9 yrs. old!

Ashlyn celebrated her 9th birthday with about 15 friends over the weekend.  We decided to have a "late night", so the girls wore their PJ's, and brought a blanket and pillow.  The idea was that we would do a craft, play a few games, and then watch a movie.  We ended up...

Eating Pizza and Pop

Making flower pencils

Making cute magnets

Performing skits

Playing circle games

Playing air hockey and fusball, and "restaurant" in our little kitchen under the stairs

and then...

for the last 15 mins, they watched part of a movie.

It was a 3 1/2 hour party...next year we'll just go bowling I think.

It was fun though.

The girls all whispered "Happy Birthday" behind Ashlyn, and she had to guess who it was before she could open their present.  It was hilarious!

Finally!! 

A little snow to play in, but only in the mountains, still nothin' in the valley.  Last Saturday, my brother Nathan and I took the kids to Tibble Fork to do a little sledding.  It was a gorgeous, I mean

breath-takingly beautiful day! 

We had a great time together!

Rachel and Ashlyn

While coming back from the "bowl", Connor sort of slipped into the edge of the lake somehow...uh, yeah.  His boots were all wet, so Parker pulled him back across the frozen lake.  He decided to snuggle up in the van, get some hot chocolate, and watch a movie while we continued to sled....my car battery died...we jumped it and all was well, but he learned all about how the DVD player gets power in a vehicle...:)

Mother-Daughter Weekend

This past weekend, Ashlyn and I headed down to St. George to see our good friend Kiya get married.  She is the daughter of one of my favorite high school friends, and I've watched this phenomenal girl grow into a beautiful young woman, and now a young bride.   Ashlyn especially loves this family, and so I invited her to share the weekend with me.  So much fun!  We sang to the top of our lungs to Taylor Swift, listened to a cute book on CD, played with cousins, (even attended a birthday party at a jump house) and helped transform a gym to a beautiful reception. 

The St. George Temple is spectacular!  It was a beautiful day!

Ashlyn found a friend, as she always does, and they danced the night away in the foyer..clearly the party was out here!

Mother of the bride. 

Carrie is an amazing woman, I can't believe she's old enough to have a daughter get married!

Good thing I'm younger than she is...by at least 8 whole months...:)

A New Year!

I love parties, you know I do.  I am generally the first to say, hey, let's have a party for this or that, and before I know it my brain has raced ahead, and a "party to do list" has formed in my head.  HOWEVER, I am simply not a New Year's Eve party girl.  I get too tired, it's as simple as that.  I figure I can celebrate on January 1st all day rather than lose some of that beauty rest... For years, we just secretly sped up the clocks, yelled happy new year, banged a few pots and pans, and called it a night with our little kids. I'm pitiful to many of you I'm sure, but so be it. 

I think my past experiences with  New Year's Eve parties, sealed the deal for me.  I remember one time specifically. 
When I was in high school, one of my friends moved to SLC...just minutes from downtown.  She invited another friend and I to come spend the night and celebrate New Year's Eve with her.  We went to a dance...it wasn't a church dance...uh, yeah. 

Anyway, I remember thinking "I spent an hour getting ready for this? I am soooo not in the right place!"  As midnight approached, my friend told me that we needed to find someone to kiss at midnight...

uh...I don't think so...

I made her leave right after midnight, after she found her kiss.  Not a friend I stayed in contact with, needless to say.   I decided New Year's Eve was an excuse for people to stay up late, drink, and behave badly.  Not a fan.  Then I married someone who isn't a late night guy, and then we had little ones that too needed their rest, and there you have it.  No midnight Jensen parties.
BUT.... I have teenagers now...

They LOVE  to stay up late.  ALL their friends do!

"EVERYBODY BUT YOU AND DAD DO!"

Then they threw in, that our neighbor (who has hosted all of the New Year's Eve parties for my kids) announced that she was tired this year, and wasn't going to put together a party.  What?   Are you SURE?  I'll send treats...party hats...whatever is needed!

Ok.  Yeah, I guess it is our turn.  

So we hosted a lame-o party, went to bed shortly after midnight, and somehow made it up for 9:00am church. 

I guess I didn't die.

Ice Fishing

Parker is the type of kid who LOVES THE OUTDOORS!  Rain or shine, cold or heat, he's all over it if we mention heading out somewhere.  I love that in him!  Yesterday his Grandpa Baxter took him ice fishing at Scofield Reservoir.  The kid brought home 4 beautiful trout, cleaned them all by himself, then we cooked them up.  (after I watched a "how to cook trout" video on YouTube...:)

Patiently waiting...got that hot chocolate close by...

"Hey little fishies..."

Oh yeah!! 

Who's da' man???