The Kayla Cake

Thank-you for the creative liscense, one of my favorites so far. A beautiful cake for a very charming couple who are obviously also very good friends.

Christmas Gratitude

After all the gifts were opened and after watching the boys literally jump up and down out of excitement I went to take a shower and dress for the rest of a fun filled day. I smiled to myself over how much fun Christmas has been sitting by Russell and watching our four sons. Then, tears filled my eyes and I was overcome with profound gratitude to my Heavenly Father for my blessings. Indeed my wonderful husband and four little boys are my biggest joy. I kneeled and thanked Heavenly Father for the gift of His son, the ultimate gift to us all and thanked Him for little men who I love and am so blessed to have. I thanked Him for a husband who cares and sacrifices so much for me, and for brothers and sisters who I enjoy spending time with. There are so many other things I am grateful for and I realize I am so blessed.

I recently read this quote by President David O Mckay:

Despite discouragement and disheartening conditions throughtout the world, Christmas is the happiest season of the whole year. But let us ever keep in mind that people are most blessed whose daily conduct most nearly comports with the teachings and example of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, at whose birth was proclaimed: "Peace on earth, good will toward men."

I guess that's why Christmas is so great for all of us because maybe it's when we all are most giving, most kind, most thoughtful and express the most gratitude. I hope in the new year I can practise being a little more Christ-like and make my everyday conduct a little more like His teachings. Imagine the blessings the world over if we all, one person at a time, committed to carrying Christmas, the happiest season of the whole year, a little bit further.

Any Opinions?

I am in need of some ideas. I found this adorable, great, fun, and soooo chic sign at an antique shop in Utah. My dear Russell once again rearranged luggage and boys and found a way for me to get it home. The sign has been featured in my little sisters photography blog and now here it rests on a very tall wall in my entry way. I found the green window frame at the local dump, my favorite place to shop. I intend to put a hutch under it but I think the window itself needs some pazzazz. So to all my crafty, creatively minded friends post your ideas, I will consider them all.

Merry Christmas to Me

They say it's about "time" when you give gifts. I agree. When I give gifts I try to take a little time to think about the receiver, and then make them something I think they will enjoy. Maybe the receivers view me as the aunt on "A Christmas Story" who sews pink bunny slippers and a gastly pink bunny costume for poor Ralphie.

Anyway, I have missed giving a little time to myself this year so last night and the night before I gave myself a little time to do something that I love , create. I stayed up until 1:00 am snipping, bundling, twisting and wiring and this is what became of my time to myself.

Merry Christmas to Me.

We have been running from one end of this province to another, in a million different directions for a thousand different events and everyday seems to get a little busier than the last. So I decided we would take a break, skip a couple of activities and decorate gingerbread houses together. We had SOOOO! much fun and the boys have asked that it be a new Christmas tradition.

I gave a few cake decorating tutorials about tip selection, preparing the icing bags, how to hold and squeeze the bags and then they were off.

We used gum drops, skor bits, mini shredded wheat, pepermints, tootsie rolls, marshmellows, pretzels and lots and lots of royal icing.

They worked intently and all did a super job.

Such a good job infact we set up a little village with lights and snow and sat back to admire their masterpieces.

So much fun and a new tradition.




`

Improvements

Then, when I left them alone for a couple of hours for a meeting, they made improvements. You gotta love the fun imaginations of boys.

True, when the weather turns -38 (the temperature at our house on Monday morning) things aren't all pleasant. Cars don't start, the chickens eggs freeze before you have time to collect them, machinery breaks down causing thousands of dollars in repair, your nostrils stick together when you take breathes, the bumper on your car breaks in two when you bump a snowbank, Elk from miles around come to eat from your haystack and the furnace runs non-stop. But if it wasn't this cold you wouldn't see stunning scenes like this as you drive down your driveway.

Football Fanatics 2009

I will say that the reason for not blogging for so long can be blamed on the sport of football but the truth is that I could blame my delay on a myriad of different things. Enough excuses, lets get back to blogging.

This Season Russell coached Mckay's Junior Banham team who went 10 and 0. That's right, never lost a game. As a matter of fact they never won by fewer than 34 points. The boys played incredibly well and were a lot of fun to watch. Caleb's team did very well as well but lost in the championship game to a team from Prince George. It was Caleb's best year yet and he's ready to win next year.

Russell's Vikings did so well in the regular season that they were invited to play in the Provincial Tournament against a lower mainland team, the Cloverdale Cougars. So on the weekend of November 14th we loaded up on a charter bus with the team ans headed for Kamloops, where the boys lost a hard fought battle and sustained their first loss of the season.

The three little boys and I dressed up to show our love and support for coach and #31. Oh and it was bitter cold, I mean really cold but... we were fans none -the- less.

This is some of the team on the bus down. The roads were terrible, cars all over in the ditch, even a large 40 foot boat was sunk in a snowy drift. Our bus driver Walt got us there safe and sound.

