came up with a plan. I took Justis and Nia to Texas to be with Tori and Abbie so I could nonna sit both at once. Angel and Brad were only gone for a few of the 10 days so I can't over dramatize my bravery...but there was one contingency we didn't plan for: Strep Throat.
A day or two after arriving Justis didn't feel well. He seemed to have a fever and said his throat hurt so I gave him some Tylenol. He had a badly infected finger which we thought may be the cause of the fever. Soon, Tori and Nia didn't feel well. Virus alert!
It was 90+ degrees, it was hard for me to judge if I was hot, or fever hot. Pain killers/fever reducers are a miracle of modern science. They allowed me to continue my hectic schedule of cooking, swimming, playing and keeping the house picked up while Angel and Brad were gone. I felt terrible, but was loving the chance to be with the kids. Time to suck it up!
Angel had planned fun activities to do like a splash park and a huge jumping/slide kid's place all of which entertained and exhausted the munchkins. Dallas has a large aquarium where the kids saw sharks being fed, huge alligators and a jaguar (he wasn't sure what he was doing in an aquarium). Dallas is an awesome place for families. The pool in their condo unit is literally behind their backyard. No one was too sick (when properly dosed up) to play so we had a great time.
I was glad I could bring the cousins together.
After we returned home Andi took Nia to the doctor and she tested positive for strep. Wow! That explains so much. My blood tests were off the chart for bacteria, a sign I had strep, but I was fine by then. Angel became sick and she tested positive as well. I was gone by then so I couldn't make her jello:)
We had so much fun in Dallas, it was "hot"!

The Calorie Myth

Here I am making Lasagna for 65 guests. I didn't really get dirty, just dabbed on some sauce for effect. I made homemade gelato and fresh dressing from scratch for the salad made from scratch...they haven't discovered pre-made salads yet - a possible business opportunity for someone out there

While I'm in my kitchen, let me give you a few tips for healthy eating. First: The so-called experts on dieting have the calorie theory all wrong. Let me explain how it works.

Calories are a measure of energy. Eating is the way we who are not blessed with a windmill for a head to make energy. Energy is needed to perform our daily work, exercise, shop and babysit. Cooking a meal, setting the table and cleaning up use calories, thus canceling any calories consumed by eating in these activities. Some foods have received the reputation of being "high" in calories which supposedly makes you gain weight. Let me just point out a few of these myths.

Common Sense: Healthy food is good for you.

Myth: Cake, cookies, ice cream, etc. are high in calories.

Fact: Combining healthy ingredients from different food groups; such as flour, eggs and milk make such healthy foods a "balanced meal".

Common Sense: It is important to consume water. Water has no calories.

Myth: Soda, watermelon and whole milk are high in calories.

Fact: Water is NOT fattening. These foods are first and foremost mostly composed of water. Take the water out, there is virtually no weight left in these drinks. Therefore, things mostly composed of water are not fattening but rather good for you.

Common Sense: "Garbage in, garbage out" applies to food. If you consume 10 pounds of... say whole wheat flour you should by this rule gain 10 pounds (since it is not mostly water or a combination of healthy foods, see above)

Myth: Eating potato chips is fattening.

Fact: Ridiculous! If you eat a 10 oz. bag of potato chips the most you should gain is 10 oz. That's less that a pound. When eating candy, which does weigh more, go for things such as a Milky Way bar or a Twinkie which are light and fluffy. Snickers, by contrast are a bit heavier.

True: Protein is an important part of your diet.

Myth: Meat, as a heavy food item is high in calories. Not when served as part of a healthy meal.
Fact: Protein (steaks, hamburger, etc.) when consumed with other healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables are a balanced diet which is healthy eating. Try potatoes (vegetable) with butter & sour cream (dairy), rolls (grains) and soda. Yum, yum, and good for you too.

Share your diet tricks for a healthless life style!

The Perfect Job For Me

I am currently unemployed. One could even say I am chronically unemployed. I have thought of several jobs which I would be perfect for. Please contact me with openings in the following fields...Test model for eyebrow plucking. Perhaps a chain of them marketed to women over 50 who can no longer see their eyebrows close enough to pluck them.

