Jensen Family

Toddler Adventures

2011-05-26T22:08:00.005-07:00

What do you do when time passes way too fast and your little boy is almost two? I haven't blogged about Rylan for almost six months. I was starting to have major guilt and anxiety over it. I mean he is just so cute and he is doing so many fun things. I decided to pull up my Smilebox program and put about twenty pictures into a layout I could live with. I mean who wants to scroll through twenty pictures? That's kind of a LOL statement coming from me and my blog. I was trying to figure out how I could do one post over the last six months. Then I remembered that you can save layouts in Smilebox as JPEGS. So this is my new attempt at overdoing picture posts.

Rylan will be two in a couple of weeks. It's gone by so fast. About six months ago, he really started to understand what I was saying to him. The first layout is of him with one of his sister's flip flops on. I told him to get his shoes on because we were going bye bye. I did this just to see what would happen. You can see the result in the first picture. Now he can almost put on his own sandals, putting straps through loops and all. He says quite a few words now, but the phrases he is saying are, " I see you" and "where are you". He always says "thank you" and he loves to beg with "pease pease". He loves to call me "mommy" and John "daddy". He's been saying Aubree's name for quite some time now. We're waiting to hear him say his own name. He folds his arms for prayers and mumbles words as if he's saying the prayer. He loves to finish with a big "amen" at the end.

Rylan is so much fun and it's just amazing what he is picking up now. I will miss this age and all of the new discoveries that Rylan is making. I'm so glad that I get to share them everyday with my little "Bud Bud".

Jensen Easter April 2011

2011-04-25T17:08:00.000-07:00

Personalize your own free digital greeting

Aubree Adventures

2011-04-22T15:39:00.004-07:00

Aubree had some good times these past few months. Here are a few of the highlights. She went to the County Fair with her father a few days ago and played some of the games. She won this huge banana by herself on the ring toss. Apparently she has pretty good aim. She also won several other stuffed animals below herself. I guess the Wii carnival games was a good or bad purchase. I haven't decided yet. We also have some pictures of her with a very cool lizard that our neighbor found in the neighborhood. It was a cute little guy that didn't squirm when held. Aubree loves the outdoors and all of the creatures that she finds outside. This was a real treat for her. We also went to a mother/daughter 50's night for Girl Scouts. We borrowed some costumes from Annabell our wonderful neighbor. She actually sewed them for another event that her girls attended. I'm so thankful that she let us borrow them because I never could have pulled this off myself. Childhood is so fun. I'm glad that I get to enjoy it again with my own children.

Aubree with her giant banana prize.

These are the other prizes she won
by herself.

Rylan liked the giant "Nana."

Aubree with a cute Lizard find.

He has spikes around his head.

He looks like a mini dinorsaur.

Our girls scout mother/daughter

50's dance costumes.

Aubree's Baptism Highlights

2011-04-06T21:17:00.002-07:00

Aubree was baptized a member of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints on March 19, 2011 by her father. We went to northern Utah for the baptism so that more family could attend. We had lots of family come and support Aubree. It was fun to see everyone and they helped make the day even more special for Aubree. Aubree was baptized and confirmed in Logan, Utah in her Grandpa and Grandma Jensen's Stake building. It was a very old building but the Spirit still felt the same. It was also a much colder day then it was back home with the temperature around 45 degrees. The sky was gray and light snowflakes started to fall before the baptism. The program was made up completely of family members except for Bishop Matthew Hyde who presided and conducted. Uncle Scott Jensen gave the opening prayer followed by a spotlight of Aubree given by Aunt Kimberly Curl. Grandpa Anthony Hal Berry gave the talk on the the importance of baptism, while Grandpa Robert Jensen gave a talk on the Holy Ghost. This was followed by the musical number, "When I Am Baptized," performed by Rachel, Clara, Joshua, and Aubree Jensen. Of course John performed the baptismal ordinance and confirmation. Aunt Debra Ashcroft gave the closing prayer. The confirmation circle consisted of John Jensen, Robert Jensen, Anthony Hal Berry, Bruce Ashcroft, Scott Jensen, Todd Jensen, Eric Ashcroft, Brett McGettigan and Bishop Matthew Hyde. This baptism confirmed my testimony of the importance of family. I'm so glad that we get to continue our families beyond this life. Every year we get to participate in more and more ordinances for our family and extended families. It's so neat to see so many of us magnifying our faith and staying strong in the gospel. I know I will continue to do my part to help keep my eternal family keeping their covenants.

Aubree and John before the baptism.

Jensen family picture.

Aubree being a good example for her brother.

Aubree with Grandma Peggy

and Grandpa Bob.

Grandma Lynda and Grandpa Hal.

Aubree with cousins Kiah, Jackson,

Trent, Rachel, Clara, and Joshua.

Aubree in confirmation dress.

Aubree with cousin Kiah.

Aubree and Aunts Kim and Angie. A few of the special gifts she received. Trent and Joshua. A sweet innocent picture of my little angel.

Smelling fake flowers :)

Dress without jacket.

