Caught Red-handed.

Caught Red-handed: 

To be caught in the act of committing a misdemeanor, with the evidence there for all to see. 

The mischief continues... 

But how can I ever get mad at that face? 

I can't. I just can't get mad. 

All I want to do is love her. 

A Halloween Story.

Bloody Fingers

by Brielle Lydia Jensen

There was a house that was beautiful on the outside, it looked like a palace, but on the inside it was old and ugly and had very uncomfortable couches. One day the bishop stood up in church and said he needed a volunteer to go live in the house. People said the house was haunted but the little girl wasn’t scared she said she would go live there. So she packed up her things and left her parents' house to go live in the house. When she walked in she said to herself, 'this is just an old house with uncomfortable couches; I am not scared'. Then she went upstairs and went to bed. She woke up to someone saying “Bloody Fingers, Bloody Fingers, Bloody Fingers.” She screamed and ran home to her parents' house. Then the next day at church the bishop said he needed someone to go live in that house. An old man said he would go live there. The old man moved in and went to bed. He woke up and heard someone saying “Bloody Fingers, Bloody Fingers, Bloody Fingers.” He got up and went downstairs. On the uncomfortable couch watching TV, was a ghost with bloody fingers and the old man said to the ghost, “Dude, you should put some Band-Aids on those.”

Happy Halloween! 

Stages.

 I enjoy every stage my children are in.  Some have been more challenging than others, but every stage so far, has brought joy to my heart.  Heavenly Father has blessed me with very energetic children.  (I'd like to think of it as a blessing instead of a curse.)  The thing about having energetic children is that parenting is exhausting.  I always need to find ways to channel that energy.  It proves to be challenging and at times, I don't seem to have the energy to be fully successful at this.  I try. I remember when Brielle and Braden were younger.  I went from working part-time to being home ALL DAY LONG with two little monkeys.  When we moved to Virginia, I was close to losing my mind.  Brielle and Braden are so close in age.  Three days short of a year apart, to be precise.  This brought me to complete exhaustion.  I determined that I would run my home like a school, after all, I am a teacher.  As a teacher, you are used to lesson plans and breaking down every minute of your time.  I tried this successfully for many months.  I planned our days, we had an activity every 30 minutes.  It kept me sane for a while.  Then somehow, Brielle started preschool and then Braden did too.  They did two years each of preschool, which was so good for them and for me, it wasn't every day but it was just what we all needed.  I started to see, that the fruits of my work at home didn't go unnoticed.  Not that I was seeking for recognition but it was encouraging for me to see Brielle and Braden succeed in school.  They both have their strengths and I find this school age stage to be so rewarding for me.  I am grateful to have children who want and love to learn.  They are both innately curious about the world around them.  

These two photos are priceless to me for a few reasons. 

Brielle's toothless smile. 

Braden's crooked glasses...

and the twinkle in their eyes. 

My children are growing right before my eyes.  

It's exciting and I am determined to enjoy every second I get with them, 

even though it is not always easy.

Flying.

Braden has an obsession with flying. 

He wishes with all of his little heart that he could fly.  

He dreams about it, spends time trying to figure out how the heck he's going to fly.

While we were at the Grand Canyon this last weekend, his flying 'obsession' deepened...he saw all of that open space and wished he could fly over the canyon with his bike. 

He has been seriously and passionately thinking in his little brain
how he is going to build wings to make his bike fly.
In his mind, this is really going to work.
He keeps asking me to go to the fabric store to buy fabric and to Home Depot to buy a piece of wood.
He says, "I have the blueprint in my brain' and gets the most excited expression on his face.
Last night, I asked him to draw that blueprint .

I sadly told him last night, "I hate to break it to you bud, but I'm afraid you need an engine." 

To which he responded, 

"hmmm...how do I make an engine? Oh wait, mom! I'm the engine!"

It's Monday.

Oh man, another Monday...the older kids are in school and Brooke is napping, and I'm having a hard time getting motivated to do everything I have to do today.  We got back from our one week vacation yesterday. I will give a full report some time this week...let's just say it was just what we needed.  It was sunny and warm and it included lots of time at the pool and we got to see one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

I just watched this, and it was just what I needed today.  Women need to know this.  We need to be reminded often.  Thought I'd share it here: 

I hope you feel uplifted.

I better get going, I have laundry to fold, dishes to wash, a car that needs serviced and cleaned, dentist appointments to be made, grocery shopping etc, etc. the list is long. 

Mondays-I'm not a fan. 

Excursions│Autumn 2012

The first weekend of fall we headed on a couple of little excursions. 

We really wanted to see the leaves changing colors. 

I thought that perhaps Ensign Peak would be a good place but it wasn't quite what I had envisioned. 

It was fun nonetheless, and we enjoyed a beautiful day outside. 

Some days are really smoggy here in the valley. 

You don't realize how bad it is when you are in the city, but as you can see, it can get pretty bad. 

The trail wasn't very long, but man! it was steep!

Brooke doesn't know quite what to think...

It was a nice little hike, not particularly 'beautiful' in an autumn sort of way...but it made for a good Saturday activity as a family. 

Braden-"the monkey."

The view of the valley was beautiful.

It was much easier coming down!

Ensign Peak is right by the Capitol, hopefully we'll go on a tour of it one of these days. 

  ******

While talking to our landlord after getting back from Ensign Peak, he told me that the best place to go see the autumn leaves is Mill Creek Canyon. 

