Sledding

I try not to brag, I really do, but we have got the funnest sledding hill here on the Jensen farm. We get to host the funnest sledding and chili parties and to share our hill with others. Some days I pick up the boys at the bus stop and we go for an hour. We even get the skidoo stuck and spend hours getting it unstuck. We laugh together and pose for pictures together. It almost makes me wish the snow never melted. Just kidding Mindy, I even get tired after a while. While the snow is here though, we make the most of it.

A Scream with Buttercream

I was asked to teach some ladies in my ward some tips on cake decorating. It was a fun night with lots of good company and some very studious pupils. Good job girls.

An Unbirthday Party

ouch!!!!

Ouch #2!!!!!

The little boys on hearing that this party is only for the

big boys.

In the Jensen family we celebrate birthday's #8, 12 and 16 with lots of friends and meriment. I am the lazy/practical kind of Mom that doesn't celebrate every birthday in a huge way, just the important ones. In June (yes 2008) Mckay turned 12. We were slow at the party thing and just got around to celebrating a couple weeks ago. He invited lots of friends from school and his football team. We took them downhill sledding, tubing behind the snowmobile and then inside for cocoa, chili, chips, and cookies. They had fun. For the first time, of the 20 kids invited half were girls and this has Mckay's Mom nigh to tears. We even sent some kids home slightly wounded, it's never fun until someone loses an eye or as the case may be, scrapes their hip and bloodies their ear. Happy unbirthday Mckay. I can't believe he is so big and what a great young man he has become.

Science Fair 2009

I question, are Science Projects designed to teach children the wonder of science and the world around them or are they intended to send every mother into a fit of insanity. This year "we" did two projects. After pouring over options we settled on "Candy Confusion" (Caleb) and " A Kinetic Kuestion" (Mckay). The boys tested to see if children ages 4-6 confused candy with similar looking medicines and which type of sled travels most quickly down a hill. Both very pertinent projects to our household. While complaining to my Mom about the boys' lack of urgency and how I swear if I didn't get on their cases , nothing would be done until panic set in the night before the projects were due, she reminded me that one year as Korlyn was carrying in his completed project another young man in his class opened the door to the school for Korlyn and asked, " Hey Korlyn, do you want to be my science partner." Now there's a Mom who saved herself some agony. Poor kid. Grandma Gulbranson was an honorary judge this year but we have yet to see how the boys did. I admit, I and the boys came to a consensus that I we all wanted them to do well, get an A and have fun but under no circumstances did we want to win the Science competition because this years winner gets the honor of taking their projects to the District Level held in Vancouver this year. Yikes, Vancouver a 10 hour drive. Maybe I am a little more like the above mother than I care to admit. Anyway, they were fun, they are in and we are all pleased with Mckay and Caleb's efforts. Good Job boys.

My Man Russ

I've written quite a bit about some really good things in my life, today I'm going to tell you about one really GREAT!!! thing, my husband. I can hear the groans and gags from my less than sappy siblings but hey, I like the guy and this happens to be my blog.

Russell, also known as Russ, Rusty, Honey, The Warden, Rusky, Coach, J-Bird, Babe, Hot stuff, President Jensen, Rusky and Dad, grew up in Roosevelt Utah. I could say a lot of things about Roosevelt and the characters who live there but I grew up in Vanderhoof so I will keep certain things about Roosevelt to myself.

Russell has no sisters, few female cousins, and aunts only because they married his uncles. Russ is not at all feminine. He is a man's man. He fixes things, builds me stuff, loves football, adores fire and grunts a lot. The grunting I may have made up but he is manly.

Russ can also be very sweet and "ungrunty", is that a word, ungrunty? When he's not being manly he watches chick flicks with me just because I want to see them. He brings me flowers. Every May my favorite wild flower (Solomon Seal) grows like crazy and every year he picks arms full and puts a huge bouquet in every room of the house. He rubs my feet and visits with me. He takes care of me when I am sick or in the hospital. Russ goes clothes shopping with me and likes it, except on one occassion when he drove up to the door of the store my sister and I were shopping in and honked the horn. He also wakes up in the middle of the night to help me move indoors from the tent when I am scared, this has happened several times. And he is teaching his boys all of these sweet things.

Russell loves meatloaf, Fords, hunting, camping, 80's rock, Pepsi and The Philadelphia Eagles.

Russ hates ....... well nothing I can think of., he's pretty easy going. Anyone who meets Russ likes him because he is so much fun to be with. He is kind to everyone and can make you laugh and laugh and laugh. (may I refer back to Roosevelt Utah)

Following are some things Russ has made for me...

Hall table

Hall shelf

Bedroom fireplace and mantle

Basement fireplace and mantle

Mudroom Organizer and Bench

Barn doors for the basement

Beds for older boys

Beds for little boys

At the risk of sounding too sappy I love Russell. He is my best friend and I love being with him, playing with him and working with him. He's the guy of my dreams and he makes me happy everyday. He treats me like he loves me and like I am the only important thing in his life. Did I already mention I loved him?

A Russell, everyone should have one

I love you.

Personal Protraits

Last week my sister posted a great blog in which she took a
picture of herself and wrote and all her likes and dislikes. It was
the picture that I paid particular attention to. I have been on facebook
for well over a year now and all my friends still tease that my profile picture is a
silhouette of a man. So I asked Kara how does one do a self portrait of herself so that I can update my facebook page and finally post a picture of myself on my own blog. Following are the tips she gave me and the pictures I took using all her wisdom. Thanks Kara


"Take the picture from down low." she said


" A little from the side." she said. Is that a hair in my mole?


"Show a nice toothy grin, people like to see teeth."


"Pout a little, all the hot models do it." she said

Wait, I might be getting it.

Finally, Bridger took this one of me. Maybe I should leave

the picture taking up to others, even if it is my five year old.

Winter in February

I can't see all work that needs to be done on our house because it is covered in snow

This is the view from my bedroom window

I can't see all the work that needs to be done at my store.

The roads are always more excited to drive on.

The frost is gorgeous, natures little bit of "Bling"

By this time of year people are itching for the snow to leave but they have come to a realization that this is Canada dumby, spring is a long way off. I decided to make list a few things that are really great about winter in February.

Attached and Aged or Fresh and Fancy?

Fresh and Fancy

Attached and Aged

I get attached to things like sick animals, kitty blankets, my neices and nephews, old windows and cars. I can remember lots of different cars we used to drive when I was young. A burgundy and white Suburban, a 13 passenger van and my very own 1971 Datsun. Right now I am quite attached to my 2001 gray Suburban. The boys call it "the bat mobile" because I killed some bats one night which got stuck in the grill and made for some really cool close up observations. They also call the car the "crash up car" because of some minor dents and break downs. Oh sure two windows won't roll down, the wipers work when they feel like it, it doesn't idle well, it has stranded us several times, we go through tires like crazy, 1 rear light is out and so is one head light, (we are a perditler's dream). But, I like the old girl. We have hunted in it, hauled lumber for the house, carried football teams, driven youth to dances, lent it out for a hearse (twice) and made some great family memories in it. After one particularily bad break down this Fall Russ surprised me with a new car-see above photo. But much to his dismay it sits in the garage because I am attached to my old gray mare. What to do ? What would you do? Drive old "not always so faithful" or pull the new "younger-looking" gal out of the garage. I might add that the new car has heated leather sets, an awesome entertainment system, gets much better mileage and drives sooooo nice, but hey, that's only if those kinds of things are important to you. So what'll it be? What do you think? Attached and Aged or Fresh and Fancy.

Well, yesterday the boys didn't have school so we worked hard all day on science projects. By the time dinner time rolled around the darn kids wanted to eat, the fifth day in a row. I myself was exhausted from trudging through the snow, timing children, and the worst, watching a 10 year old type. I decided to take the little workers out to dinner. I filled them up on hamburgers, fries and an ice cream treat. On the way home, the car was warm, their bellies plump and their body's and mind's exhausted. In the quiet car Bridger started telling jokes, 5 year old jokes. I think they went something like this. What did the 6 say to the 2? Boy you are little. Silence. What did one cloud say to the other cloud, you're not fluffy. Silence. On and on he went, each joke as funny as the one before. All the while the others sat quietly, I thought they were all asleep until he told this joke, What did the horse say to the pig? (you might think I have this backwards but wait) Hey fella, why is your face hairy? From the backseat finally a response. Caleb chimes in with a great ba -dum -ching!!!!! you know the sound of a drum after a funny joke. That made us all laugh which satisfied Bridger who decided to quit the comedy routine on a high. Caleb saves the day with wit and humour again.

It's funny how we are always reminded how much our children learn from us even when we aren't aware we are teachin'. Mckay loves football and loves to watch it. This weekend was of course the Superbowl. I really wanted the Cardinals to win mostly because I think that Mr. Curt Warner looks a lot like my very own Mr. Russ Jensen. That's beside the point. Anyway Mckay, Grandpa Gulbranson, Gulbranson brothers #'s 1,2,3, and 6 and their families, a teenage friend of Korlyn's and one very frightened non-relate family, brought lots of yummy food and came to our house to watch the game. After all was said and done about 30% of our crowd was excited the Steelers had won, the other 70% not so happy . Interviews were observed, happy fans were filmed and a whole heck of a lot of confetti was dropped onto the field. Then it happened my football loving son called out,"Somebody is going to have to clean up all that confetti." Ahhh, just like his Mom, stop in the merriment to think about who the heck is going to have to clean up all the mess. I love it.