In Grandma and Grandpa's court yard.

A few days after the baptism

Aubree tried skiing for the first time

at Wolf mountain ski resort in Ogden Canyon.

We went skiing with Kiah, My sister's fiance Jason Savage

and John.

Aubree on the magic carpet lift.

She had a great time.

I went despite having a rough time with my rental skiis. I couldn't bend my knees and kept

losing my balance. I even went off on an advance trail by myself and got lost. I took my skiis off to walk up the mountain to see the name of the trail. I slipped and started sliding

down the steep mountain very fast toward some large pine trees. It felt like I was sliding off a roof. It was really scary. I prayed that I wouldn't hit the trees at a high rate of speed. I turned over on my stomach and was able to stop. I think this is the trick to stopping when your skiis have popped off. Believe me I still thank the Lord for helping me realize this in the nick of time. I thank my sister's fiance Jason for helping me get down the mountain. He kept me calm and hiked up the very steep mountain to retrieve my phone and skiis. I will always be grateful to him. I learned a hard lesson to always study the mountain trails before you get on a ski lift. It was very fun despite almost losing or severely injuring my life.

Rylan's First Time In Nursery

2011-01-30T22:39:00.003-07:00

I just can't believe how fast time has flown! Rylan started nursery at our church at the beginning of January. He looked like a little stud muffin in his tie and vest. He did pretty well, not crying at all despite the fact that all the other kids were crying hysterically. I took some pictures because I was in nursery with Aubree for about a year and never got any pictures. It's such a milestone for those of us in the LDS church. You're helping your child to start their spiritual journey through life. You're leading the horse to water as they say. I hope Rylan will continue to "drink" of the gospel for the rest of his life. The gospel of Jesus Christ has helped me become the person that I am today. I am grateful to my parents, teachers and leaders that have helped me througout my own spiritual journey. I'm grateful that the gospel helps keep me focused on what is most important in life.

Aubree turns eight in February. She will be baptized in March. She is such a good little girl. She keeps me on track, letting me know what is appropriate for Sunday. I don't think she will have any problems with temptation in her life. I think she is one of the strong ones saved for the Latter-Days. She sure is stubborn but I think that is for a reason. She's not going to be a pushover ever in her life. I'm glad that I've been chosen to help Aubree and Rylan have the best opportunity to return to live with our Heavenly Father some day. I won't take this important job lightly.

Rylan coloring his first picture in nursery.

Rylan's nursery class.

Notice how all the kids are sitting down

except for Rylan.

Nursery is so fun. We get to play with toys.

I even get to play with balls.

Aubree's Girl Scout Cookie Store Is Open

2011-01-23T15:13:00.002-07:00

Aubree is selling Girl Scout cookies.

She would love to sell you some.

Even if it's just one box.

You can also buy a box for our charity.

We are collecting boxes for a troop

at our local Air Force base.

The boxes are $4.00 per box.

She has:

Lemon Chalet Creams

Trefoils

Do-Si-Dos

Samoas

Tagalongs

Thin Mints

She is selling them now through the beginning of March.

This is a good opportunity for her to learn

money management skills, people skills, responsibility, and organizational skills.

So I'm getting the word out but she will actually handle everything.

A Ride On The Polar Express

2010-12-20T15:51:00.015-07:00

Last week we were able to ride "The Polar Express Train" in Williams, Arizona. It's the same train that you take to the Grand Canyon in the summer. We had a little bit of a scary drive getting there. It snowed quite a bit as we got closer to Flagstaff. Luckily we had our 4x4 Durango to get us there safely. It was very exciting to have some snow for our train ride. It gave us a more authentic experience, but man was it cold! We're not used to that kind of cold back home! We could only get tickets for a Thursday night at 8:00 pm, and we made reservations at the beginning of November. It's a very popular attraction for families. I guess it just adds to the authenticity of the whole experience. After all the main characters of the movie are in their pajamas awoken from their beds. We enjoyed the train ride very much. They did a good job matching the book and movie as well as they could. Overall, I would highly recommend it if you are able to go. Kids that love the movie or trians will really have a good time.

We also went to the Mesa Temple lights in Mesa on our way home. That was a really neat family experience for everyone who needs a little reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. We really enjoyed the lights as a family and are very glad that we took the opportunity to see all of the Christmas displays. We hope to make it a family Christmas tradition.

At the train depot in Williams, AZ

Aubree was excited for the snow.

The train depot.

John and Aubree right before we got on the train.

The train just before our train.

We're excited to ride the Polar Express.

Aubree giving her ticket.

On the Polar Express ready to get to the North Pole.

Santa joined our train and gave the kids their bells.

The view of our train car.

The kids getting their tickets punched.

Aubree thought that was pretty cool.

We were all quite tired by the end of the ride.

Aubree with her bell, wondering if it was all a dream.

John and Aubree having a snowball fight

the next morning.

I think Aubree won.

Rylan's first snow.

This is what he really thinks of snow.

That's my Arizona boy for you.

A replica of the Polar Express.