Oh and I couldn't forget this little ditty. Russell, what was he thinking, got his team of young men hyped in the final season game by promising to let the boys give him a mohawk if they won by more than 30 points. The game ended with the score of 62 to 0, well beyond the 30 point spread. SO........ well see for yourselves.

Coleson stands in the picture purely horrified of what he friends are going to think of him now.

Russ is a good sport and I think that's part of the reason the young Vikings respond so well to him as a coach. I love that he tries to teach more than just football, things like integrity, responsibility, teamwork, sportsmanship and all that good stuff.

All in all a good football season in the Jensen home, now on to Basketball.

Proud of Their Produce

The boys are very pleased with their summer efforts. They love gardening, they water, weed, fertilize and take tender care of their plants. They were excited to arrange and pose with their vegies. Rhubarb, Tomatoes, Cucumbers (last count this year was 57), Apples, Lettuce, Zuchini, and colored carrotts (thank-you Grandma and Grandpa Jensen). Good Job Little Men.

How Bad is this Recession ?

Seriously, this is funny stuff. I am not a meat snob, as matter of fact when Russ and I were first married we ate a deer that we hit and killed, very tender! But I found this article, recently written for the Mackenzie B.C. newspaper, very funny. You are indeed looking at the North end of this South facing Moose, and I am just wondering if the ropes were neccessay, it seems to me the fella isn't goin' very far very fast. And.... there are more fun articles which I will post throughout the winter. Stay tuned.

Summer Tenting

This humble little yellow dome is where my four boys and I slept for several weeks this summer. I love tenting, the cool damp air, the sounds of yelping coyotes in the field, no phone call in the early morning and no alarm clock. We had fun visiting into the night, and telling ghostly stories and of course giggling, lots and lots of giggling. Poor Russ had to leave for work early so he didn't have the pleasure of waking up with a sore back or rushing indoors in the middle of the night for a potty break. He didn't seem to mind either.

Tenting brings back some fun childhood memories for me. Some of the same things actually (giggling, potty breaks, ghost stories) but we added bags full of fresh cherries and listening to the sounds of fighter jets and small engine planes land in our nearby airport. Ahhhh!!! it makes me smile now just thinking about it. Hopefully my boys are making some tenting memories that will someday bring a smile to their faces.

I did do something this summer and this wedding cake proves it. Actually I did a lot of things, more posts to come regarding all my summer successes. This however, is one thing I had the pleasure of creating. This lovely cake was for a very lovely young bride named Stephanie. Can't wait to move on to the next cake project in just a few weeks.

Today was the Day

Lately , several mothers of young children have either told me directly or written some of the following comments. " You're so lucky." " It won't happen for me in at least 6 years." " You must be so relieved." " What will you do with all your time?" " Finally, peace and quiet, I never have peace and quiet." Well, I don't share their sentiments. Today was the day. My four boys, some of them full fledged young men, climbed on the school bus this morning. Bridger is in the first grade, everyday all day. Coleson is in third, Caleb in 6th and can you believe it, Mckay is in 8th grade starting highschool. I am the sort of mother who likes spending time with her boys. We like working together, playing together, reading books together and just being together. It's noisy here, I like it. It's dirty here and sometimes I don't mind that either. I am blessed to have my boys, I wish I had more because peace and quiet is a little sad to me. I think we should all be a lot more grateful for little toddlers, they don't stay little for long. I am glad that I tried to enjoy little messes, little cries, little dirty diapers, little soiled clothes and little boys cause they are not so little anymore.

So, yes I am lucky. I am lucky they were happy to go to school this morning. I am relieved they were excited to meet new teachers. And what will I do with my time? Oh, maybe write a few children's books, maybe I will teach school again or get the nursing degree I always wanted to earn. But the peace and quiet, I am glad, isn't permanent.

Today was the day things changed for me, good things are coming and there are things I will miss, like 4 little boys.

I like this quote, often quoted by the Prophet of the world,

President Thomas S. Monson

" Your home is the most important school your child will ever attend,

and you are his greatest teacher."

Glad to be my sons' Mom

Jana

Kara's Contest

Here is where you would find a button of my sister Kara's blog and photos by emilie contest. That is if I knew how to do it. Look later, my sister Karli is coming to help me enter this really great contest from Kara. You could win too.

