December 23rd

Sunday

After church we went to the Stake Christmas Fireside.  It was just a good Sunday. 

Monday

In the afternoon we had Chris's family come down and we had a big 'dipping chocolate' party as we got treats made to take around to neighbors from both our families. 

A few leftovers:

Mike really wanted to go pixie, so he made all the plans and we got everything ready to go.  It was just like old times with drawing the plans for where everyone would be hiding, who would ring the bell, synchronizing watches, etc.  Don't worry, we got Noelle snow pants to cover those white legs (and keep her warm).  I drove them, and all went well. 

Zander's ready to go home so he can get ready for his first Christmas the next morning.

Tuesday - Christmas Morning

So few stockings and so little candy, but enough for the few of us.

Yes, Mike checked things out at 2:15 a.m., but I was not awake and he didn't take pictures.

Mike eating candy with his nice porcelain chopsticks his ancestors gave him and Ellen. 

Dad gave Ellen and I chocolates, fingernail polish, hot chocolate, and "Pride & Prejudice" movie

Ellen's first reaction to her gift from mom (It is in the next picture)

It says: "I love awkward, nerdy guys."  "What the nerd thinks she means" (and a picture of Napolean Dynomite.  "What she really means" (and a picture of David Tennant)

2nd shirt of David Tennant saying: "Shouldn't you be studying?"

 Mike give Ellen a movie all in Chinese

Lounging around on Christmas:

 Mallory and Noelle

 

Christmas afternoon at the movies waiting for Les Miserables to begin. Billy, Josh, Ellen, & Mike.  U. Marc, A. Margaret, Dad and I are across the aisle.  We all LOVED the movie.  Ellen did a good job of covering Josh's eyes in the appropriate places.

Christmas night playing games with Spencer, Marion, and John.  Can you guess who won?

Yes, it is skit time

Wednesday

Isaac and Caleb just waking up in the morning.

Marion had to take the boys to the dentist in Logan and meet Sue, so he took Ellen and Mike to work.  Our former Zone Leader is very sick and doesn't have much longer to live.  We were going to drive to Lindon to see him, but after talking to his wife, we did not go.  We went to the Brigham City Temple instead and put their names in the temple.  It was a wonderful, quiet day.  The temple adds so much peace and perspective to life.  

To be Continued to report on our trip to Colorado.  It's been snowing all day, so we are checking weather and will go either tomorrow or Friday.

Thursday and Friday



The older I get the more I worry about bad roads.  After checking weather and looking at roads with Google (which is amazing), we decided to wait until Friday.  Ellen ended up needing to work at 5:00, so we went to the temple and then used one of the Olive Garden gift certificates they got from their boss and went to dinner after and then took her to work.  We also had a wonderful surprise when Chuck and Chris showed up!  Remember, they used to live next to us for quite a few years.  They have a live aboard boat in San Francisco Bay area and have never sold their home because they love Riverside.  When they left, Ellen said, "That was like a journey back to my childhood."  I went out and took a picture of them so you could all remember them and what great neighbors they were/are when the move back. 

 

We left home to go to Tom's about 7:30 Friday morning.  It was a pretty good trip except for some blowing snow across Wyoming for about an hour's stretch.  It was very cold and it made us wonder how the pioneers did it.  We had slow traffic through Denver and then all but stopped traffic because of an accident on the other side of Denver.  We got to Tom's later than we thought, but it was so good to see everyone.  The kids have sure grown a lot.

Saturday

It was so fun to just play with the kids and visit with Tom and Mel.

 

Playing the Jensen Family Tree game with Taylor and Max

 

We babysat while and Tom and Mel went to see Les Miserable.  Max is in to Star Wars and Grandpa found a copy of #4 which will always be number one to me.  That was the first one that came out.

Taylor, Max, Cambria, Grandpa holding Gabe 



Taylor lost a tooth.  Her third one!

 

Taylor and Max

 We are having a wonderful time.  It is very fun teasing Mike who almost continuously texts Kelene.  She sure seems like a nice girl and they are having a good time even though she is in Arizona and he in Colorado.  Ellen and Mike had a blind date Saturday afternoon and went laser tagging and had

 ice cream.

December 16th

Sunday

We woke up to snow and Mike had to speak at Portage, so we decided to ride up with him and listen to him speak.  It was good to hear him again and see the people in Portage.  After our church we had Chris and fmily over for dinner and visiting.  Little Zander is growing so much.

Monday

I went to Chris' to help out with all that surrounds a new baby.  I remember with my first ones and having my mother come and help.  I thought there was so much to do to take care of a new baby.  It didn't take too many kids before I realized you really don't need help with the new baby, it's help with all the rest that happens within the family.  Their schedule reminds me so much of days gone by. It makes me tired.  And I still have yet to hold Zander while Colleen has a nap.  She just keeps on going with everything.  Mallory and Caleb have both been sick and needed things/testing at Dr./hospital. Dad took Cierra to a couple of final car testings and Chris took her to get her license at the end of the week. She now has a driver's license and a date the day after Christmas.  Sweet 16.

In the afternoon we, Dad, I, Mike, and Chris went to clean the Brigham City Temple.  Again, it is such a privilege to clean the house of the Lord.

