Getting to Know You

For Family Home Evening recently I had the opportunity to interview two very important and noteworthy members of our community. They are very busy folks and I was pleased that they would take the time out of their busy schedules to accommodate me for this interview.

Well, okay, so maybe they are more cute than they are noteworthy and their schedules aren't full of important meetings but playdates and lunch meetings at McDonalds. But still, they are important to me and the interviews were fun!

Here is a little peak into the minds and thoughts of two cuties with lots of personality!

SIRRI

How old are you?
"Four." (Holds up four fingers for illustration.)

What is the best part about being four?
"Um? Five?"

What do you love about being four?
"I love Brooke to go to my Tammie pre-school."

What is your favorite thing to do?
"I love to go to Jaci's and watch t.v. and read books."

What is your favorite food?
"Hmmm? I love the best part of pizza and crust and tortillas and macaroni and pasta."

Who is your best friend?
"Koy and Brooke and Saquoia."

Why do we go to church?
"Cause. It's learn about Jesus."

What is your favorite thing at church?
"Ummmm? Eat snacks at my church."

What do you like most about your mommy?
"Loving Mommy."

What do you like most about your daddy?
"I love him. He's nice, not mean."

What do you want to be when you grow up?
"A hunter."

If you could be an animal, what would you be?
"I wanna be a bunny. No, I wanna be a ghost. No a witch. A witch okay? No a vallerina. Vall-a-ri-na. Can I do a vallerina? Can I mom?"

What is your favorite thing to do with your family?
"Play games. A matching game."

What is your favorite song?
"Umm? To See the Temple."

What is your favorite movie?
"At Brooke's house there's some Blue's Clues. I love Blue's Clues at Jaci's."

What is your favorite color?
"Purple and pink and orange and blue."

What is your favorite toy?
"Play at Jaci's and play with dolls at Jaci's."

What do you love most about gymnastics?
"Valeray!"

What do you love most about pre-school?
"I make activities. I love that mostest!"

What do you love about Connor?
"Playing with him."

What do you love about Meg?
"I love her so much and playing with her."

What makes you sad?
"Brooke hits me."

What makes you happy?
"Brooke be's nice to me."

What scares you?
"When monsters are at night."

CONNOR

How old are you?
"This many." (Holds up three.)

What is your favorite thing to do?
"Ummm? Ummm? Play legos?"

What is your favorite food?
"Pasta."

Who is your best friend?
"Toy." (Toy = Koy)

Why do we go to church?
"Tause."

Because why?
"Tause it was Sunday."

What is your favorite thing at church?
"Go to nursery with Toy and all my friends. Braxton and me and Toy."

What do you like most about your mommy?
"I yike you give me food."

What do you like most about your daddy?
"I yike him he give me milk."

What do you want to be when you grow up?
"I want to be a door when I grow up."

What does that mean?
"That means I love to go Halloween."

If you could be an animal, what would you be?
"A big bat wolf."

Why?
"Cause I love big bat wolfs. A big bat wolf for Halloween after I be a door."

What is your favorite thing to do with your family?
"Play toys with my family."

What is your favorite song?
"Tamel Song. Tamel Hunter Song." (tamel = camel, as in, Alice the Camel, but his daddy sings Alice the Hunter.)

What is your favorite movie?
"Scooby Doo."

What is your favorite color?
"Brown"

How come?
"Because Scooby Doo is brown."

What is your favorite toy?
"Um, pianos. No. But Cindy has a piano. I love pianos."

What do you love most about Sirri?
"I love to take baths with Sirri."

What do you love most about Meg?
"I love to play yo yos with Meg."

What makes you sad?
"Sirri hits me."

What makes you happy?
"When Braxton, Toy, and Boone play with me."

What scares you?
"When I fall in the water."

When did you fall in the water?
"I didn't."

Jensen Family Week in Review Feb. 17th-23rd

Baby Meg Edition

I'm still feeling guilty about the Christmas post that Meg was so unkindly left out of. So, since we had a pretty boring week, but Meg is learning something new everyday, this post is all about HER!