Enjoying Christmas lights through the

eyes of a child enjoying them for the first time.

Rylan got a kick out this door

that was just his size.

He didn't get a kick out of it

just being for display purposes.

A replica of one of the houses in the movie.

Can you find Aubree in this picture?

Rylan discovering the Polar Express train.

He's really into trains now.

This was a real treat for him.

We decided to take a scenic drive through Sedona, AZ.

Aubree was able to make a snowman

at this rest stop.

The mountains around Sedona are totally

amazing. A drive through Sedona gives

you one of those natural highs. It's so neat

and totally free, unlike the national parks. Sedona

must be the inspiration for "Cars" the movie.

You can hike up the side of this mountain.

On our way home we decide to stop at

The Mesa temple to enjoy the Christmas lights.

The beautiful manger scene at the temple.

Aubree had the camera for a while and

took these pictures.

Some of the many beautiful lights on display.

Aubree took this picture. We had a great mini vacation.

Way Overdue October Post

2010-11-21T20:41:00.029-07:00

October was an incredibly busy and fun month. Aubree had a Fall break from school and so we headed to sunny California. We first went to Legoland. It was so fun for families with young children. It was so much easier to enjoy Legoland. The pace was much more manageable, but not quite as exciting as Disneyland.

Our next stop was Crystal Cove beach in Newport Beach. We stayed in a Marriot timeshare right across the street from the beach. I was excited to bring

my new Nikon SLR camera and camcorder with me to the beach. The beach was wide but not very deep. We set up our umbrella in an area that we thought was pretty far back from the ocean. We were sitting above a ledge that was carved out below by the waves. We had been in that spot for about an hour. I set my camera down to look at my camcorder. Before I knew what hit me (literally) a huge wave came over our spot and my camera was completely covered with salt water. Needless to say it was a total loss, but luckily we had an extended warranty through Best Buy. I wasn't sure it would cover this kind of damage but it did. We were able to get a new camera. Of course when we had to get a new warranty, we were informed that their warranties no longer covered water damage. Go figure. Even though I eventually got a new camera I was still bummed that I didn't have a nice camera for the rest of our vacation.

We went to Disneyland next. I was happy to learn that if we had the Disneyland photographers take our picture that we could buy the CD with all of the fun boarders for around $50. It was nice not always having to ask a stranger to take our family picture. My sister and her husband who live in California met up with us at Disneyland for a few days. It was so fun to see them. Aubree and Rylan were excited to see their aunt and uncle and be spoiled by them as well.

We were able to attend Mickey's Halloween party at Disneyland. We thought that we had wasted our money on this thing because it was so cold and rainy that day, but the rain lifted and it was not that crowded. We really ended up having a good time. After Disneyland we headed to Utah for our niece's wedding. Unfortunately Aubree came down with the stomach flu the night before the wedding and John was the only one able to attend the reception but at least Aubree was able to spend the last week of her break with grandparents and cousins.

We headed back to Utah after three weeks of vacation. We didn't have much time to get ready for Halloween. We still tried to fit in all of our usual family traditions like picking pumpkins at a pumkin patch and getting our decorations out. We still got everything in but it was really last minute this year. One cool thing that we did for Halloween was go through a real cave by candlelight. It was really spooky but cool. We also went on a haunted hayride through the desert. I think each year we will try something new as a family for Halloween and try not to take a three week vacation in three different states again.

At Disneyland in front of Main Street.

We waited in line forever to get a picture
with Mickey and Minnie. Rylan was wearing
his Mickey costume from last year. Aubree
was wearing her Alice in Wonderland costume
from last year.

We just had to get a picture of Winnie the Pooh
in his costume.

We actually saw the new "World of Color" show.
It is awesome if you are actually lucky enough
to see it. We had fast passes to
get a good view of the show. We couldn't see
a thing. It was totally disappointing. Don't waste your
time. And it was a huge time waster.

Aubree was actually chosen for
the Star Wars show at Tomorrow Land.

She really got to fight the real Darth Vader.

Talk about fighting Goliath. This guy

had to be seven feet tall. After all Aubree

is at least four feet tall.

Aubree's big blue eyes.

Aubree on the "A" at California Adventure

Rylan's baby blues.

In front of the "R" at California Adventure.

Aubree got to see her Aunt Kim

at Disneyland. She even dressed up

as Mary Poppins for Mickey's Halloween Party.

Aubree had a good time hanging

out with her Uncle Steve.

I'm so glad that I got to spend time with my

sister at Disneyland.

Kim and Steve are so fun to hang out with.

They really made Disneyland so much fun.

Back home at the Pumpkin stand.

Aubree found her pumpkin.

Rylan found his pumpkins.

We were able to get the cutest pictures

at this pumpkin stand.

This pumpkin stand felt like you

were on the farm but in fact we were

in the middle of Broadway. The busiest

street in town.

Here's Aubree with a candle.

We took a tour of a real cave

by candlelight. It was really spooky.

The entrance to the "Bat Cave".

It really has bats in it.

Here we are taking a "Haunted Hayride".

