I can't complain...

...about the weather. It saved us from certain disaster this weekend. We started noticing some not so good things when we would take our food out of the fridge. Our drinks were not cold, we had warm milk for our cereal (the worst!), and our butter was spreadable straight from the fridge (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). Our fridge was on the fritz. But fortunately for us Mother Nature brought us snow, which, just hours earlier, I was cursing her for being so mean teasing us with the idea of Spring! But she must have known the Jensens were going to need a little extra help. Amazing how things "work out" isn't it? So we packed our food in coolers and buried the rest in the snow. Kind of a pain to go outside and dig for my food, but hey, at least we didn't have to throw anything away right?
Trent, being the amazing man that he is, fixed our fridge yesterday. Just add that to his list of skills: Refrigerator Repair Man. What would I do without him?

And to make everything even better, seeing how my fridge was empty and warm, it was a great time to give it a good cleaning. There are few things better than a clean fridge my friends! So here is to ice cold sodas, good cereal, and hardened butter!

Endurance...

James and Josh came to hang at our house for the weekend. For 2 days we got to experience what it would be like to have a family of 9. It was GREAT for the weekend, but it did confirm the fact that we are done having kids. 7 kids under the age of 6 makes for a fun, crazy weekend! Here are some highlights:

• One of the things the kids always want to do at our house is jumping on a pile of cushions. Everyone got into it, except for James. He was too busy building his spaceship.

• Coloring some pretty cool Speed Racer books, playing with Cars stickers, and balloons.
• Fighting over anything and everything
• Enjoying the warmer weather. Loved being outside!
  

• However, we still have a lot of snow in our back yard. Enough for some fun sledding anyways!
  

• Watching a little TV.
• Chaotic mealtimes: a whole package of spaghetti, 2 lbs of cheese, 2 batches of pancakes, 13 mini pizzas, 1 liter of Root Beer, 50 cheese triangles, and about 100 juice cup refills.
• One big sleep over in the boys room. Unfortunately Paige and Morgan were not invited.
  

We really had a great weekend. All my kids love it when James and Josh come over! We hope you had a great Anniversary Weekend Brad and Heidi!!!

Paige and Morgan's Stats

Paige and Morgan had a check up this week. Both are healthy, strong, and getting "big." They finally reached the weight to upgrade into forward facing car seats (even though they have really been in them for months.) Here are their 19 months stats:

Paige

• 20 lbs
• 29 3/4 in tall
• 47.5 head circ.

Morgan

• 19.4 lbs
• 29 1/4 in tall
• 47.5 head circ.

Bowling Night!

Last night we went bowling with the Elders Quorum. I rocked it with a score of 80! I know, I am a great bowler. Then a few of us decided to go give 5 Guys a try. It was a good burger loaded with mayo, bacon, cheese, lettuce, onions, and mushrooms! And they had Caffeine Free Diet Coke, which was an added bonus!
The group. Me, Alyssa, Kristen, Blake, Craig, Trent (Meg & Quinn were there too, but left before I got my camera out!) It is so nice to finally have friends in the ward. I mean, friends that are closer to our age that is. Thanks guys for a great night! And thanks to Kim and Luke (well I am sure mostly Kim) for watching The Hoard! You guys are great!

Busy Day

Yesterday was nothing too special, but we had a little bit of "extras" in it. We got to have little Oliver over for a few hours. My girls honestly cannot get enough of him. They held his hands, got him toys, gave him his binky, gave him loves, and even started eating him. I am not sure Kimmy will want us to babysit again!
The boys didn't have preschool yesterday so we had their friend Cami over to play. They were up on Aiden's bed escaping the sharks in the water. I love when they use their imaginations! Andrew would say the theme music from Jaws, you know, "da da, da da, daaa da" and scream SHARK! Then they would run and get on the bed, barely escaping the jaws of death!