Words Meg can sign:
Eat/food
Please
Thank You
Bath
Bye Bye
Night Night
Milk

Signs we are working on:
More
All Done

Meg LOVES her blankie. She is just now starting to become "attached." (making bedtime easier! Now, if she'd quit waking up in the night.) When each of our kids was born, Daddy bought them a special fuzzy blanket. All three kids LOVE them!
Meg really wants to be one of the BIG KIDS!

And sometimes, she still wants to be the BABY!

Words Meg can Say:
Uh! Oh!
Dada
Mama (but rarely. boohoo.)
Hi ("huh")
Duck (as in duck duck goose! So cute!)


She is great at:
PEEK A.....BOO!

Meg is WALKING.

She's figured out the concept of being silly and funny and hams it up pretty well! She loves to get a laugh.

She is becoming more independent, which equals MESSY!
Independent also means stubborn and her fits are even better, I mean WORSE than this one. She now throws herself on the floor and conks her head.

Meg Loves:
To give kisses. (very snotty ones!)
Treats
Jaci
Her cup
To wake up early
Baths
Taking her socks off
Phones
Singing!

She's just as CUTE as ever!

What a BORING post after being a-wall for a week.

It's late. I'm going to bed. I am really hoping to post something better than this tomorrow. But in the meantime....

HELP ME! I've been asked to put together a "skit" for our Enrichment next Tuesday. (Is it a compliment that I'm always doing these things? Am I that cooky? I just hear them now in their planning meeting. "Let's see? Who could we ask to do the skit? Oh, I know. Lisa-Marie. She has no problem making a complete fool out of herself. She does it frequently anyway. Let's give her an excuse!") Okay, back to the details. The theme is "A Garden Party." Yeah, right! We still have FEET of snow. Who are they kidding? Anyway, they gave the idea of something to Tip Toe Through the Tulips maybe. But, I can do whatever. So, PLEASE help me. Give me some creative ideas. I know it's in you girls! Bring it on.

In the meantime, GOOD NIGHT!

Which of the Seven Dwarfs are You?

Dopey?

Grumpy?

Doc?

Happy?

Bashful?

Sneezy?


Sleepy?

Jensen Family Week in Review Feb. 10th-16th

HIGHLIGHTS and "lowlights" Edition:

• HIGHLIGHT: The Rexburg temple dedication.
• lowlight: I've yet to call for Kendon and I to do a session.

• HIGHLIGHT: My Dad was in town for two days this week.
• lowlight: Kendon was out of town for 6.

• HIGHLIGHT: Doing dishes with my dad. I have very fond memories from my childhood of doing dishes with my dad. When our family dish washer broke, my dad didn't have it fixed for a long time so he could spend time doing dishes with his kids and having an opportunity to talk to us. Us girls now all have fond memories of this and my mom liked it too! My dad is a smart man!
  
• lowlight: Not having the song, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," by Iron Butterfly. My dad and I always listened to that 17 minute song while doing dishes and tried to finish before the LONG drum solo. Good times. Thanks dad!

• HIGHLIGHT: Having dinner at Applebees with Dad and the fact that the kids were very well behaved.
  
• lowlight: Ordering off the Weight Watchers menu. (O.K., in all honesty my meal was still really good!)
• 

• HIGHLIGHT: Swimming at dad's hotel! I got to spend the whole time in the hot pool with Meg! Grandpa had the "honor" of swimming in the frigid water with the kids. What a great grandpa!
• lowlight: Sirri screaming the whole way home because her eyes hurt from the chlorine.
• 
  

• HIGHLIGHT: Painting with pudding!
• lowlight: Painting with pudding is a mess! Oh well. Big mess = lots of fun!

• HIGHLIGHT: VALENTINE'S FESTIVITIES!
• lowlight: My valentine was out of town.

• HIGHLIGHT: Grandma and Grandpa Bigelow's FUN V-day packages!
  
• lowlight: Connor wore his "Buck" shirt from Grandma ALL week.
  