It really was scary. Good thing we sat on the

side with the fewest people jumping out to scare you.

Aubree and Rylan did much better then most adults.

Aubree and Rylan dressed up for Halloween.

Aubree is young OB1 Kanobe and Rylan

is of course Yoda. Aubree is totally into

being a Jedi after playing Lego Star Wars

for the Wii and fighting Darth Vader at Disneyland.

Aubree designed and carved her

own pumpkin this year.

Rylan is holding his little "peanut" pumpkin.

It was the first pumpkin we bought

him when we found out I was pregnant with him.

You would think that poor pumpkin would be stinky and

mushy after two years, but it is hard and

hollow in the middle. John says that I'm

a pumpkin hoarder but I just can't get rid of it.

It represents an answer to a lot of prayers.

The kids made out like bandits on their candy.

All this candy came from just a few blocks

around our house. I can't wait for the cavity count

at the next dentist appointment.

Here are our pumpkins this year along

with our scary ghost that moved from one

side of the porch to the other while making

spooky sounds.

Our last minute pumpkins. We finished

carving them just an hour before trick-or-treating.

John did a great job getting these decorations

up right before sun down.

15 Month Old Mischief!

2010-09-26T23:34:00.008-07:00

Rylan is 15 months old and boy is he a little mischief maker. We were so excited when he started walking three months ago but now he has discovered climbing. If I turn my back for a minute he is climbing onto something or trying to sit wherever he can squeeze his little behind. The other day I had a step stool out for Aubree to help me make brownies and Rylan used it to climb onto the kitchen counter and stand on the counter. I was going to get a picture but I thought I better get him down because I am such a nervous mom. I wonder what he'll discover next. Whatever it is, I'm sure it will keep me on my toes.

Howdy Partner.

I discovered that I can reach drawers better

by standing on something.

I found my old tub in the pantry along with

this necklace. I even put the necklace on myself.

Call me ladies! I know you can't resist the Ryster.

After all I'm sure to be the next
E*trade baby.

Oh no....in trouble again!

Look what I got out of the pantry

all by myself.

I love the marshmellow ones the best.

Hey, I just discovered that I can hold more on

my feet then in my hand.

Just saving it for later.

This brownie mix is even better then the

marshmellows.

I'm so glad sister taught me how good

licking the spoon is.

I'm such a big boy that I can even

climb up into my high chair

all by myself.

I can even buckle my own belt.

I'm such a busy boy that sister has to make

me a special bed for when I get tired. We watch

Spongebob and Cailou. What a contrast in shows.

Daddy Daughter Hoe Down

2010-09-18T15:45:00.009-07:00

We had a Daddy/Daughter Hoe Down at our church last night. Aubree isn't quite an Activity Day girl yet but since I'm a leader I "roped" the two of them into joining me. We sure had a blast. We had a tasty dinner followed by line dancing. Here are some highlights of the evening.

"Wild" about being a cow girl.

Roping us a man!

Daddy is grateful to have roped

Aubree as a daughter.

Aubree's not to sure about this cowboy.

Round your partner.

Learning the "Boot Scootin Boogie".

A few of my darling activity day girls.

Kendra and her father Robb line dance.

Evyn and her father Jeff line dance.

Aubree trying to teach an engineer

how to dance.

Learning the Cotton-Eye Joe.

Aubree loved John pulling her through his legs.

A memorable daddy/daughter date.

Aubree Started Second Grade

2010-07-20T14:09:00.006-07:00

Aubree started second grade yesterday.

Here she is with her new teacher.

Here's her very own desk.

She even has a friend from her last class

in the same class this year.

Rylan played with his Woody doll while waiting

for Aubree to come home from her first day of school.

It was a great first day of school

except for one thing. I discovered

a Bark Scorpion in the garage right before I had

to pick Aubree up. Gross huh?

Rylan's First Birthday

2010-06-15T22:21:00.014-07:00

It was Rylan's first birthday last week and we headed up to Utah to celebrate with family. Here are some pictures of the highlights of the celebration.

This is the only picture I could get with a hat that

said first birthday with a candle on top. It

didn't last long on his head.

We kind of went crazy with decorations.

I should say John went crazy with the decorations.
He definitely gets his decorating gene from his mom.
Aubree also helped. We know where she gets
her decorating style.

I think we went a little overboard!

Here is Rylan with cousin Kiah.

It was so fun to share this fun time with family.

Aubree sure had a good time at Rylan's party.

She got to see cousins around her age.

The kids got to do a fun pinata.

Even Rylan got to pull a string on the pinata.

Here is the big cake for the party. Yes,

if you couldn't tell Mickey and friends was the

theme. After all his room is Mickey themed.

Rylan got his own cake. Here he is being dainty.

This was the end result.

I think you can say that Rylan's first birthday

was a big success!

My Big Fat May Blog

2010-05-30T21:56:00.012-07:00

It's the end of May and instead of blogging right along as the the month went by, the month went by without much blogging. But I have so much to post. I guess I will just post all of my pictures in one big fat blog. Beware (husband mostly) this blog will be picture heavy because this is the closest thing that I will get to a family journal and I love to take pictures. This blog is all about Aubree since my next blog is about Rylan's first birthday coming up next month.

