Then and Now...

Well Christmas is over now. I'm a big slacker and have not posted for awhile. My computer is not working so I'm using our lab top now. Unfortunatley it won't let me down load pictures from my camera, so as soon as I can figure a way, your left with reading my thoughts or moving on. Christmas and the whole month of December was nuts!! I can not believe how fast time is flying.

So I had to update my blog, what better way then a Cardnials back ground and great music! I have enjoyed this football season. Sundays game was awesome! Definatley was at the end of the couch during the whole game, espically the 3rd quarter.

This year I am torn. I have always been a big Pitts. fan but I was told by my wonderful husband that you need to represent and cheer for your state team. Well utah does not have an NFL team, so we have like what...48 or so other teams to choose from?

My family is a big Minnasota Fan, my brother has always been a Chicago Bears fan. My cousins use to be big Cowboys fans...so as you can see my family doesn't have the wisest choices in teams. Atleast I can know my team has a chance =) No offense to fans out there but you can understand...those teams haven't gone anywhere in a looooonnnnngggg time.

When I was in college I use to decorate my car with hunting gear and decals. Then I bought me a Hot Mama 05' mustang. Kind of a " Good job jenn, you Graduated Dental Assisting School and making more money so go into some debt..." It was beautiful. So I dumped the small town hunting decor and bought Steelers diced to hang from the rear view mirror. I then purchased a large Steelers blanket to match and would lay it on the back seats so other drivers could see it trough my back winsheild. It was fun.

Well those fun independent days are over. I traded in the stang for a big whire ford truck. The Steelers and Hunting decor is in some storage box mixed with the rest of my crap. Now all my truck is decorted with is car seats, crackers, mail from months ago, deer blood stains, spot lighting burns, fast food condiment packages, and the unknown.

I guess that makes me a cardnials fan now......

Christmas Break

Hey Everyone, thanks for checking in. I have absolutley nothing. Not one dang thing. Why you may ask? It is my Christmas break. I am working all this weekend, and starting sunday morning on my drive up to utah I plan on doing absolutley nothing but spoiling myself. That includes my blogging. I will return next year with some juicy pics and fun stories. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!

Reflect

Who would of thought that once I started to blog it would be a daily routine to check everyone else's? I enjoy so much being able to stay in touch with family and friends and post remarks and comments to stay in touch with them. Everyone that knows me knows that it take me awhile to pick up the phone or send a letter to update. So this is a great way! Thanks to all who talked me into blogger and forced me into this great cyber world!

I was browsing through my cousin Autumns blog, reading all the fun updates with her and her two beautiful twins, Saige and Parker. I was cleaning the kitchen but took a break to read some of her older post just to see all the fun pictures and events they have done through the twins first year. Little did I know, I would hit an emotional block. Most of my friends know about my Uncle Gary passing away during a mine accident up in Utah. I was at a Secret Stictch party with all my friends when I received the phone call. I have had two deaths close to my family that have been hard on me. One was when my Great Grandma, VonTess Jensen who passed away 6 or 7 years ago. I named my first daughter after her..Tessa. She was a wonderful woman and a "great" great grandmother. The next was my Uncle Gary.

The memories I have driving down to Redmond utah as a child are dear to me. I loved it when my dad would pack us up and we would go down for the weekend. As soon as we would arrive I would run into Grandmas house first ( Gary and Grandma literally lived right next to eachother) and greet her with a big hug and as always she would be crocheting a new "cap hat." Not long after our hellos we would run to Uncle Garys and Aunt Lolas or they would be at Grandmas door to welcome us. My uncle Gary would always with out fail give me a "noggie." An annoying rub on the head with a fist a knuckles and to finish it off with a big hug. =)

My fondest memory of my Uncle is one that is pretty recent. I wanted to go hunting so bad but I never went through hunters safety as a kid. So during my senior year in high school I started taking the course online. My Uncle Gary was in charge of the Hunter Safety Program down in Salina utah and my dad was the one that made the call. If I took all the courses and quizzes online and showed my scores to my uncle, he would arrange for me to do the shooting test and the final written test with him. I gathered all my paper work, hopped in dads truck and down to Salina we went. We meet my Uncle and his hunter saftey class at the shooting range. My dad failed to mention it would be every 12 year old in Salina taking the test the same day as me. It was fun =) Of course I was teased by all, Dad, Gary, Fred...but we had a fun time. By the time I shot my squirrel, rabbit, and bird I realized....I only shot the rabbit and the bird and squirrel had about one maybe two bullet holes near them. For those readers that have never taken the test the idea is to shoot the object, and have all your shots in a group. You get a total of 20 bullets. Apparently the bird and squirrel had a 98% chance of surviving that day. My uncle Gary came up to me, gave me a big noggie and laughed. I assured him my gun was off but we all knew.