• HIGHLIGHT: Pink, heart shaped pancakes with pink milk for breakfast.
• lowlight: I ate oatmeal.

• HIGHLIGHT: Sirri had a great time at her pre-school party. As soon as she walked in the door, she said, "Connor! I have a surprise for you!" She then dumped all her candy on the kitchen table, and shared it with her brother! That's what V-day is all about!
• lowlight: They ate every single piece in one sitting.

• HIGHLIGHT: Brooke and Koy came over to have Heart shaped pizza and chocolate chip cookies for dinner with us.
  
• lowlight: I ate the pizza and cookies too! (or is that a highlight?!?!?!)

• HIGHLIGHT: Kendon came home!!!
• lowlight: His plane couldn't land in Idaho Falls on Friday night, due to weather, and he didn't make it home until Saturday night. I missed my Sheri Dew fireside.
  

• HIGHLIGHT: Writing our "love story" all week. That really was so fun!
• lowlight: You'll have to wait to hear the rest. I'm going to continue writing it but I'll do it once or twice a week. There are so many details I want to remember. It makes for a long story, I know. Thanks for hanging in there and enjoying it with me!
  

Kendon's Perspective

Please Welcome, my dear husband, Kendon. He is going to guest post on my blog tonight so we can all enjoy his perspective of our first date.

Without further adieu....Kendon!

AKA: HOT BABE!
(It's Valentines Day Okay?!?!! I can be sappy.)

Kendon’s view of our first date goes something like this. (Now remember that I am a man and our memories aren’t as clear as the women, so I probably don’t … ok I don’t remember what she was wearing).

As I am walking up to the door I wonder what she looks like, if we will get along, IF there will be a second date.

Well, I get to the door and ring the door bell.

A shorter than I thought, yet pretty fair looking girl who I at first glance thought was Lisa-Marie answered the door. She (later to find out was Camilla) says, “You must be Kendon”. Camilla yells for Lisa-Marie. I wasn’t that nervous since we have talked through email and on the phone several times throughout the summer. Lisa came into the living room and my first impression of her was "WOW! What a cute 1^st redhead." (never dated a redhead before).

We exchanged hellos and put her mountain bike on the pickup in the bike carrier. We sat inside the pickup discussing where to eat and decided to pick up a sandwich from Millhollow. We got them to go and decided to eat them on our mountain bike ride.

On our ride to the Ashton Hill I don’t think that there was any awkward silence that happens so often on those “1^st dates”. We, at least I, enjoyed the company. But one thing befuddled me…."why would a girl wear makeup and perfume on a mountain bike date??" I guess she dressed to impress.

This picture is not from our date, but it IS Kendon and his bike.

We arrived at Anderson Mill Rd. atop the Ashton Hill and unloaded the bikes and started our ride. We talked a little as we rode and finally at the end before we turned back we found a nice little meadow and had a lunch and great conversation, I think. I do remember thinking, "maybe I will ask this gal out again."

We started the trip back to the pickup and still talked a little. Just before we got to the pickup there was a pretty steep hill for the last quarter mile or so. I told Lisa that I will go ahead and get the pickup and come back to get her. I rode on and got to the pick up and loaded my bike. When I turned around I couldn’t believe what I saw…. There she was huffing and puffing, but she made it to the pickup before I could even get in and start driving. I thought to myself, “Wow, what a girl. She can hold her own on a mountain bike, IMPRESSIVE. I could get to like a girl like this.”

And I, could get to like a boy like THIS!

I loaded her bike and we started back to Rexburg when I asked if she would like to stop and get an ice cream cone. She said ok and so we stopped at Dave’s Grocery and got the ice cream. We finished the drive back to Rexburg. We parked in front of Lisa’s house and talked for who knows how long, but I do remember seeing the curtains kept moving in the living room…..WE WERE BEING SPIED ON. We talked and talked (now remember I am a guy so don’t ask me what we talked about. All I know is that I was smitten by my redheaded date. After we had talked for a while we said our goodbyes and I left… For all you romantics out there, there was no kissing, just a hug or two. I didn’t think she wanted to kiss…huh Lisa. Ha,ha,ha….this would be another story altogether.

This is one of the VERY few pictures I have from the beginning of our courtship. ICK. But it's for posterity.

So later that week myself and a few close friends were heading off to Quebec, Canada to go on a caribou hunt, and so there wasn’t much communication between Lisa and myself for two weeks or so.

She will tell of the boy she met AND kissed while I was away...

Disclaimer: If there is anything that conflicts with what Lisa-Marie thinks, she is probably more right than I.

The Eastern Idaho Drawl

"Hello? I'm looking for the owner of a blue Honda Civic."

The voice on the answering machine was thickly accented with what I can only explain as, the "Eastern Idaho Drawl." And that voice was asking for me. I was the owner of the blue Honda Civic. I immediately panicked. Had I run a light? Did I tick another driver off? Did I actually hit someone and not even realize it? I just knew it was the police and I was busted for something.

Well, of one thing I was right. It WAS the police. It was none other than Deputy Kendon Jensen. And I wasn't in trouble for any violations of the law, but I was instantly mortified at the message still on the answering machine from the summer tenants. It went something like this:

"Hey! Hey! You've reached the PAR-TAY house. Sorry we can't come to the phone. We're probably off partying!!!! Leave a message if you want to party too. Beeeeeeeep."

At that moment, being arrested sounded far better than the humiliation of THAT first impression!

So, while I was out roaming the streets of Rexburg, looking for Kendon, he was actually calling my house, leaving me a message on our ridiculously embarrassing machine. After listening to his message for the upteenth time, Camilla and I decided that the only thing to do, was to call him back.

This picture has nothing to do with the story, though it was taken very shortly after we met. Really , I just wanted to share cause he is HOT!

Now I don't remember this for a fact. But I have been ME, for a very long time, and have gotten to know myself pretty well. Therefor, I would guess that the process of calling him went something like this:

dialing: 5-2- CLICK!

Lisa: "I can't do it!"

Camilla: "Yes, you can! Just do it."

Lisa: "Okay."

dialing: 5-2-0- 3-8- CLICK!

Lisa: "What am I supposed to say?"

Camilla: "You know what to say, Just do it."

Lisa: "Okay. Okay."

dialing: 5-2-0-3-8-3- CLICK!

Camilla: "If you don't do it, I'll call him for you. You thought our answering machine message was embarrassing...."

Lisa: "FINE!"

dialing: 5-2-0-3-8-3-3

Ringing. Ringing. Ringing.

Lisa's Thoughts: "Please don't answer. Please don't answer. Well, maybe I want you to answer. Do I really want him to answer...."

And then....

There it was. The Eastern Idaho Drawl.

HELLO?

And so began our first, real live, non-internet conversation.

It went well. It went so well, we talked for an hour and a half. We talked about our childhoods. How he was so naughty that the principal used to haul he and his best buddy down the hall, carrying them by their belt loops. We talked about me growing up in Boise, him in St. Anthony. We discussed Northern Idaho where we both lived at one time. We talked about how I was feeling just days before starting my student teaching.

And we talked about our first date.

We decided that it would be the upcoming Saturday. He would pick me up at noon and the plan was to go Mt. Biking.

- - - - - - - - - -
The weekend finally rolled around and it was Saturday morning. I'm sure I was ready for our date by 10:0 am and lolly gagged around the house waiting for noon.

Just as it does everyday, noon did arrive and so did my date.

He knocked on the door and being as close to a parent as I had at school, Camilla did the honors of answering the door. She hollered up the stairs to me that he was there. As if I really didn't know and hadn't been pacing the floor for the last two hours. Oh, no! I was cool as a cucumber. Uh huh!

I walked into the living room, there he was, and these were my first thoughts:

"Boy, he's shorter than I imagined and why is he wearing sunglasses inside the house? hmmmm."

NOT on our first date. But see the sunglasses? Those are the ones he wore INSIDE my house. I really didn't know what his whole face looked like until mid date. And it looked GOOD!

I walked into the living room and these were HIS first thoughts:

"Boy, she's taller than I imagined and why is she wearing makeup to go mountain biking? hmmmm."

Sounds like we were off to a real great start!

This picture is not on our first date either, but this IS the outfit he was wearing.

Do You See What I See?

Kendon and I continued to e-mail through the summer. As our techno-friendship grew, the motive to impress lessened and the hope to really meet increased. We planned that once I came back to Rexburg we would make that happen.

And so, the first weekend in August, I arrived.

I spent the weekend unpacking, preparing for my first days of student teaching, enjoying the quiet before my roommates arrived back in town the next week, and of course, I spent my fair share of time thinking about Kendon. I wondered how long it would take for him to call me. Would he really call me? What would we do for our first date? Does he really look like his picture? Is he as entertaining in person as he is through e-mail? Why am I thinking about him so much? I've never even met the guy. Will I meet the guy? Will I like the guy? I could go on. Instead, I'll continue with the story.

Monday afternoon, my best friend from high school, Camilla arrived back in town. After she took a year off from school, we were going to be roommates again. I was so excited to have her back in Rexburg and just couldn't wait for all the fun and adventures we were sure to have together begin.

Little did I know, I wouldn't have to wait long.

That night we decided to go to dinner. We headed over to the New York Burrito ( I know this because I wrote it in my journal. I didn't happen to document what I ate though!) and we also made a Walmart run. You can't start a new semester of school without going to Walmart first. And now that I am a local here, I refuse to go to Walmart any time during the first week school starts. It is a zoo. Anyhow, we went to Walmart.

And on the way home it happened.

Waiting at a stop light on 2nd East, across from the Maverik and Adam's Elementary, I saw him. HIM! Stopped kiddy corner from us, in his Madison County Sheriff's Office Tahoe, wearing a black ball cap, and his police man's uniform, was Kendon. Before I could get a good/long enough look or point him out to anyone else in the car, his light turned green and he was gone. Gone. And yet, I did get a good enough look at him to know he was handsome and my heart was pounding and I wanted to see him again.


Screaming and giggling and hyperventilating, we went home.

We had not been home long before Camilla realized this just would not do. I had seen him but she hadn't. She wanted to see him and being the best friend that she is, she wanted me to see him AGAIN!

She had a plan. And the plan was this. We would simply hunt him down.

How hard could it be? Rexburg isn't that big, we knew he was out there somewhere. We'd find him. And so, as quickly as we had arrived home, we left again. We were on a mission.

I don't remember how long we drove around and around and around Rexburg. But I do remember that in all that driving we never did see Kendon. Rexburg was bigger than we thought.

Bummed out we headed home. So, our plan was foiled. I didn't get to see more of him that day. BUT, when we got inside, there awaiting our arrival on the answering machine was a message.....

Love is in the Air

In October, I started to tell Kendon and I's LOVE STORY. I never did get around to finishing it (not an indication of how the love story ends mind you!!!!) I just never did. Well, now Valentine's Day is coming upon us, and I thought it would be the perfect week to finish.

To start, here is a re-post of the beginning. Just to get everyone caught up!

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the colors of leaves changing, putting on a sweater after wearing t-shirts all summer, the smell of pumpkin and spice, the holiday season coming, making soup, drinking warm apple cider....

Well, seven years ago, I was given one more reason to love fall. It was seven years ago that Kendon and I began dating. So, now every fall I get to feeling all warm and fuzzy and tingly and reminiscent.

So, join me as I walk down memory lane a little and recall the beginnings of our story!

Kendon and I were set up. And since you know the way this story ends, I won't be ruining it by saying; blind dates do work!

I was going to school in Lewiston, ID at the time. It was a non-traditional program through Ricks College. All of our course work was done in Rexburg except for one summer that we had to spend in Lewiston. Beings that it was a non-traditional program, I was classmates and roommates in Lewiston with girls who were married. One such girl was Melissa Clark. Her hubby was a police officer with Kendon. It was the Clark's who decided to set us up.