Aubree had a busy month of May. She played basketball for the first time this Spring. The name of her team was "Thunder" and she was the only girl on the team. She didn't let those boys intimidate her though. She even made a basket almost every game. Here are a few pictures of her making a basket for her team.

The "Thunder"

Getting ready.

She looks!

She shoots!

She scores!

Aubree learned how to ride a bike earlier this month. She just hopped on her bike and went. I think kids develop the balance that they need naturally and at different ages. We have really been practicing for almost two years but one day she just got on and went all by herself.

Finally getting the hang of bike riding.

Enjoying the big empty cul-de-sac near our home.

Aubree's first grade class had a mother daughter tea party for mother's day. She made me several cute keepsakes and read me a few books. It was fun spending the morning with her in her first grade class. This is one of the last years that kids will actually be seen at school with their parents so I better enjoy it while it lasts.

Reading mom a story for a change.

Aubree's hand print on a pot holder for a gift.

Here are the keepsakes that she made.

They also had a "papa party" the next week.

Here a few things that Aubree made for John.

Aubree loves to play Legos Star Wars on the Wii. They have the full soundtrack playing in the background of the game. Well we got the opportunity to go to "Star Wars In Concert" last Wednesday night. It basically was a live orchestra playing music to different clips of the six movies. It was a big production held at a large convention center. They even had the character that played C3PO narrate the whole production. After the show we went and viewed props and memorabilia from the six star wars shows. Here is Aubree with a few of the props.

Getting to know R2D2.

Aubree doesn't look a bit worried among all this chaos.

LOOK OUT! SPACESHIP APPROACHING!

Aubree threatening Darth Vader with her

mini light saber.

Who knows who these characters are

but they were kind of cute.

Well that was May in a nutshell.

I can't wait till we go to the Star Trek convention next month. Ha Ha

Here's a short clip of Aubree riding her bike.

Mother's Day May 2010

2010-05-10T12:34:00.003-07:00

Look at how spoiled I was this Mother's Day!

These two are the only gifts that
I need for Mother's Day.

This is where motherhood began

with my precious Aubree.

This is where it continues

forever with my sweet Rylan.

I love being a mom to my beautiful Aubree!

We waited patiently for three years for you.

I'm glad to have the opportunity to be

Rylan's mom.

We waited patiently for four years to be

blessed with our little "Bud Bud"!

(so sad that my camera was out of focus with these two pics)

This past week we attended the open house

of the Gila River Valley temple in eastern Arizona.

I feel so blessed to be the mother of

my little eternal family.

Jensen Easter 2010

2010-04-05T23:24:00.013-07:00

All Aubree wants for Easter is her two front teeth.

And Rylan for that matter.

She settled for this Easter basket instead.

Coloring an Easter egg in her favorite color.

John assisting with coloring of the eggs.

Here's the finished product with a butterfly design.

Here are the final designs.

Rylan trying to ditch the bunny ears.

Thanks Easter Bunny!
Aubree wouldn't mind being the assistant Easter Bunny.

A follow up to blog post in February. Here
are the butterflies that came from the Chrysalis.

Rylan At Nine Months Old

2010-03-13T01:08:00.002-07:00

Rylan just turned nine months old. Here are the stats and a smilebox of what he is up to these days.

Length: 28 & 7/8 ( we measured him to be more like 30 in.)75%

Weight 20 lbs. 14 oz- 50 %

Head circumference 45.5-50-75%

Free photo book customized with Smilebox

Crawling Adventures

2010-03-06T13:09:00.010-07:00

Rylan is almost nine months old. He has been crawling with his stomach off the floor for almost a month now. He even pulls himself to a standing position. He loves to crawl all around the house and explore everything he can get his chubby little hands on. We have to watch him constantly because he is such a busy little boy. It is so fun to watch him crawl and explore the house searching for his next adventure.

I think I'll explore this room today.

Time to get into trouble.

Uh-Oh! Mom says "no touch"!

What does this do? "Boing"!

What's this? I could really use this in my explorations.

Now, how do I take it with me?

Now, what else can I get into?

Fun With Bugs!

2010-03-01T13:20:00.014-07:00

Aubree just loves bugs. She is not afraid of any of them. She especially loves caterpillars and she received some caterpillars for her birthday from her aunt Kim and uncle Steve. She also received an ant farm for Christmas and Kim and Steve sent her some live ants for her birthday. It has been interesting and exciting watching these little creatures do what comes naturally. Here is a few pictures of these little wonders of nature.

Lucky Birthday 7 Highlights

2010-02-14T19:41:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Aubree's The Big Seven

2010-02-07T16:17:00.005-07:00

Happy Birthday Aubree! She is seven years old today. We are having the big birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese next week. I am taking a break from having ten or so screaming girls running through my house. We'll just endure several screaming kids running through Chuck E. Cheese instead. She lost her second tooth a few days ago and a friend from school told her to put her tooth out for the tooth fairy the night of her birthday and she would get $20. So guess what she did last night. She wrote a note to the tooth fairy that it was her birthday. And guess what the tooth fairy gave her. . .? Anyway, I hope she never loses a tooth around her birthday again!!! Curses to the tooth fairy of the little girl in Aubree's first grade class!

