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.




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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.