24 November 2008

MaNiC MoNdAy

Name Game

First folder is the number of letters in your first name.....7
Sub-folder is the number of letters in your middle name....3
Posted pictures if the number of letters in your last name....6
(As always, if you do not have a sub-folder add the second and third numbers together and choose your photo that way)


This is Caleb's 4th grade class getting ready to preform their May Day dance. It was taken on May 16, 2008

15 November 2008

What are little girls made of?

London and Isaiah are at the breakfast table right now (yes we are still eating breakfast at 10am...it's Saturday). They are arguing about what little girls are made of. London is saying "No! they are made of sugar and spice and everything nice!" and Isaiah is saying "NO! They are made of gun powder and lead!"


Thanks for this laugh go out to Miranda Lambert. If you haven't heard the song, click here and watch this video...it isn't the real music video, but it pretty good. They've heard this song on the radio frequently, so it was really funny to hear them this morning

13 November 2008

I guess I think we're boring now... =)

Sorry I've not been keeping this up very well this month!

Family Updates:

Darwin: Dar left on Monday morning to go to his grandma's funeral. It was this afternoon. He gets back on Saturday, and I am glad for that! I haven't been going to bed until late all this week, and I almost fell asleep in the library this morning while I was doing my homework...hehe. He told me that he is so glad he was able to go and be with his family. He got to see a lot of his cousins and such, that he hasn't seen in probably 10 years. He also got to see Jared and Sarah's newest addition, Cambry. I am jealous, but grateful that he could go. He never really tells us about work, so I think it is just going fine. He has to leave or be on the phone forever at least once a week during his "home time" to help fix a problem, but it isn't too bad.

Melissa: I am having fun in college. I have two classes, communications and math (elementary algebra), and am doing well in both of them. In communications, I have given three speeches (A, A, and A-) and have a group debate on kids and computer games tomorrow (Friday), and a group presentation on geocaching on Monday. After that I only have a pursuasive speech (due Dec 3rd) that I don't have any ideas on...yikes!...and two papers to write. There isn't a "final" for the class, just a portfolio (the two papers and the final draft of my pursuasive speech). Math is fun. The professor is a hoot. I have taken three tests so far (99%, 100%, and 99%) and have another test on Monday. After that, I have one more test and a final exam on Dec 8th. I registered for spring semester on Monday and am taking three classes (10 credits). I will be taking math (Intermediate Algebra), music appreciation via the internet, and a photography class that meets at night once a week. Also, I started learning a Tongan dance for our ward's Christmas Party. The Young Women are learning Tahitian dance, and the Primary children are doing hula. The men are doing something also, but I can't remember what.

Brooklin: Brooklin isn't doing any sports right now, but is doing amazing with her piano lessons. Her teacher asked her (and only one other student) to be in her husband's violin recital (playing the piano...mom...) =) because she is doing so good. Most of the other students are beginners, so she didn't want us to have to sit through Old MacDonald and Mary had a little lamb over and over...hehe. We just got her report card, and she got a B in pre-algebra, A- in Advanced language arts, A's in Spanish, Science, and Social Studies, and A+'s in PE and Reading academic skill.

Caleb: Caleb is doing well at indoor soccer. He is also in a lego robotics club that meets after school once or twice a week. They are building and programming robots that complete some sort of mission. He just told me that one of robots they are building is supposed to raise a flood barrier. It is really interesting. Later this month, they are going to have a competition with their robots...each mission is worth points, and there are several missions for the different robots to complete. Very cool if you ask me! =) Oh...and they don't get their grades for another week or two, but at the parent teacher conf, his teacher said he was doing awesome.

London: London is also doing well in piano. Her song to practice this week was "Once ther was a snowman" She doesn't practice without being asked, so last week I told her that if she could go a whole week without me reminding her to practice (because honestly, I don't remember that often), I would buy her ice cream. She practiced EVERYDAY! and got her ice cream. On a side note the other kids are being bribed with ice cream as well...Brooklin gets it if she can go a whole week without rolling her eyes and harumphing at me when I ask her to do anything (she hasn't made it yet). Caleb and Isaiah will get it if they make a goal. Isaiah has received (I was going to type gotten...but I wasn't sure if that was a word) two ice cream treats for making a goal in two different games, and Caleb is still working on his. Anyway, back to London...she is doing awesome in school and her teacher said she is a natural helper to her classmates.

Isaiah: Isaiah is so much better at soccer this year, it's like night and day. He rarely follows the coach around telling stories during a game, he chases the ball the whole time he is in the game, he watches his teammates when he is on a break, and he has only done three or four fake falls this year. (Last year, he was on the ground more than he wasn't, and most of those falls were self inflicted)...little nerd! =) He is getting easier to understand, and he catches himself saying words wrong, and tries to correct them himself. His teacher said he needs to work harder on recognizing site words, but that he was a very well behaved student. For our Christmas party, the lady in charge of the program, asked if Isaiah could do the "Pearly Shells" hula by himself. She is tongan, and she was so impressed that he knew the whole thing and could also sing the hawaiian part. He learned it in kindergarten for his May Day dance and still remembers it and sings the song often.