My beautiful seven year old! Yes her eyes are really that blue.

Off With The Cast!

2010-01-29T00:33:00.004-07:00

This blog is sort of old news, but Aubree fell from these monkey bars a few days before Christmas. It was quite an incovenience to say the least. She slightly fractured her right elbow. She happens to be right handed but she was able to manage the challenge quite well. We even got a Wii for Christmas but that didn't stop her from mastering both bowling and tennis with her left hand. She learned a "hard" lesson about gravity but gained a new respect for her body.

Christmas Vacation Memories

2010-01-11T00:28:00.009-07:00

It was baby's first Christmas and I think Rylan really enjoyed it. Aubree awoke early to find many gifts under the tree. She was really excited to get a Light Saber, Legos, and Zhu Zhu pets. She also received a cool cape that her Aunt Kim made for her. It goes great with the Light Saber. She is turning into quite the "Tom Boy" but she did get a Girl's Gourmet Sweets jewelry making kit to make her a little girly. Rylan got lots of toys with loud bells and whistles. This made him cry and a little uninterested in just about eveything that Santa brought. I think he was much more interested in the wrapping paper and bows then the gifts.

Even though we missed Christmas with family, we headed up to Utah to visit both families after Christmas. Aubree got to enjoy snow and sledding even though it was against the doctor's advice since she still has her cast on. Rylan enjoyed being mauled by the cousins that wanted to hold him all of the time despite his large size. We actually made it to John's brother's New Year's Day party. We haven't gone to that in about six years. Overall it was worth the long drive and we can't wait to visit everyone again soon.

Baby's first Christmas 2009.

Rylan opening a present.

Hopefully I'll enjoy all of this stuff one day.

I think I like the pretty bows better then the presents.

Santa brought Aubree the blue light saber and dad the purple.

Here is the awesome cape that Aunt Kim

made for Aubree.

Aubree loves playing with legos.

In Utah, Rylan with Grandpa Hal.

Rylan with Grandma Lynda

Cousin Kiah and Rylan

Kiah & Aubree

Emily's sister Angie & boyfriend Jason

Aubree sledding behind grandparent's house.

Going down the hill

Hold on tight!

Grandpa Hal gives her a push at the top of the hill.

Rylan with Grandpa Bob.

Rylan & Grandma Peggy.

John and Nephew Jordan

Rylan's wondering what all of the commotion is about.

John's sister Debbie & nephew Joshua.

John's brother Shawn.

Rylan and Joshua
Our Niece McKenzie
Clara loves to hold Rylan
Cousins Clara & Rachel
Aubree & Rachel showing the teeth they've lost.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T01:01:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Rylan is 6 months old.

2009-12-09T16:12:00.005-07:00

Rylan just turned six months old yesterday. I took him to the doctor and here is the stats.

Length- 27.75 in (90%)

Weight- 18pds 10 oz (50-75%)

Head Size 43.5 cm (25-50 %)

Rylan is just a joy to our family. He loves to laugh and smile. He loves to roll all over the floor and explore anything he can get his hands on. He is pretty coordinated with his hands. He can put his binky in his mouth and he can hold the bottle for part of the time. He can't sit up without assistance yet, but I think that will come very shortly. He is eating some solids like apple sauce, pears, peaches, peas, and carrots. Applesauce is his favorite. We are getting excited for Rylan's first Christmas.

6 months old.
This is what he really thought of the santa hat.

Ready. . .

Set . . .

Roll!

Aubree and Rylan playing in a box

that contained Christmas presents

for them. Who cares about the presents

when you can play with a cool box.

I love my dad tickling my cheek with his beard!

Soccer Star

2009-11-23T13:12:00.006-07:00

Aubree Just finished her first AYSO soccer season with "The Mighty Cheetahs". She had a great time and improved her fitness level, coordination, and stamina. She played striker most of the time because she was good at dribbling the ball and getting it to the goal. She even scored three goals for her team. She will now be able to build on the skills that she learned this season for many seasons to come. Aubree with a cool trophy.

Aubree in front of the "Mighty Cheetah's" banner.

Here is her portion of the banner at the end of the season.

Aubree with coaches Meg & Laura.

These two really helped her improve her game and confidence.

Aubree focused on the ball.

The mighty cheetahs had team spirit.

Attacking the ball.

Ready to shoot a goal.

Aubree playing against her friend Ellie Rhoades.

Rylan was always a good cheerleader for his big sis.

Aubree with her friends Chloe & LeeLee.

Here's the team getting ice cream after the game.

Rylan enjoyed the team party at the end of the season

Now Aubree will be able to help Rylan play soccer one day.