Next was the written test. I hoped up in my Uncle Garys truck and took one of his pens and started my test. This test was made for twelve year olds. I flew through it. I gave it to my uncle with a smile and he left the group of B.S'ers and started to check it. After a few minutes my uncle came up to me with a smile and laugh and asked me what color a turkey was. I was confused and said "why?" He chuckled and asked me again. I said "red, brown, blue, black.." So he said ," well if you were turkey hunting what colors "don't" you want to wear?" So not only can I not shoot but I have poor reading comprehention. =)

Both Fred and my Uncle Gary passed me on my hunter safety that day. It was such a fun day. I gave Fred, my uncle Gary big hugs and thanked them. I have many stories of going for rides and driving quads with my Uncle Gary. I can only recall one moment ever in my life that my Uncle Gary never greeted me with a noogie. It was my wedding day. I knew the reason was selfish on his part, I had a tiara in my hair and for once my own head would fight back. He choose to spare his knuckles.

Here is a picture of my Dad and Uncle Gray on my wedding day. As they were.....

My family on both sides is small, but very close to me. So to make this long story short and what insprired me to write down my thoughts... I was browsing through my Cousins blog and I noticed pictures from their trip to see a monument they made of my uncle and those lives that were taken by the mine. I have been filled with emotions and tears throughout the day. As I do when I see pictures of my Grandmother. I have many stories and fond memories that will stay close to my heart forever.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Dear Santa...Naughty or Nice?

This year Jeremy and I were so excited to take Tessa to see Santa Clause for the first time! Jeremy was doing his weekly visit to Bass Pro Shop and notice that they are doing free pictures with Santa. So off we went! It was an enjoyable trip, dispite my nose constantley running. When we got to Santa they give you a card with a time on it to help avoid long lines and we had a who hour to go around the store and shop. It was fun taking Tessa around in the stroller and showing her all the fun animals. Who needs the zoo? At bass pro you can get up and personal and the animals. We saw a Rhino, Bear, Fish...it was fun. Well it was time to go see Santa. I was very disappointed. Santa was an old grump. He was sure to remind me of all the insurance policies of holding an infant. Now what kind of mother would I be to sue Santa if my child was being a stinker and was wiggling? Well Tessa was adorable! She was giggling and smiling and really enjoyed herself. Have no fear Santa, this baby rarley sheds a tear! Well we finally got our picture but unfortunatley the real photographer decided to take her break right when our family was up, so we got the teenage boy that was helping with line flow. He was unsure how to work a 21st centurey camera so it took awhile and Santa was sure to shout out how impatient and the time limit he had. Now I know why he's cheeks are rosey. Good thing this picture was free cause it turned out that quality. The best part of this whole trip was going to Cousin Jason and Marens house to have some amazing good ol' italian food donated and made by Maren. It was delicious. I offered to bring dessert to I was hoping to stop by Cheese Cake Factory and bring Maren her late birthday surprise. Unfortunatley I invited Jeremy to this night of events and he didn't think that would be such a good idea. So Walmart it was! Good ol' walmart provided us with a ice cream cake for our dessert. Baahumbug.

Tessa was so happy to thorugh her bow, take off her pants, and roam free around Marens house.

UTAH!

Tessa and I got back from our Utah trip Sunday Nov 30th. We had a blast! We enjoyed visiting with Grandpa and Grandma Jensen. Here are some photos I took on our trip.

I bought Tessa a new hat so the wind wouldn't bother her ears. This is her falling asleep in the car with her new hat. ADORABLE!

Tessa was getting into my purse and found a yummy receipt

She'll be walking any day now.

I still think Tessa looks a lot like my dad.


The Best part of the trip was spending time with my best friends! This was the best picture they would give me. Karri is the left Butt and Liz is the right. Lookin good ladies!

First on the list

Hey Everyone! That's right...I'm a blogger! This word has haunted me since I started going to arpon nights. The word "Blog" was in the air and I have had over a year and a half to finally cave in and start one myself. I wonder if I hit any records? I have no idea how to decorate and make my home page look adorable so I asked one of the Sister s in my ward if she would volunteer her amazing services and take care of that for me. She is a busy mom and with the holidays up it may take awhile. But I will continue to keep blogging.

I am still trying to figure out how to post pictures and all the fun stuff. I am up in Utah right now visiting family and friends. It has been a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving this year. My mother and I have been in the Kitchen all day learning recipies and how to make good ol' home made crap! From the pie crust to the bread crumbs in the stuffing. The only thing we cheated on this year was not growing our own spices.

Thank you everyone for your love and support during these training days of my blogging. I will take all the tips and tricks I can get to start making myself look like a pro. I can honestly say I miss my family down in arizona...but not arizona itself. Utah is beautiful! If only I had my snowboard =/ I might as well store it up here at my folks house for when I visit. It has yet to visit any snow in AZ.

I AM SO EXCITED!! The wonderful, amazing, talents Sister Fuller is going to decoate my blogg so I look like a perfessional. I am going home for the Thanksgiving Holiday and when I come home I hope to see my Crisp, newly improved, home page for my blogg!! Big shout of to Sister Fuller!!

I'm Thankful for Sisters that serve and do the work for me =)