OK...I hope I don't wait so long next time to update this. I'm really not that busy...mostly in my free time, I'm either sewing, or playing on Facebook, and I have a lot of free time, so no excuses! =)

10 November 2008

Goodbye Grandma Jensen

Last night, Darwin's grandmother passed away. She hadn't been eating for a little while and had gone into a coma in the past day or two. I don't have many details, but she was an amazing woman and we will dearly miss her. This is a picture of the last time she came up to our house in Juneau. We were fortunate to see her for the last time this summer while we were moving up here. Grandpa is so sad. I guess he finally let go and asked Heavenly Father to comfort her, and she past shortly after. We got the call late last night, and went straight to the internet and got a ticket for Darwin to go home and be with his family for her funeral. Darwin and I have lost three grandpas and one grandma, and have never been able to attend any of their services. The first one we missed was my mom's dad. We had just moved to Kodiak, and didn't have the funds to go. Our other two grandpas services were held while Darwin away at some training for work, and I wasn't able to go since we needed someone to watch children for us...and the costs were too great to take everyone. We haven't used our airline miles for three years (Alaska Airlines didn't fly to Hawaii until just after we moved back!) so we were able to get him a "free" ticket home.

Goodbye for now Grandma Jensen! We love you and will see you on the other side!


Happy Birthday to me!

I had a WONDERFUL 34th birthday yesterday. My family spoiled me, and my friends made me a few surprises. I opened the present from Isaiah first. He was so excited about his present to me. He kept making sure that I would open his first, and he even told me right before he opened it that I wouldn't know what it was even after I opened it..he really couldn't stand the suspense! I asked him if it was camouflage, and he said "I can't tell you! Just open it!!" It was three matchbox cars...and he was right, I still couldn't tell what they were. They were called Mystery Matchbox cars, and instead of clear plastic covering the cars, the plastic was black, so you didn't know what cars you were getting! He was so proud of himself for getting me the best present! The cars were a yellow Ford Mustang, a red Chevy Nova, and a blue Scion. London got me a1000 piece Mickey Mouse puzzle, and Caleb got me a 1000 piece I Spy puzzle. I've done a few big puzzles with them, and they must really enjoy doing puzzles with me...hehe! Brooklin got me a PictionaryMan game...we played it last night and it was fun. Darwin spoiled me...he always does. He bought me a new VERY warm winter coat, a quilting book, a self-healing cutting mat (for quilting), and 240 minutes of tanning!! Very excited to get my fake sun for the whole winter! It should help me stay happy, and keep the dark-winter blues from slowing me down!

After opening presents, we went to church and they gave me two "presents" as well. I was called to be on the compassionate service committee AND to be the pianist for Relief Society (the church's women's organization). I still consider myself a learning piano player, so being the pianist will be a good challenge. I secretly told God that I really wanted to be a better piano player, and I thought playing in Relief Society would be the least scary piano calling...small audience, really no preformances for the whole congregation like Primary does...but this week they said the Relief Society is singing in Sacrament Meeting (the whole congregation) in two weeks!! So much for the no preformances! It isn't a really hard song...but I'm glad that I have two weeks to practice it! After church, I stayed for choir practice, and then I chatted for like 20 minutes...totally didn't know that my friends were waiting outside for me (since choir practice ended) with a camera, to see my reaction to what they did to my car! Wendy and her husband filled my van with five contractor bags full of balloons! It didn't fill the whole thing, like they hoped, but they did fill the entire front seat, so it looked completely packed. It was pretty funny! Also on friday at school, before my birthday, my friend Kris made me a tiara, taped balloons to my chair and table, and brought cupcakes and snacks for our whole communications class. They sang to me and signed a card! She also brought me a little present everyday all last week.

I am so grateful for my awesome family and my wonderful friends! You all made me feel so loved! Even Juneau cooperated for my special day, and it was blue skies and sun shiny the entire day! Thank you!!!!!!



Me playing with my new matchbox cars! LOL!


WHAT!!?!


Squished in with the balloons!

07 November 2008

My stocking sold!

This will be short...but awhile back, I posted pictures of a stocking I made. It was a felt stocking that had 2 black bears roasting marshmallows over a campfire, and it was beaded and embroidered...all hand sewn. Anyway, I put it up for sale on etsy.com back in September, and yesterday it sold for $88!!! I'm so excited!! The kit cost me $12.95, so I made like $75! It also took over 40 hours to complete, but I enjoy doing crafts, so I just got paid for it this time. I have another one with about 5 hours left to go on it, so when it is finished, I will post pictures of it, and try and sell it too. It is a girly stocking...sugar plum fairy, candy, gingerbread men, and a Christmas Tree.

01 November 2008

Costumes

So: we dressed up, we went trunk-er-treating, we ate candy, and we had fun.


Brooklin went to a costume birthday party last week. It was a murder mystery party, and she was supposed to be Little Red Riding Hood. We found her a "red riding hood", and she wore an apron and carried a basket. She said it was totally fun.





Here are the kids in their Halloween costumes. Brooklin went as a hippie...she reused this costume from spirit week last year, Caleb was Batman, London was Princess Leia, and Isaiah was a shark.