Five Months Old

2009-11-15T17:00:00.005-07:00

Rylan is 5 months old.
He is holding the "little peanut" pumpkin that we
got for him last year when we found out we were pregnant.
It actually lasted a year.

This "little peanut" pumpkin is part of our announcement
that we made last year.
As you can see he's not a "little peanut" anymore!

Rylan is 5 months old. Well, he's about a week over that but who's getting technical anyway? In fact I missed blogging about his four month check up altogether. Here was his stats at four months. Rylan weighed 17 pounds at his four month checkup 75-90%. His length was 25.5 but John and I remeasured because he seems so much longer then that. We measured him at 27 inches. Which makes sense because he grew four inches his first two months and then only grew (according to the nurse who measured him) 1.5 inches the next two months which is 50-75%. Here's wearing 6-9 month clothing which he is just about out of. So I'm guessing 27 inches to be more accurate. His head circumference is 43 cm which is 50-75%. I was surprised at this measurement because his head seems so big. I guess it's just because he has a big forehead like his mom and dad and a tiny neck. He'll grow into his head one day. When he was first born he had such big features such as big hands, feet, and ears, but he's starting to grow into those. He's a very happy baby who loves to smile and show his enthusiasm by kicking his feet nonstop. He loves his big sister and she loves him. He is very sensitive to sounds and cries when he hears a loud sound but loves to hear me sing even though I don't have a great singing voice. We are so blessed to have him in our family. It's amazing to think of how far we've come in the last year!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Apple Annie's Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

Fall Break Adventures

2009-10-17T23:49:00.023-07:00

Aubree had a break from school for the last three weeks and so we've had a lot of time on our hands. Here are some of the things we've been doing this past month. First we visited Grandma and Grandpa Jensen in St. George.

Aubree loved following Grandma Jensen around in one of her robes.

Rylan and Aubree got lots of attention from their grandparents

Look what the stork left on the front porch.

Aubree had a great time at Fiesta Fun Center in St. George.

She scored big with all of her tickets

Daddy and her raced in the go-carts.

Aubree got to spend the afternoon with Grandpa Jensen

Back in Tucson, Aubree and Rylan got comfy thier robes.

Aubree picked out this robe for Rylan before he was born.
Aubree had lots of time to use her imagination.

She designed these "swords" from her fort noodles.

Sword fighting with the noodles.

Rylan was very fashionable wearing the sword.

Aubree used her digital arts studio to make everything for a party.

She designed place mats, invitations, signs, and party hats.

Rylan was quite the party animal!

We all had a great time at Aubree's party

We ended the night and the party by watching a movie on the blow up bed. We had a fun fall break. Now it's back to school and back to normal.

First Lost Tooth

2009-10-02T18:02:00.016-07:00

Aubree lost her first tooth on the first of October. In fact she really "lost" her first tooth. We don't know what happened to it. We think she may have lost it while running down the soccer field and scoring a goal for her team. Anyway it was an exciting day to say the least.

Aubree's new smile. Notice she doesn't have a hole

because her adult tooth couldn't wait to come in.

This is the official tooth fairy pillow

that mom made with the help of mmmcrafts.

The tooth goes in the frog's mouth.

Aubree put a note in place of the tooth.

She's ready for the tooth fairy to visit.

Discovering what "Tootie Tooth Fairy" left her.

It's official. The tooth fairy came even without a tooth.

We've Gone Batty

2009-09-26T19:35:00.012-07:00

Aubree did a research project on Big Brown Bats. As you can see it was a lot more work for mom and dad then Aubree, but she still had fun anyway. At the end of the project, her first grade class got to see some actual bats at "bat night". They fly out from under a bridge right as the sun is setting. It's a really cool sight to see.

Here is the final project

We were ready for bat night.

Aubree was so excited to see some real bats.

Aubree going "batty"!

This is the bridge where Aubree's class held bat night.

Aubree made a great hat for bat night

Aubree's teacher worked really hard to

make sure that bat night was a success.

We went to the mall after bat night
and bought a caterpillar webkin.
Catepillar's are what Aubree is really
interested in.

Aubree threw a quarter into

this fountain this time last year and made a wish for

a little sister or brother
Wishes really do come true!

Rylan Is 3 Months Old

2009-09-08T15:16:00.006-07:00

I can't believe it's already been three months since Rylan was born! As you can see he is not a tiny little baby. No, I'm trying to come to terms with the fact that I do not have small babies. They grow like weeds the first year. Rylan was 14 pounds and 24 inches last month. That means he grew 4 inches in two months! That's usually the size of a four month old. I don't know how big he is now, but I don't think I want to know.

As you can see by the pictures, we are really into Mickey Mouse. We just finished painting Rylan's room and have moved him into his crib. We just need to put pictures on the wall and we will be all finished. I think Rylan really likes his room. We've had no problems with him sleeping in his crib. I'll be sure to post more pictures when the room is all finished.

Look how big I'm getting?

Little Mickey and me are good friends.

I may be getting big fast but this Mickey's still bigger!

Look at how round my face and legs are getting.