Color naming. Forget boring, predictable names. Orangutan Orange, Positively Perfect Pale Plum, Baby Blinking Blue. I'll be up all night thinking up more of these...

Writing crazy passwords for people to type into the comment section of the blogs...usually it says something although it's careful to be cryptic and not too obvious...is there really someone who does not see it on their screen?

Parking cars. I have lots of experience in Italy.

Street naming. If I named streets, subdivisions would have a "theme" like Camelot. Sir Lancelot Lane, King Arthur Avenue, Sword Street (say that 5 times fast!).

Worst case scenario planning. It would be kind of like pre-planned funeral arrangements...it ends in disaster but preparing for it is half the fun.

List making. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing it with a list.

Now do your own perfect job description in the comment section.

Don't Worry, Your Car is Okay

Dear Dan,
There's been a little "incidente" (Italian for 'accident') tonight. Don't worry, your car is okay. This was my evening:
Since you were out of town, I agreed to watch Justis and Nia after school. I planned to take them to Mutual with me tonight while Andi and Jason did their Choffee thing in Portland. For dinner I made the kids and I a Bertolli (pasta in a red sauce with chicken breast) since they had liked it before and I was not in the mood for corn dogs, mac & cheese or eating out. Nia ate well but I had let Justis fill up on ice cream, fishies, oreos, etc. so he fussed about eating. All bribes and threats were unsuccessful, and since he had been sick earlier in the week I decided not to force feed him.
I went upstairs to change into church clothes (it was an Easter Program at the Stake Center) and told the kids to brush their teeth. They were confused... "Why do you have to brush your teeth if it's not bedtime?", but they complied.
We went in your car to the Stake Center, arriving 10 minutes early. Stepping out of the car, about to go around to get Justis out of the car when "URP" goes Nia. Don't worry, your car is okay. She urped on the ground right next to your car.
There was no warning, complaining of feeling sick, etc. URP...all over the parking lot where people would walk. It was a Stake Activity and the parking lot was full of people. I had to clean it up somehow. I would go into more details about how hard it is to clean up vomit from an asphalt parking lot but I will spare you the details.
I had to leave them alone out there while I ran inside to get paper towels. I cleaned up fairly well, but what to do with the dripping, smelly paper towels? I found some baggies we had for the dog, whew. Okay? No, more urping. Another trip inside to get more paper towels. Both kids were in tears and I was wondering what I was doing in this situation. Just lucky I guess.
When we were fairly sure the urping was done we got into the car and went to their home. (As you remember we had just had the carpets cleaned from Justis' turn with the bug). I laid Nia's coat on her lap and told her if she got sick again to throw up into her coat. She was horrified at the thought so I began to take off my jacket to give to her. She said she would just "hold it". She wisely sensed it would be a bad idea to throw up in your car.
We made it home with no urping and she went straight to bed. I prepared a bowl and towel just in case and she urped several more times. Through this all I stayed pretty calm and knew things could have been worse. I stayed with her in her room, held her hair back when she urped some more. I read to Justis and spent some time watching them sleep... it was actually a very special bonding time. It made me a little nostalgic, wishing I could go back in time to sit and watch our kids sleep at this age...We're so blessed.
So...all's well that ends with no urping in your car.
Love, your wife (and protector of all things red and sporty) beverly

Hot Party? Fire Extinguisher Required!