During the day I tried to keep the house some-what clean (slightly impossible with 7 kids in the house) for Young Womens. We had a scrapbook night at my house. We had a lot more show up than I thought, so we were a little crammed in our craft room, but I think the girls had fun.

Trent and I ended the night by trying to catch up on some of our Tivo'd shows. We made it through one episode and called it quits. By the end of the day we don't even have the energy to watch TV...

Moab Half and 5 Mile

Trent and I had a little road trip over the weekend. We travelled down to Moab to participate in some pretty cool races. Trent did the half marathon and I, of course, opted for the slightly easier 5 miler. Since we were well prepared for this road trip we forgot about lodging. We ended up camping and had a GREAT time.
We pitched a tent in the Up a Creek campground, snuggled in for the night, and awoke early for some oatmeal and hot chocolate. It really was fun to camp with Trent, so much more relaxing than with five kids.

Here we are after our races. I finished more than and hour before Trent and was waiting around the finish line to get some pics. He passed right by me and I had no idea. I was pretty mad that I didn't get to see him finish. We couldn't locate each other in the thousands of people, so finally we both met up at the car. Trent finished 52 overall (out of 3,284), 46th male, and 8th in his age division. His final time was 1:26:49. Amazing! I finished 126 overall (out of 786), 47th female, and 7th in my age division. My final time was 42:57. I was just amazed that I finished period, let alone with a pretty good time!

After the race and some lunch we headed up the Poison Spider Trail with the Beast. It always amazes me how easily this thing goes over rocks. The pictures really don't do it justice. The hills and rocks seem SO much BIGGER when you are in the jeep going over it.

I love the picture of us on top of Poison Spider. I think we have one in the same spot, but with our bikes. All along the trail we saw so many bikers. It made me sad to think of all the old Veigel days in Moab, biking up trails, crashing, hanging at the hotels, shopping, eating good food, and simply being together. I think we need to get back into our biking days and plan a trip in the next few years!

After we had our fill of Moab, we journeyed on to see Ryan and Angela. Ryan has been Trent's best friend for years and it is always good to see them. And they are always so nice to let us invade their space and spend a night at their house.

Saturday night we went to Hot Tomato for some delicious salad, pizza, and bread sticks. Once again it was so good and so relaxing without kids!!! After dinner we went back and watched Twilight. The boys were so nice to humor us girls. We woke up and had a delicous breakfast, courtesty of Ryan and Angela, sat around and talked, and then headed home. It was a great weekend!

Thanks everyone who watched our kids, it really does take a lot to get them all covered and we really appreciate it! And thanks Ryan and Angela for having us at your house. It is always a good time!

Thank You Oakley...Thank You

Oakley was standing on a stool laughing at herself playing with her tummy. She looked at me and said, "Look Mom, its your belly!" As sad as this description is of my current belly, I still had to laugh...

(and please, don't judge the hair)

Impromptu Girls Night

Kimmy, Jill, and I went to Firehouse Pizzeria on Wednesday night. That place gets me more hooked each time I go. This time we ordered some of the focaccia bread AND FH'zzookie's. The bread was delicious and, of course, so was the dessert! Next time I need to add pizza to my plate. I bet it is just as good as the rest of the stuff!
Oh, just doing this post makes me want to go back already. I am going to have to limit myself to a once a month partaking-AT LEAST. I don't even want to think about how many calories that scrumptious dessert contains. And I wonder why I am gaining weight and not losing it....

Thanks Kim and Jill. It was a fun night! We need to hang out more often like the old days!!!

BEST Surprise EVER!!!

Last night I came home from my little outing to Firehouse (pictures to come on that) and there was a package sitting on my counter. Jill asked if I had ordered something. Uh no, my spending diet is still on. So, I thought maybe Trent bought something. I looked at the package and it had my name on it. What?!? I could not figure out what was going on. Maybe I had won something? So I started opening it and there was a Target bag inside. My heart skipped a beat! Could it be?!? I ripped the bag open and there, in all its glory, was my dream purse!!! My friend, Sarah, was at Target over in Nebraska and noticed there was only 1 bag left, so she bought one for me!!! Can you believe it? She was afraid we would be running out here too, especially since I still have 3 weeks left of my little hiatus from shopping. This was one of the best surprises I have ever gotten to enjoy! I mean really, how nice can you be Sarah!!! Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!