We decided to head up there Sunday after Church. 

It was just what I wanted!

It is so gorgeous up there. 

Brielle's cheesiest smile!:)

The fall foliage was so vibrant and beautiful. 

There are so many trails at Mill Creek Canyon. 

We chose Porter Fork Trail randomly. 

It was paved, which was nice for the kids.

Brielle and Braden are good little hikers.  

They rarely complain. 

I love being able to experience the seasons. 

Winter is just around the corner though, 

but for now we are just enjoying my favorite time of the year! 

Thoughtful and Genuine.

Something magical happens at dinnertime around here and it consistently amuses me...  

(I wonder if this is the reason that it is statistically proven that families that eat together, stay together....)
I don't know what it is about dinnertime, but my children share with me their deepest thoughts and concerns about their little world.  

It is quite special and I treasure these moments dearly.  

Today was particularly interesting...

I have to give a bit of a preface to the story...mornings are hectic in this house.  

I'm sure it is similar for most who have school age children; 

trying to get children out the door every day is quite the job, 

some days it seems like an odyssey.  

I must confess, that at times I am not at my best, I get impatient and frazzled.  

Especially when I feel like the children are moving in slow motion, 

and I'm trying to get everyone out the door.  

This morning was like most mornings, except today, 

I ran out of time and didn't get to do Brielle's hair.  

While eating dinner today, Brielle was sharing her feelings about the fact that I didn't do her hair this morning.
She shared that she had felt embarrassed and sad because all of her little friends had braids and pony tails and she didn't.  

Then in a very thoughtful and genuine way Braden informed her, 

"Brielle, I like your hair the way it is, I think you are beautiful." 

The thoughtfulness of his remarks made me teary-eyed.  

How does a 5 year old get this thoughtful? 

...and not only thoughtful but the sincerity of his voice and tone.  

He really meant it...and I could tell it meant a lot to Brielle. 

It was one of those moments that I felt deeply thankful that I can experience this life with them. 

They make my life full. 

Brigham City Temple Open House.

We were so blessed to go to the Brigham City Temple Open House a few weeks ago.  

It is not often that we get the chance to walk through the temple with our little children. 

We wanted Brielle and Braden to be inside the temple and feel the special Spirit within. 

It was worth the hour drive there and it was a special time for our family.

The temple is magnificent on the outside and amazingly beautiful on the inside. 

Scott and I kept marveling at the beauty of the furnishings and paintings and every detail architecturally and in decoration.  It was simply beautiful. 

But aside from the beauty of the structure, it is the feelings that we had that were also so special. 

I'm glad we were able to experience this as a family.

Elder Eyring's talk in General Conference of his grandson, who asked, 'where is Jesus?' when they went to the open house made me laugh, because that is exactly what Braden asked.   

'Are we going to see Jesus?  

I had to break the news that he wasn't going to see Him with his eyes, but that he might feel His presence. 

It was an interesting discussion. 

After going through the open house, we walked around the temple grounds. 

Brielle was quite disappointed that she didn't get to see the bride's room.  

It was such a busy day that day, that the bride's room wasn't part of the tour. 

Braden cracks me up in this picture...!:)

The Brigham City Temple Open House is an experience we will treasure as a family. 

A Visit to Idaho.

The first weekend in September, the children and I headed to Idaho.  

Ryan and Kara were visiting from Cleveland and we decided to head there for the weekend.  

We were excited that we got to go to the fair.  

It was the first time Brielle and Braden had experienced it and it was fun for them that Christopher and Nathanial were there too.

It's always fun for Brielle and Braden to see their cousins.  

I'm glad that we were only a drive away and they got to see them.  

Hopefully they'll have this memory. 

Grandpa Clay got tickets for all the kids to go on some rides.  

They were so happy! 

Thanks Grandpa!

They rode on quite a few rides and had a blast. 

Emily and Brooke were becoming acquainted. 

The older children were having a blast!

After the rides, we sat down to rest. 

Man! Those kids have so much energy. 

I think they could have gone on another round of rides, if it would have been up to them! :)

 

Brookie was tired by now...

Brielle and Braden had a fun time trying these 'crazy' hats on. 

We had to have some fair food.  

It was good and oh so unhealthy!

I loved every bite of my gyro and fries. 

Brooke was so exhausted, all she wanted to do was cuddle and be held. 

Penny was so sweet and was willing to hold her while I ate.

The fair didn't disappoint. 

We all had a blast and enjoyed it. 

Hopefully next year, Scott will be able to make it. 

The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing...

We headed to the park with Clay, Great-grandma and Penny. 

It was a beautiful Idaho day. 

Idaho summers are so perfect. 

While I was pushing Brooke on the swing, someone called my name...I realized it was two familiar faces.  Brother Ivers and his sweet wife.  Brother Ivers was one of my professors at BYU-Idaho and later became my boss when I taught there.  He also became a mentor.  He is just the salt of the earth.  What an amazing man he is and his wife is the sweetest woman too.  He was always and continues to be so encouraging.  He is the kind of person that will make you feel good about yourself.  I love being around him because I always leave feeling uplifted.  I am so blessed to know him and have been associated with him when I taught at BYU-Idaho. 

I'm so glad, I randomly saw him at the park!

What a wonderful coincidence! 

It made my day!

Sunday came all too quickly and it was time to say goodbye.  

It was a quick but fun visit to Idaho. 

Glad we got see everyone and spend time together.