Chocolate Chips...

How to make enemies at the grocery store...

So yesterday there was a 1-day sale at the store for Guittard Chocolate Chips..  I love these chips!  We use chocolate chips all the time at our house, but they can be so darn expensive...so when a sale hits...I'm all over it.  The front display was out of the milk chocolate, which of course is our favorite, so using my shopping saavyness, I headed to the baking isle, and sure enough there were some left on the shelf...I took almost all of them, totaling 40 in all, I think...

As I headed down the isle, a woman took a double take at my cart...

"Where did you get those???"

"Oh, there were a few left in the isle", I replied, then hurried outta there. 

I got several more stares from moms who didn't get in on the milk chocolate deal, and realized I need to cover the evidence, and fast!  I bought some bread and packets of taco seasoning, and strategically placed them over the 40 bags of chocolate chips. 

When I went to checkout, I realized I would have to uncover my stockpile, so I prayed I wouldn't have one of the unfortunate moms behind me in line.  I was lucky, there was an older woman behind me who only said, 

"Those must have been on sale".

I replied, "Yes, it was a good deal, it's my years supply...."

All I can say, is that when I put those babies in my food storage, I felt prepared!!

Karl said, "well at least we'll have chocolate..."

YUP!

She Made It!

Do you remember trying out for something in High School, and wanting more than ever for someone to say those magic words,

YES!!!
You got in! You made it!
We want you!

Well, it happened for Alyssa.  After several call backs with a gruelling audition process, Alyssa made Chamber Choir!  This is the most selective choir at our HS, and a real honor to get in! 

This morning, at 4:40am, a couple of girls came to get her up to take her to IHOP for a special "You made Chamber Choir" breakfast!  All of the new members were woken up and taken to breakfast!
What's great, is that her best friend made it too!!!

She just bounded out of bed and hugged her friends!

Now off to IHOP for a yummy breakfast!

Soooo proud of and happy for Alyssa!!

Ashlyn's Weekend...

Last weekend, Ashlyn went to a friend's birthday party.  He had a reptile show come to his house, and the kids had the opportunity to touch various types of reptiles.

Ashlyn and her friend sat way up on the couch, a little nervous about the SNAKE...

But then....bravery..or perhaps peer pressure won out, and she agreed to hold it!  I CANNOT believe she is my daughter!!!  I have a deep fear of snakes, and have weekly nightmares about them!!  (not kidding, Karl has to wake me up frequently!) 

Pretty proud of my girl!

Then, on Sunday afternoon, Ashlyn was jumping on the trampoline, and Parker and Connor decided to shoot arrows at clay pigeons on the ground, while they sat up in a tree.  One of the arrows ricocheted off of the clay pigeon, and hit Ashlyn's head, leaving a 1" gash, that even chipped part of her skull.  We spent the afternoon in the ER, where Ashlyn received staples.  She was super brave, I can't believe what a miracle that was!   I was shaking the next 24 hours, and teared up everytime I thought about how close we came to a tragedy in our family. 

 I can't stop hugging my baby girl!

Funny side note:  Of course Parker got all kinds of grief at school when everyone found out that he "shot his sister in the head with an arrow!!"  I asked Ashlyn how everyone found out about it, and she replied, "Oh, I told EVERYONE!  Even the principal!"

 Poor Parker...

Ashlyn added, that her friends all followed her around and said "it's like you're FAMOUS!"  Ashlyn would smuggly reply, "Oh, I know!"  She hasn't taken off her ER ID bracelet yet...
Our neighbor asked me yesterday, "so how's Robin Hood doing?"  

Poor Parker!

A Little Snow...

When we get a little snow, the Jensen's go wild!

My Mom and I snowshoed about 5 miles up and around a mountain in a little snow storm, it was gorgeous!

Megan and Ashlyn

The girls worked so hard on the base, that by the time they were ready for the middle and head, they were tired, so he's a little skinny up top..:)

While the girls built the snowman, the boys prepared for an attack...yeah, you know the rest...girls come storming in the house...

"Mom, the boys are throwing snowballs at us..." 

Boys, "No, we were throwing it at your snowman..."

Girls, "That's even worse, we worked HARD on that snowman!

"MOOOOOOOOMMM!!!!"

Connor had a scout camp out at a ward member's cabin, they snow shoed in...

Karl went with Connor, and they had a great time!!

THE CALL!!!

These are the MOMENTS!  

Moments, where you capture time because, life isn't quite the same from one second to the next.  

We just experienced a definite MOMENT!  My parents opened their mission call last week!!!  

Where are they going??? 

Keep reading!!

Those of us in the area, all met at our home for the opening of the envelope, but not before we had a little mission devotional first.  Nathan set up Skype and audio connections with Allyson (AZ), Aaron (OR),  Sean (WA), and Aunt Carol (OR), so they could participate.  

We started out our slide show with a picture of my mom and her twin sister with the missionaries that taught and baptized them.  She joined the church when she was 19yrs. old. 

Each of the returned missionaries in our family then gave a brief report of their mission, and we viewed pictures.  Testimonies were shared and it was a beautiful evening.  

Those who live out of state also provided a written summary, and supplied pics. 

 Our family has covered the globe!   

We have served in England, Florida, Argentina, Portugal, Brazil, New Jersey (Spanish), Russia, Oregon, Italy, Costa Rica, and California.

Reading the call!! 

Minneapolis, Minnesota!!

I guess they're good with it!

Everyone sent in predictions of where my parents would be sent.  We posted the guesses on a  map.  Ashlyn guessed Iowa, which is actually part of their mission and got a big bag of skittles, but then I realized my mom had guessed Canada...Which is also part of their mission, so I owe her a fun snow showing outing as a prize!!  :)

We are all so proud and can't wait to learn more about the great state of Minnesota!