Happy Birthday Russell

Today is my Honey's birthday and so far it's not gone exactly textbook. As you can see on my previous post it has snowed a lot over night. Two years ago we reshingled the roof of our store on Russ' birthday and it got so hot that the tar and little rocks on top of the shingles peeled off where we stepped. This year is the most opposite. I am also at work all day today, followed by two meetings I have after work. To top it all off I am not home tonight until 10:00. I feel bad, but since I won't see him all day and there's a good chance he will check my blog, I wish him a very happy birthday and a big I love you. You are the best man in the world and thanks for all you do for me. I LOVE YOU

Snow on the 19th of May

No, this is not an old picture I just downloaded from my camera, nor is this a really good example of my photo shopping skills (of which I have none). This is indeed the view from my car after dropping the boys off at the bus this morning. Yes, May 19 and we have a lot of snow. Town has sunk into a mild depression. Even the annoyingly bubbly bank teller was short with me this morning. I don't blame her, this is down right stinky. I can be grateful for one thing though, typically everyone here plants there gardens this last weekend and I was too busy doing a wedding cake so I had no time for planting, lucky for me, my plants will live another day. In the meantime, cry for me Argentina, cry for me, I am getting tired of snow.

Just like Dad

Russ has never been more proud. He has raised an entire army of weed burners. Equip with water tanks, hoses, matches and of course deisel, the men of the house went weed burnin' this weekend. As you can see by the jovial expression here on Bridger's face, it was a great time. Can I just mention that these pictures were taken just 5 minutes before we were to leave for a dinner appointment at a friends house and that I don't think all the Tide, Febreeze, or Oxy clean in the world will ever get the smoke smell out of these clothes.

They actually took turns seeing who could stay the longest, unseen in the smoke plumes. Of course, that sounds like a lot of fun.

Sometimes I just try not to look.

We are building a firepit and barbeque area. Oh what fun we have been having. The boys have been a huge help, pounding nails, leveling the ground, placing weed barrier and building the pit. It was a fun weekend project which is really close to being revealed. I am currently decorating it with items found in old sheds, at reuse barns and the dump. Wait until you see the finished product. And you are all invited to our next bbq and weiner roast, BYOS (bring your own smile). Stay posted

Playing Pioneer

When I was growing up a power outage was very exciting. My Mom would cook on her old wood cook stove, flashlights and candles were a must we all huddled around the fireplace for warmth and we called it "Playing Pioneer". I know we loved it more than Mom did, we didn't see the eminent need for bathing or using the toilet, there was always the great outdoors and water boiled on top of the wood stove for those trivial things. The other day I was reminded of playing pioneer when just minutes before leaving for church the power went out in our whole community. We still went to church and had a very nice testimony meeting in the dark. The last two meetings were cancelled due to a cold building and no pottys. So, home we went to play our own version of pioneer. We made our lunch in the fireplace (toasted marshmellows and hotdogs) visited and read further on the book we are reading together, The City of Ember. It was a nice day and the power came back on that afternoon.

BB Guns and Boys

Spring is here so why not get out your gun? Sounds logical if you are a 12 and 10 year old boy.

You can shoot pop cans off of the barbwire fences

Or shoot holes in your Mom's favorite shed's window

Ahhh! the fun off Spring, A Red Ryder, a can of BB's and hundreds of possible targets.

At least they didn't " shoot their eye out."

Yipee Break Up is Here

Russ is on breakup, the time of year when the logging roads break apart and are not usable, so he's home with me. Those who know me well, know that this is a good enough excuse why my blogging has taken second stage. Those who don't know the details of Russ and break up are just about to find out.

When Russ is working and especially when he is at camp I rule as a friend, mother, and confidant. However, the day breakup begins I stink it up. It's not my fault, I really love spending time with Russ. We play together, visit, build, renovate, catch up on new release movies and do what ever we darn well want. My friends and family don't always understand that one day I might run to the phone to see what we could possibly do together and just like that the next day I may not even answer the phone at all.

So you can see why my blogging has suffered some, I am spending time with my husband and really I am not even making apologies. Just be patient with me, in only 3 short months Russ will be back at work and if you will still take me I will be back on top as best friend, mighty crafter, teachers help and fun sister. See you then. Jana

P.S. this doesn't mean I won't blog at all just keep checking up on me.

How to Build a Kub Kar

Oh, the Kub Kar. After this year we have assembled 7 Kub Kars and have estimated that we have 6 more to go. The boys love the Kub Kar rally (also known as the pinewood derby).

The scout leader hands out the little red box, complete with a block of wood, tires and 4 tiny, very loseable nails, I am speaking from experience here.

The boys sketch and finally choose what the finished car, the winning car will look like.

They meticulously sand the now formed block of wood so that any wind resistance will be avoided.

They carefully and skillfully paint on the design.

Dad adds the wheels, the weights and the all powerful graphite.

And the race begins.

The racers are nervous. Will they win? Will the "Blue Thunder" pull out a win?

Will all the hard work and effort pay off?

Nope! each of the boys won one race each, the big trophy has slipped from their grasps again. Their final race was fought brother vs. brother and as you can see no feelings were permanently hurt.

I have to say I am really pleased with my boys. Aside from Dad cutting out the shape and helping with weights and tires, the boys completed their cars on their own and they had a lot of fun doing it, plus they were good sports and that's not always easy when all that work only merits one little win each.