No dinner party can be complete without a proper centerpiece. This is what I learned in Relief Society Tuesday night. The teacher showed how to use candles, fabrics and greenery to make the perfect centerpiece for our holiday buffet. I had 24 hours to make a dozen pies and souffles, clean the house, set up tables for 30 or so guests and create a knock them dead centerpiece.
Early the next morning I trekked to Target and Michael's. I spent about $100. Ouch. But hey, I NEEDED a centerpiece for our party. It was the day before Thanksgiving and the decoration would last through all of the holidays.
As Ward Missionaries we had invited our Gospel Essentials class...investigators, new members, part members and some leaders.
I wish I had a picture of the finished product. It was an absolute work of art! On our large island in the kitchen, using cardboard boxes I made different levels. The boxes were covered with lame, netting, bows and greenery. Candles of every sort, (unscented of course:) in holders, trays and candlesticks were the final touch. The lights were dimmed and the candles lit as guests began to arrive.
It was Pie Night. All pie, all night. Pizza, souffles and pie. Lots of it.
We could not eat as much pie as I anticipated, but we ate as much as we could. Afterwards we moved to the living room for games. We were having a great time, 20-30 minutes into the game, when our friend said calmly "I think your kitchen is on fire".
When they say "Do not leave candles unattended" they really mean it. Where once a masterpiece of a centerpiece had stood, there were now 3 foot flames reaching to the ceiling. The candles on the bottom had burned to the level of the cardboard boxes and fabric nearby igniting the whole decor.
My first thought: "How embarrassing!"
Dan's first thought: "Hey! I get to use my fire extinguisher!"
Before I could suggest a less messy approach and a solution that would spare at least some of the pies...he had the pin out and was liberally spraying the whole area. Fire extinguishers put out fires really well. They put out parties too.
Once the excitement was over and the result was more than offers of "Can I help you clean up?" were meant to cover people began making their excuses to leave. I envisioned my whole reputation (reputation for what I'm not sure) being destroyed and people whispering at church "Did you hear that Sister Jensen caught her house on fire during a party?" I was devastated.
Brother Rogers, a new convert, diffused the tension as he left. "Wow, it's been a while since I've been to a party that we burned something up!"
Suddenly I could see, I would look back on this one day and laugh.
"That's right! Be sure to tell everyone. The Jensen's know how to throw a party!"
All of the pies were destroyed. It took hours to clean up the mess and months before we removed the soot from the ceiling...
Sunday when I walked into church no one bothered to whisper. I was famous for throwing The Party of the year. Not a bad reputation to have.

Key, Key, Who Has the Key?

Oh, for the good old days when you lost a key you went down to the hardware store and had another made for a dollar...

When we bought the Lexus we were assigned our own "key". I use quotation marks because this is not a key in the traditional sense because it is not inserted into anything. It is a small device that sends out an electronic signal which is required to open the doors or start the car with the push of a button. The key also adjusts the seats automatically, according to whose key is being used.

About a month ago I noticed that my Lexus key was missing. I didn't worry about it much at first. I figured it was in one of my purses or coat pockets so I just used Dan's key. Weeks later I got around to looking for it, soon it became an obsession. I looked at least twice through all the coats in both coat closets (we have enough to keep a small country warm), purses, pants, suits coats, etc. I looked through mine and Dan's because sometimes we use each others keys. I was not positive this was my fault. In fact, the more I looked the more I became convinced that it was Dan's fault because I looked in every conceivable place - and some inconceivable ones as well. Under couches, drawers, scripture cases, suit cases...I looked everywhere!

I gave up looking and bought a replacement key on eBay ($100). Additionally there is a charge of $80 to have it "programed". Experience shows this is the prerequisite to finding the lost item and that is exactly what happened.

Friday night we decided to go with Andi and the kids to a "Glow in the Dark" mini-golf at the mall. I was looking through my closet for something with a little bit of white. In the back of my closet I saw a sweat jacket which I rarely wear. You guessed it, a lump in the pocket and there it was! I had searched every other pocket in that closet!

I decided to play a little joke and left the key in Dan's top drawer. It is too high for me to see into and had been his assignment to search. I thought he would find it and know I put it there and we would have a little laugh.

Dan was getting his wallet when I heard him start to laugh. It was his really loud laugh. I figured he had found the key and knew I had played the joke on him. When he came downstairs I questioned him. He said it was nothing. I was left wondering if he had found the key. I didn't let on to my little secret though.

Later, I checked his drawer and the key was no longer there so he must have found it. He asked me a suspicious question about what jacket I had worn so I checked my pocket. Sure enough! He had put it there. So, I put it in one of his coat pockets and am waiting for him to find it there. That will be the end of the gig...but I'm going to act innocent.

Key, key. Who has the key?