I guess I'm going to learn to like Mickey Mouse

whether I want to or not..

Aubree's Started School

2009-08-12T11:13:00.002-07:00

Aubree has started the first grade. She actually started almost a month ago. I guess I'm a little behind on things these days. She is really enjoying her new school and teacher. I'm impressed with this school and the organization of her classroom. Aubree has already improved her reading and writing skills in only three weeks. We look forward to the rest of the school year.

Make a Smilebox photobook

Rylan At 2 Months Old.

2009-07-31T19:16:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

Rylan is almost two months old. I decided to post a smilebox because I know how to do that better then blogger. It takes me forever to do blogger for some reason. As you can see I don't have a lot of time to do anything these days, but it's all worth it.

Rylan's Baby Blessing

2009-07-26T21:44:00.009-07:00

We blessed Rylan at John's parents' home on July 5, 2009 while we were in Utah. It really meant a lot to us to have so many family members present for Rylan's blessing. We feel so blessed to have Rylan as part of our family.

Rylan in his blessing outfit that we borrowed
from his cousins' Justin and Joshua.

It was a special experience for John to be
able to bless Rylan in his parents' home.

A family picture in John's parents' living
room where Rylan was blessed.

A family picture in John's parents' beautiful foyer.

Emily's parents holding Rylan.

John's parents in their living room.

Aubree holding Rylan with an
obnoxious binky in his mouth!

Clara loves babies. She wanted
to hold Rylan all the time.

Jackson looking good in his suit.

Cousins Avery and Mckenzie looked
pretty in their dresses.

A beautiful sunset to end a very special day.

Jensen 4th of July Celebration

2009-07-12T20:03:00.000-07:00

Every year John's sister Debbie has a big fourth of July party at her home in Kaysville. Most of John's family which consists of nearly forty people attend. It's fun for Aubree to see her 23 cousins. John also helps his brother Scott and dad put on a huge fireworks show which is timed to music and lasts for almost a half hour. It was fun to show off Rylan to the family, and still make the annual celebration after giving birth only three weeks before.

At John's sister Debbie's house in

Kaysville UT.

This is the fireworks show set up by

John & brother Scott.

Aubree and cousin Rachel wave sparklers.

John and brother Scott are responsible

for all of these fireworks.

Rylan enjoys his first 4th of July 2009.

John and Rylan a Pyro in training.

Uncle Bruce watches over the firework stash.

Jackson & Jason cool off on the slip and slide.

Clara with a stash of water balloons.

John's mom Peggy in pretty purple.

Our Niece Karlie

Brook feeds Rylan a bottle.

Cousin Clara on slip and slide.

Aubree swimming in Aunt Debbie's back yard.

Younger cousins in matching shirts.

Aubree & Cousin Rachel.

Karlie, Megan, & Clara wait for the show.

Happy Birthday Rylan John Jensen

2009-06-12T18:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Machell Bartlett and Diane Hamill
for the baby shower.

On the way to St. Joseph's to deliver the baby.

Rylan was a big boy at 8 pounds 11.7 ounces

Emily's hard work paid off.

Rylan get's his first bath at the hospital.

John is a proud papa!

Aubree holds her new little brother

Little Rylan is content in daddy's arms.

Emily's mom holds her first grandson.

Emily's dad's holds his first grand son.

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-21T08:47:00.001-07:00

Mother's Day was really nice this year. John and Aubree took good care of me. I was spoiled and pampered with many nice gifts. I have a not so perfect Mother's Day story to share though. Just a day before Mother's Day, Aubree woke John and me up very early. We told her to go back to bed, but she was wide awake. We gave her some chocolate milk and turned on a movie, and then back to bed. Well an hour or so later she was ready for breakfast, but I was not ready to get out of bed, so I told her she was a big girl and could find something to eat for breakfast herself. I woke up a little while later, only to discover that she had eaten about a quart of ice cream for breakfast. I guess that will teach me.
I'm finally getting some pictures on my blog from Mother's Day. I look very pregnant in these pictures. You can really see it in my face! I can't wait to compare pictures of me before giving birth and after. I saw a real difference right away in my face just a week after giving birth to Aubree.

Our New Home

2009-04-07T14:56:00.001-07:00

I just posted some pictures of our new home. We moved about eight miles south of our old house about a month ago. We are loving our new home! Of course it doesn't look anything like the model in my slide show. It looks like we just moved in. Our pictures still need to be hung and walls still need to be painted. I haven't even had time to think about the nursery! Hopefully it will all come together by the time the baby is due in early June.

Our New House (using the model home pics)

2009-04-07T14:35:00.001-07:00

I finally started a blog!

2009-04-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to start a blog for a little over a year. I guess I put it off because I thought it had to look perfect since I've taken many classes in Graphic Design. I finally realized that it's not going to look perfect especially since I'm very pregnant, and we just moved. I don't recommend moving while pregnant ever again. Of course those are famous last words from my last pregnancy. I guess my nesting instinct goes into overdrive when I am pregnant. This is an exciting time in our lives. I just feel like we should share this special time with our friends and family.