As soon as I settled down from the shock of getting this beauty in the mail, I cleaned out my wallet on a string and found a new home for all my important things. It was like Christmas! I was so excited! I even found some new things to put in the extra space this wonderful new purse gives me. Doesn't it just look like a natural part of my body in the top right picture?

However, it is kind of sad to say good bye to another long time friend. The Wallet on a String. I have had this purse just about as long as my other friends, the Dr Martens. I know some of you will not recognize me with a different purse, but it is just something everyone, including myself, will have to get used to. Don't worry though. I won't be giving this purse away. Maybe it will take over the corner of the closet that the Dr Martens previously occupied.

Sarah, you are the best and I still can't believe you did this!!! It really was the best surprise ever and I owe you BIG time!!! You made my day, or should I say, you made my Lent!!! Thanks again!!!

Poor Morgan

Last week Morgan fell off her stool right onto her face. You know that little "string" of lip that connects your top lip to your gums...well that was ripped apart when she fell. Poor thing. Good thing Aunt Heidi was there to comfort her! She did start looking like a Who when her top lip swelled up. But no worries, kids are resilient. She is completely normal this week, although she has a scab right by her eye from another fall. But such is the life of a kid....

Spring is in the Air!!!

I am LOVING the coming of Spring.

• We had family night outside last night, cleaning the front yard, with no jackets, wearing flip flops, and the sun beaming down on us.
• I went running this morning without multiple layers on.
• We set the tramp up yesterday (which has been a constant fight ever since).
• We only have a little patch of snow in our backyard as a reminder of the long winter days stuck in the house with 5 maniacs.
• The sandbox is once again open for play, which means I find little sand piles through out the house.
• The bikes and "riders" are strung about the patio.
• Trent set up the outdoor furniture (I am getting excited for the first BBQ of the season).
• The "later" mornings and longer evenings because of the time change.
• Spring cleaning-inside and out.
• The starts of flowers in our courtyard.
• The thought of having in easier summer with no babies!

Bring on the WARMTH!!!

Rock Band!!!

There was an impromptu celebration put together last Wednesday for the Veigel family. Jake came into town for some interviews so we all gathered for some partying! We met up at Robintinoes. I had been craving it for months and was so glad we decided to go there.
The crew, minus Trent taking the pic. I love it when my family all gets together. We did miss Becky, James, and Jackson and Emily and the kidlets! Don't worry, we didn't have that much fun without you!

After dinner we headed up to our house for a little Rock Band.

This was a first for most of us. I have played Guitar Hero a couple times and I love that Rock Band has vocals and drums added to it! I think everyone will agree that Jake's rendition of Testify will live forever in our hearts.

My kids wanted to play so badly, but when they did it didn't last very long because there skills just don't match up to the older generation! They did have fun for the few seconds we let them play though.

Thanks everyone for the night: Cade, Luke, and Kimmy for supplying the Rock Band, Mom and Dad for dinner, and Jake for coming into town so we had an excuse for a celebration! I am already looking forward to the next party!

The Day Has Come!!!

I have been waiting and waiting (not so patiently) for these pictures of my kids. A genius photographer took them a while ago and I really couldn't be happier with the outcome. Karina is honestly magical when it comes to taking pictures. If you were at our "photo shoot" you would be amazed as I am that she was able to get SO many cutes pictures. My kids are not the best models. Don't get me wrong, they are the cutest kids around, but they are the most uncooperative as well!


I LOVE this picture. I have always wanted one with all of my kids feet. And I love the words she put underneath. I think this is going up in our TV room right by the kitchen. Just look at all those little toes!

This picture is classic. It describes the photo shoot perfectly. Andrew-angry and bitter. Aiden-always smiling! Oakley-sweet and very photogenic. Paige-always goofing off and doing whatever she felt like. Morgan-crying. This picture just captures it all!

Aiden. I love his crinkled nose smile!

Andrew. I was so surprised she got this picture. He really was so ornery! And I think this is the best picture we have ever gotten of him!

Oakley. Do I need to even say anything about this picture! She was sooo good at posing!

Paige. This is a perfect picture of her. I love her toothy opened mouth smile! Perfect for her personality!

Morgan. She was having some issues, but luckily we got a good shot of her. I love her timid, little smile. Shows her personality too!

My three girls. They are all just so stinkin cute! I love this shot of the three of them!

Since Oakley was being a wonderful model, Karina got a ton of cute ones of her. I love this little montage she put together. Isn't the middle one so cute! Well, they all are actually.

I love this candid shot. I was hovering around with treats trying to get them to sit still and it really wasn't working that great. But I love all their faces it in. So cute!

If anyone is in need of a photographer with mad skills call Karina. She has a natural gift and is so easy to work with. She put up with all five of my kids and even me. I get very ornery while trying to get my kids to smile for the camera! If you want to look at more of her work go here. I promise, you won't be disappointed if you hire her!

Value Bracelets

We made value bracelets for Young Women's last night and I LOVE mine. I love that they are a modge podge of shapes and colors. We ended the night with our own home made Fh'zookies! Perfect! It was a fun activity and we have a great bunch of girls, even though only 1/3 of them showed up last night. Thanks to Kimmy who gave me the idea for the bracelets (and I also copied her photography skills)! I am still mad at my camera. My group shots never turn out clear. I guess I should break out the manual or take a class or something. I HATE when my pictures are blurry!

So Long My Old Friend

I clean out my closet a lot. I don't have a ton of space for the amount I like to shop, hence my latest spending diet. My rule when cleaning things out is if I haven't worn it in a year its gone. However, my rule hasn't applied to my Dr. Martens. I haven't worn them in 8+ years, but can't seem to part with them either. They remind me of fun times from High School, early college days, hanging with friends, and, most importantly, meeting Trent. I just take them out of the closet, dust them off, and put them back in the corner to be overshadowed by my other more comfortable, stylish shoes. Well, the time has come for us to part ways. Maybe someone can make new memories with them...

So I bid farewell to my friend, the Dr Martens. I will forever remember the style and protection you gave my feet in years past. I hope your journey through the D.I. will be a good one and that you find someone to give you a better life than you've had the past years hiding in the shadows of my closet. Au revoir mon ami!

Like Mother Like Child

So much for teaching my kids the important things in life like reading, writing and arithmetic. Start with blogging and the rest will just fall into place....

Ahhh...JCPenney...The Good Old Days!

We had a little JCPenney reunion last night. Right after High School, my friend Melissa and I tried finding a job for weeks. Finally, we found the perfect one for us: The JCPenney Support Line! We were so excited (& pathetic) that we started dancing and celebrated by buying a Rainbo Snow. We were dorks...

I met a few people through out my time there, but these girls were my closest friends out of the bunch! We started reminiscing last night about the good old days; the funny (& strange) people, painting our fingernails, coloring, eating dry cereal, and so many other fun things. We really did have a great time and it made going to work a little easier...for me anyway.

Last night we went to the Mandarine for dinner. One of my all time favorite places to eat! Dinner didn't disappoint, except for Beth's noodles. Sorry Beth! After gorging ourselves with chinese food, we thought we would add a few extra pounds and head over to Firehouse Pizza to devour our own little FH'zzookies. This was a first for me and the only question I have is, 'why did I wait this long to try one?!?' They were the cutest most delicious things I have ever eaten. It has even surpassed my Molten Lava Cake fetish and that's saying something. And thanks to Melissa for paying for dessert! It is a true friend that will buy you a little piece of heaven!!!
Julie, Beth, Me, and Melissa. I love this picture of us (even if you girls thought I was a nerd for wanting to take one!) and I love that we were able to get together after so many years. We are now all married with children and enjoying this new stage of our lives. It is weird to think back on our single, childrenless days at the JCP. Fun times. Fun times.

Thanks girls for a great night! I am already looking forward to another girls night which HAS to include another trip to Firehouse!

Lent

I have issues. Lots of them actually. But the one I am letting the world know about is my shopping addiction. I shop when I am sad, mad, happy, excited, bored, stressed....well, really any of my emotions make me want to shop. After this past weekend in SG I have learned that what self control I thought I had is gone. I have NONE.



I was reading Trent's cousin Tiffany's blog post about Ash Wednesday and was reminded of the times I would "participate" in Lent with my friend Kellee. We would pick something to give up for the 40 days. Usually it was food or something we thought we couldn't live without. Well, it is time to participate again, and yes, I am giving up shopping. I will NOT be spending ANY money on clothes, scarves, jewelry, accessories, or shoes. Is this possible? Yes. Can I do it? That remains to be seen. I figured if I put it out there for the blogging world to see, I may be more embarrassed if I fail.



I am a few days late seeing how Ash Wednesday was last week, but I figure it is better late than never. I have already been tested once and passed. Yesterday I was at Target and found the perfect purse for me. For those of you who don't know, I don't do real purses. My current purse is more like a wallet on a string. I found this beauty and was putting it in my cart when I remembered I wasn't going to spend any more money on myself. Ugh! I loved it, but I wasn't going to fail on my first day trying. How pathetic would that be? Maybe it will still be around in 40 days.....and on sale!

Isn't it just screaming my name? I would be moving up in the purse world without fully converting to the "Mary Poppins" purses that girls carry around these days. Why didn't I see this in St. George when I had no problem dropping $13 for a purse???

And LOOK! I would have a place for all my credit cards and "stuff." And isn't the paisley print cute!

So wish me luck! This is going to be hard, but necessary. It is sad to see how much money I waste on unimportant things. Anyone can join me if you want. Hard things are always easier to do if you have a support group!

St George...Again

We escaped to St. George over the weekend. We had a great time as always. The reason for this trip was Uncle Jake. He had a work conference in Vegas, he came a little early so we could all hang out. I feel like you've seen these pictures before, but I still wanted to document our weekend. So here you go!
While we were there we celebrated Jake's birthday with a delicious home cooked meal. Turkey, mashed potato's, gravy, hot rolls, veggies, pink salad, and yummy Oreo dessert! It was all sooo good! I tried to get a pic of the crowded table. My kids take up half the table by themselves!

We had a great weekend. Trent did a little running and Don Pedros. I did a little (okay a lot) of shopping and In & Out. It is sad that we have to split up to enjoy things. But, it's just not that fun to take the furious five to a sit down restaurant or shopping. So we took turns having some time off. Thanks again to Brad & Teri for providing the lodging! It really is a piece of heaven!

(And I am bummed about the dinner pic. I still don't know how to work my camera that well. Sarah or Karina, any suggestions to get everyone (or at least one person!) in focus???)

Pirate Teeth

While we were in St. George the kids did NOT want to brush their teeth. They didn't like the "spicy" toothpaste we had.I tried explaining the issue with plaque and how it eats your teeth. I could tell Andrew wasn't quite grasping what I was telling him. Finally, I told Andrew his teeth were going to turn black and fall off and he would have teeth like a pirate. Brooke had the great idea of showing him a picture. This is the one we found. Pretty gross if you ask me. After we looked at a few more pictures Andrew went straight downstairs and brushed his teeth. He didn't want to end up looking like this guy.
Andrew has actually been talking about his teeth not being like a pirates ever since. Last night during his prayers he was thankful for family, St. George, and that his teeth didn't look like pirate teeth. I think we got our point across...