Mallory & Caleb wearing masks if they go near Zander

Tuesday

Today I made the gingerbread houses we were going to do yesterday, but spent time with the sick instead.  It was fun to do and spend more time holding little Zander.  Cierra and Josh had orchestra and choir concerts.  Mike was working.  Dad and Ellen were supposed to be there to come to the concert with us, but the heater at the bookstore was not working and she had Carbon Monoxide  poisoning, so she was being tested for it at the hospital.  She had such an exciting time because she even spent some time in the ambulance and has a souvenir oxygen mask to remember it by.  It wasn't bad, but we wanted to make sure the levels were ok.  It was worth it for the mask.

Mallory

 Caleb

Noelle thinking, "What should I do next?"

Tuesday night was also Cierra's Orchestra concert and Josh's choir concert.  I loved candid pictures because they are so real.  I love this picture of both of them.  By the way, the orchestra at the high school is completely different than before.  There must have been at least 40 in just the high school and they sounded wonderful!  It's such a good experience for her.

Mandy and Melonie.  Mandy is in Madrigals and Melonie told me they just found out that day that Mandy is the Sterling Scholar in Music from our school.  My mother would be so proud of her.

Highlight and end of a very big day: We finally got to see the Hobbit!  Chris, Cierra, Josh, and Noelle, on her first outing with the 'big' kids, all went to the 9:30 showing of the Hobbit.  We had to wait for Mike to be off work.  We didn't get home until 1:00 a.m. but it is was soooo worth it.  We all loved it.  I got a quick picture of Chris and Noelle in the the lobby after the movie.

Wednesday

It was Josh's band concert tonight.  Yes, two nights in a row of concerts.  Colleen and Zander came tonight.

Thursday

Silvia was up from Arizona, so we went to see her at Val's in Clearfield.  It was so good to see her and to renew visiting with Val.  They are close now and we need to remember to invite them to gatherings or go and see them.  They are expecting number 5 next Spring.  We picked up the vanilla from her, so it was fresh from Mexico!  We'll bring vanilla down when we go to Kirsten's baptism and over to Colorado when we go and see Tom.  We had dinner with Marion that night with the coupon they gave us last Christmas at the Mandarin in Bountiful.  Mmmmmmm it was a wonderful evening.  We made a few stops coming home to do some last minute Christmas shopping and got back to Logan to pick up Mike at 9:00 from work.

Friday

Final preparations for Saturday and making a big pot of chili for those sleeping Friday night.  Dad made the cornbread as I was doing some last minute running around for final Christmas presents. It was good to have Marion, Rob, & Joe come to sleep.    Rob's family came to see the play tonight because they have a Warburton party Saturday afternoon.  I won't say when Dad had to get up and tell Spencer and Josh to go to bed.  Late cousin bonding time, and Josh made it through the two play performances and clean-up the next day.
Let the games begin!

Saturday

It doesn't seem like there has even been time to worry about how things would go on Saturday.  I did make an extra breakfast casserole after just barely having enough chili the night before.  Teenage grandkids, what more can I say except I love them so much and want them to get full, if that is ever possible.  I don't know about everyone else, but to me the day was just about perfect.  It was so wonderful to have everyone here. (Yes, I did think about Peter, Paul, John, and Tom and families who weren't here and I missed you very much).  Everything fell into place.  It was so fun to play the 'Jensen Family Tree Game' while waiting for breakfast to cook.  It will be fun and even more fun as we all come up with new questions and variations to the game.  It come with a lot of love from both Dad and I.  It took us both to produce it and I just want everyone to have fun and get to know their cousins better.  There was enough food for everyone, so that was a relief.  The Christmas pageant went so good.  I think this is a new tradition.  I like it put on by the adults and have the children sing the songs.  Zander made a wonderful baby Jesus and Caleb was a great 'young child' Jesus for the Wise Men.  I didn't know at the time that Colleen wrote the words to the song she & Chris sang and Amanda did the music.  I was glad later to hear it sung again and the tears of joy and gratitude for my family could more easily flow.  The opening of gifts is always fun and I like doing it family to family.  With such a large family, it is fun to focus on one family each year to get gifts for.  Next year it will be the sixth down.  I hope you enjoy all the pictures.

Chris and Colleen as Joseph & Mary, Zander as baby Jesus singing the song that Colleen wrote the words and Amanda did the music.

The Angels visiting the shepherds

The shepherds come.

Caleb as the 'young child' Jesus

Wise Men come and talk to Herod the King

Joe's family opening gifts from Rob's family

The scarves that I thought would be a wonderful gift for my daughter-in-laws and Cierra made all of them but two.

Pecan rolls made by Joe & Tesha for Dad that really did taste like Grandma Jensen's!

David's family opening gifts from Paul's family.

Ellen opening from John's family.  She is loving her iTunes gift card.

Mike opening from Ryan's family.  He can't wait to play the game!

Marion's family opening from David's family.

More playing of the 'Jensen Family Tree Game'

Rob's family opening from Mike

Ryan's family opening from Marion's family.  Way cute bags, Sue!

Shaking hands after "A Christmas Carol"

Last picture of Ellen as the Ghost of Christmas Past

I loved being in the play this year, but as usual, I'm glad it has come to an end.  I love being with the family, and I loved wishing everyone a Merry Christmas this year.  Especially the older people because I think they got more from the play.  I don't know if it's because we have lived longer and understand even more the power of redemption that we all need in this life.  We all have some of the characteristics of Scrooge to some degree.  We all need to: "I will live in the past, the present, and the future.  The spirits of all three shall strive within me. And I shall not shut out the lessons they teach."  Also loved: "Men's courses may foreshadow certain ends, but if those courses be departed from, the ends will change."  So powerful and full of hope.  I gave my other favorite quote in last week's blog.

P.S. Latest picture of Zander: