HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

Love,

the Jensen Kiddos!

Dear Kendon,

I am so glad that you are feeling better. I pray it stays that way. I hope you feel the tonsillectomy was worth it and I cross my fingers that strep throat four times in one year will be a thing of the past!

You were an amazing patient. Your dad asked on Sunday if you'd been grouchy. I was pleased to tell him, "not once!" Even though you had every right to feel grumpy and cross, I appreciate that you weren't.

Look Sirri, Daddy had an IV too.
Kendon made sure we took this shot to show Sirri.

I'm sorry for all the times that I have told you what a dramatic sick person you are. (Though you're not alone. I think most men are. So, you come by it naturally!) But, really. I'm sorry. Your throat really looked like it hurt this week and some whining would have been understandable. But, you were tough. Tougher than I would have been, I'm sure.

I was not too thrilled to have someone in the hospital again so soon.

This last week, having you out of commission, has really reminded me what a great partner I have in you! They always say, "you never know what you have until it's gone." This week wore me out. Trying to do by myself what two of us normally do together was a great testament to what I really have. I appreciate all that you do for me, the kids and around the house. You are one in a million and I'm proud to call you mine!

Meg loved getting lots of cuddle time with Daddy!

I hope that every day you feel better and better.

Love always,
in sickness and in health,

me.

Wanna add a little excitement to snack time?!?!?!?

Okay, so I just thought of this great trick all by myself and though it is so simple, I was really quite tickled with myself. My kids LOVED this and that made my day. Just thought I'd share the fun.

MAGIC Halloween Milk:

* Use a clear cup.

*Secretly add two drops yellow food coloring and one drop red.

* Hold the cup so your kids can't see the food coloring.

* Pour the milk. As it comes out of the carton it is white and as it hits the cup it magically turns orange. Fascinating!

Heaven on Earth and the REALITY.

While in Boise, my family and I went to an apple orchard in Emmet. It was absolutely beautiful and just as much fun! My kids and I loved every second of it. I kept telling my family, "this is what I consider a near perfect day. It's heaven on earth for me. I just love this."

Grandpa Bigelow and Sirri

The kids were GREAT helpers.
Thank heavens.

Meg found more creative ways to collect the apples.
Ooooh. That sweety is straight from heaven.

FRESH apple juice.
Heavenly!

About half the load.
I came back to Rexburg with six BIG boxes full. I should have taken a picture of the van. There were apples in every possible nook and cranny.

What an absolutely WONDERFUL DAY.
Heaven on Earth!

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And then, REALITY struck!
What in the world will I do with all these apples?

Get to WORK, that's what!

If the kids would only have stayed this way I could have been done in a jiffy.
(Well, maybe not a jiffy, but you get the idea.)

The REALITY is, they wanted to help!
We actually had a good time and they really were a help. Mostly.
We ( I) had my moments when it wasn't so fun, but I really tried to keep my patience!

It turned out to be a LONG day (seven straight hours of apples) so this was all I could muster for dinner.
Just keeping it REAL!

The weather man never mentioned anything about a tornado, but the reality is, one sure seemed to have hit my house!

The finished product. 13 quarts and 28 pints of apples sauce. 12 quarts of apple pie filling and bags and bags of dried apples. (One more box left still to dry.)

Now that's it's all done and stacked away in the pantry, it's feeling a little bit more like heaven on earth again!

The understatement of the century....

Mom: "Sirri, aren't you glad it's not you going to the hospital today?" (Kendon had his tonsils out today.)

Sirri: "Uh, yeah. If I get cancer again, that will be soooo annoying." (Read in a tone that says, "Go ahead cancer. Try me. I will kick your trash!")

Neener neener neener. You can't get us!

I think it just MIGHT be something in the water...

Remember when Sirri was diagnosed with her cancer along with two other members of our ward and people kept saying, "boy, I think there must be something in your water."

Well, I think they were right.

But it isn't cancer or sickness or harm in our water.

The water in our area is filled with kindness and goodness and love and with nourishment that has created men who are worthy of the Priesthood who are willing to come out to our house at 9:30 at night to give a very sick Kendon a Priesthood blessing.

So, I think I'll keep on drinking the water and will serve it to my family as well, in hopes that we too, can some day grow up to be as charitable and loving as all the people that live in our community.