Now, if you have ever been to Lewiston, ID, you know that it STINKS! And I am not just talking, "I have a bad attitude this stinks." I mean truly, literally the town stinks. It is home to a potlatch factory and every morning the terrible stench would arouse us from our sweet (smelling) dreams and throw us back into reality. The reality that we were far from home, going to school when most everyone else was enjoying summer break, and our lives were the most exciting when we watched Survivor on Thursday nights while eating Cherry Dip Cones from Dairy Queen. So, when Melissa approached me with the e-mail address of a boy who might be able to help keep me company and offer a little entertainment, I was game!

And so the long distance correspondence began. I was lucky enough to have a little foresight and saved all of our e-mails. I love reading through them now. They make me laugh. I love how easy it is to be witty and entertaining when you can spend as much time as you want thinking about what you want to say. ( A little like blogging-don't you think!)

Here are a few golden nuggets:

Kendon: "Only believe half of what Shawn says."

Lisa-Marie: "Thanks for telling me about yourself. A tad about me I suppose. Not too much terribly exciting to say, But I suppose that I can make something up." (Oh yes, try to sound really mysterious!)

Kendon: "Yea, I kinda feel like we are in grade school with everyone taking it upon themselves to get hitched up with someone. When does the letter passing start...oh yea isn't this what we are doing. ha ha."

Lisa-Marie: "The bear in the one picture is beautiful. Where did you get it and where is it now?" (That was some major shmoosing. I'm not sure I really cared where he got it but if by chance this relationship did go somewhere I was concerned as to where it was hanging. And I was right to be worried!)

Kendon: (at the end of an e-mail) "Oh yea, this is Kendon." (um. duh.)

Lisa-Marie: "Hakuna Matata. If you're a Disney fan, you know that means, "No worries!" (CHEESY!!!)

Apparently our "well crafted" e-mails were working on each other. We continued to correspond and finally decided to take the plunge and send each other pictures. With the first picture I sent, the subject line of my e-mail was "SKIN." I told him that he might enjoy a shot that included a little skin. ( I know. How provocative of me!) When he opened the attachment (maybe I should have been disappointed that he did. hmmm. I might have to question him about that!!!) the picture he found was of a little girl wearing a swimsuit. (Nothing inappropriate mind you!) Not exactly what he was expecting. So, to be fair, I sent him a picture of the real me and he did likewise.

Here are the pictures that I like to call: The First Vision

Kendon, being Kendon, would not tell me which one was him. I assumed and prayed that he was the babe on the left. I lucked out!He is a sight for sore eyes isn't he!!!

Well, it's late and I'm sure you're bored. So, for anyone still reading... this love story is....

TO BE CONTINUED!

Jensen Family Week in Review Feb. 4-10

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Location:

• A land of much snow and wind.

Directed by:

• A Mommy who hasn't had chocolate or candy all week.

Starring:

• Two sick children, one not being my own, who ended up having bronchitis.
• One stubborn 15 month old, learning to throw a mean fit.
• And a darling three year old who continues to pee the bed.

The Plot:

• A mom trying to make a few bucks, tries to donate plasma twice but couldn't.
  
• A major fiasco at the gym, equaling lots of trades quitting, the fire marshal called in and tears. Thankfully it didn't affect my job too much.
• A poor little four year old girl (named Sirri) , having diarrhea all day, waiting in the bathroom for her mom to help her, pulls a cupboard down on her head and breaks the toilet.
• Pre-school canceled.
• A baby that suddenly refuses to sleep through the night and screams her head off when you put her in bed.
  
• A van that is in desperate need of a new transmission.
• A daddy trying to teach his baby girl to walk. Much to the chagrin of the chocolateless Mommy.

Hopefully, NOT Coming to a Theater Near You!

And yet...
The Happy Ending:
(Because I think all movies should have a happy ending!)

• A fresh batch of playdough.
• 
• Playing with the family in the snow.
• A moose in our yard all day.
• A dedicated temple five miles from the "set."