SURPRISE!

23 weeks into our newest adventure.

Vancouver Temple - Our Temple

On April the 29th at 4:00 am Mckay and I boarded one of two buses with 110 other youth and leaders and headed for Langley, British Columbia to participate in a dance celebration that we would present to the Prophet, Pres.Thomas S.Monson.

Half way between Prince George and Quesnel the bus blew a tire, so we waited out in the cold wind for a little over and hour to have the tire fixed. Several road construction stops and 15 hours later we climbed off the bus and the youth were escorted through the temple to see what was for most their first experience of a temple open house. I loved to see the spirit working in the lives of the young people as they came out of the Temple and shared their feelings.

We arrived shortly after the temple tour to the Langley event center (4 hours late), the practise already in full swing. Our director Sister Shelley Murley stopped the practise to announce that Prince George stake had just arrived after a fifteen hour travel and the crowd of youth cheered our weary youth on. What a neat experience it was to have them so warmly respected for their sacrifice.

The weekend was full of events, dances, practise, practise and more practise. Good food, workshops and the highlight, the Prophet spoke to the youth about courage in doing what is right and his love for Canada. He even requested that the youth sing O Canada to him.

Then we put on a wonderful show. All 7 stakes in the temple district had been practising for several months but only had a day and a half as a whole and it was so spectacular. I was so proud of the Prince George Youth and thought their production was the best, of course.

I am glad to have had a part in the organization of this awesome event and so grateful to the youth of P.G. for their good attitudes and willingness to be obedient. We were all blessed for their efforts. In the end I was also proud of my own son who missed several events in order to take upon him some extra responsibilities. I was glad to see him ,when I caught a glimpse, holding doors for young women, letting leaders go first in a food line and making new friends. I think he is pretty terrific.

I am also grateful to a great bunch of little boys (4 to be exact) and a husband who cheerfully watch me carry out my responsibilities. I was so glad to see them attend and enjoy a fun celebration for our new temple.

The next day all of us, except Bridger, were able to attend the Temple for it's dedication. What a blessing this temple will be for the Jensen family. I look forward to many baptismal trips, endownments and maybe even some marriages to attend in this, our Temple. What a wonderful time we live in and what an awesome goal we have made to all return to this Temple together some day.

Garyn and Jill Gulbranson Cake

This has got to be the most fun cake I have ever done, mostly because the creation occured while working with my very talented, generous, and fun aunts and cousin. My aunt Lauri did all the work, baking the cake and making hundreds of flowers. I just got to help frost, stack and fondant the cake and of course place the pretty posies. Thank you so much for sharing this creative experience. I LOVE this cake, it is soooo beautiful. Oh and Congratulations to my little brother Garyn and his georgeous bride Jill.

Caitlin and Blake Cake

A very fun cake to create for my cousin Blake and his sweet new bride Caitlin. Thanks for asking me and for giving me a challenge to create something that I had not done yet, a western theme that tasted delightful.

No Time

I have been working so many hours on the upcoming Vancouver Temple Celebration that our stake youth are dancing in that I haven't had a minute to post for months. As a matter of fact, I still don't have time to post but I must, I need a break and a little time to myself to remember the creative side of me.

This is a little something I made some time ago and have wanted to post. I found a " Nasty, Rusty, Dirty old piece of junk." Quote Russell Jensen. An old bed spring with lots of potential is what I referred to it as. I washed it, it was a bit dirty, and hung it on the wall with some equally dirty, nasty old hooks I found at a yard sale and put some pictures of my favorite men on it.

I think it makes a very fun, unique wall fixture. And it makes me happy when I see it.

The Pictures were taken by my talented little sister Kara.

Hockey Day in Canada

The weather turned out perfect for our own personal ice rink. We had an unusual warm spell and thaw and then a cold freeze. As a result we had our own rink and the boys took advantage.

This is not a true picture of a Canadian boy plating hockey. Most children have real sticks. Our boys, keep in mind, are football fans and so had to scour the farm for anything that could whack a puck. They came up with an old stick, a goalie stick, something too long to handle and of course Bridger drew the short straw and got the old crusty broom.

It was still lots of fun, they had to forced to come in for dinner.

the next weekend the boys turned in their egg monies for some street hockey sticks and have been playing on the rink ever since.

Snow Fort 2010

The boys love to build snow forts. This is this years masterpiece. Shovels, picks, wet snow, and determination helped complete this one complete with a tunnel, and later a roof.

The men wanted me to highlight the tunnell.

And their Dad getting stuck in the tunnel. He was extricated when the boys pulled on his feet and I greased his hips with crisco, okay, only part of that is true.

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.