Jensen's Jungle

Sunday, October 5, 2014

General Conference

I have been so excited for General Conference! I know that there are things I need to work on and I wanted to know how I can improve. This conference has given me so much inspiration, I hope to follow through with the things I have chosen to improve upon. Here are a few and maybe if I write them here as well as in my notes I will remember them more often and feel a need to report on some things once in a while giving me more motivation:)

1. More meaningful prayer

2. More patience with my family as well as myself (this one I feel is a never ending battle)

3. Bringing the spirit into our home to reduce contention!!!!!!

Before Conference this year I felt that it was important for the kids to really listen and get as much from it as possible. I know they are still young and so this is not easy by any means, but I know we sat through 3 sessions as a family and they participated for the most part. Austin less than the others, but there were times when I knew he was listening! (3 sessions because I wasn't feeling well and had to take a nap during Sunday afternoon session so I have no idea what was going on downstairs)

To prepare for conference I made each of my children (except Emma, she got scratch paper and some colored pencils) a conference binder. They had places for the kids to take notes or draw a picture of what the speaker was talking about, as well as mazes, crossword puzzles and activities to keep them busy. They were really excited about them and I think Austin actually used his the most.

I found this great idea here and we made a Conference Board for the kids to use as we watched. They loved it, although there were some fights over who got to do what at times. It kept them listening so that they could put up pictures of whatever the speaker was talking about. I think Braeden is able to better recognize many of the 12 from this. They moved a picture of whoever was speaking to the pulpit and then placed them in a chair after they spoke. Even Austin would recognize words in the talks and get excited and want to put that picture in the speech bubble. It was a lot of fun.

What do you do between sessions on a sunny Saturday, go outside of course. Emma thought this was the best and you could hear her laughing. It almost gave me a heart attack a few times thinking she was going to be tipped over! Braeden got out the soccer ball of course. It comes out every time he gets to go outside, Chloe was content to sit and color in her binder in the house. I hope that next Conference is even more successful than this and that Neil and I can be examples to our children about the importance of listening to the prophet's voice!

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Challenges

Baby girl has been giving me some trouble, although it may just be my own fault. I have been very stressed out lately with lots going on; kids have a hard time adjusting to new school (mostly harder curriculum), feeling like my calling is a little too demanding, a messy house, worrying about other kids and just life I guess. Last week I started having contractions regularly every half hour and some bad lower back pain. With just over 2 months to go, that was not a good thing. I talked to a nurse and she told me to stay off of my feet and not lift much. That is not easy with a toddler in the house. If the contractions didn't slow down she wanted me to go to the hospital and get checked out. Well, they were persistent so Neil came home from work early last Wednesday and we found a babysitter for the kids. Luckily even though they were regular they aren't doing much and I haven't started dilating. The nurse at the hospital said to take it easy and not lift anything more than 10 pounds. Anyone that knows me knows I don't do well with getting help from others.

I think this is a learning experience for me. A lesson in becoming more humble. I needed to get someone to pick up Austin from school last week. Luckily there is a boy in his class that is also in our ward and his mom was more than happy to bring Austin home. We have had to convert Emma's bed to a toddler bed so that I don't have to lift her in and out. She does not like it! My easy girl, who would go to bed without a peep now cries when we get close to her room at nap time and bedtime. Luckily the crying doesn't last long and she eventually finds her way to her bed and goes to sleep. But when it was so easy before it is hard to hear her crying. I think this new baby will be a challenge for her. My house is a mess and the kids are a little out of control. I know it will pass, but it isn't easy for me. I have become more of a control freak as the years go by and I don't know how to just sit around. I have been able to rest though and the contractions have slowed down and the back pain is barely there. I am thankful for those who have been so willing to help and I hope that I will be able to grow from this and see the Lord's hand in all that we do and go through. I am excited for General Conference to come and pray that I will learn more about why we go through these challenges in our lives, and how we can move past them and grow from them.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Back to blogging

Well, over a year has gone by since I last posted. I feel like a lot of people are slowly leaving the blogging world behind and I was one of them. It seemed no one really read my blog and many of those I followed started having fewer and fewer posts. I totally get it, life gets busy and we leave things on the shelf. I have decided with some inspiration from my sister's updated blog to try and keep up, at least for now.

This is my way of journaling and documenting what is happening in our lives so I know that it is important. I am not and have never been good at keeping a journal so hopefully knowing that this is really for me and my family will keep me motivated. You might find some things that aren't too exciting to read about, but there will almost always be fun pictures:)

Here are a few tidbits from the last year and a half and if all goes well a new post will follow shortly.

We spent last summer with Grandma and Grandpa Chittock

Emma had her first taste of baby food

Apparently I have no pictures from Austin's birthday. He turned 4 while we were in CA and got a new scooter.
Saw a movie with the cousins

Had story time with Auntie Laurie in awesome surfboard shirts from Grandma C

Went to the Nevada County Fair

First day of School 2013-2014, Braeden third grade and Chloe first

Went to the Living Planet Aquarium

Had a fun Halloween

Moved into a new house

Little Miss Emma turned 1 and started walking. And Braeden turned 9, but somehow I have no pictures. He chose Olive Garden for dinner and then we went to the Lego Store.

We rode the frontrunner train up to Temple Square to see the Christmas lights

New Christmas jammies

Emma loves her puppy

Chloe and I went to see Swan Lake at BYU with friends

Had a crazy Blue and Gold night with Star Wars visitors

Emma got to wear this cute hat

Chloe Jane turned 7 and wanted a castle cake

She loves purple!

Braeden had his first Pinewood Derby

Found out we are expecting baby #5

End of the school year AR western carnival, Austin had to dress up too

Emma ended up in casts to help correct her crooked feet. It didn't stop her or slow her down a bit.

BYU Soccer Camp 2014

Growing our first real garden

Austin turned 5

Daddy taught the kids how to skip rocks

Fourth of July reunion with all the family. BYU Men's Soccer game

Minute to Win it Games

Family hike up the Grotto Trail

24th of July Parade

First day of school 2014. Braeden 4th grade

Emma getting in on the pictures

Chloe 2nd grade

Austin Kindergarten. He started a week after the other two and couldn't wait. He asked every day if it was the day yet. On his first day he woke up and said, "It's the day I get to go to school!"

I hope to continue to be a bit more consistent in blogging, so we'll see...

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Chloe Jane

Our sweet and sassy Chloe Jane turned 6 today. All she has wanted for months is an American Girl Doll. I kept telling her she has to be older and to wait until her 8th birthday or maybe her 7th although she didn't really want or need anything else so I wasn't sure what I was going to do. Grandma Chittock made her wish come true and has made the happiest 6-year old there is. She said she got the doll so I thought it would be fun for her to have some clothes so I set to sewing. We had a cake decorating party with aprons and cakes for all the girls, it was a fun party!

Chloe at 6...she still loves My Little Ponies, loves kindergarten, always wants to play with my Felicity doll (now she has her own doll), likes playing outside, is a good helper, can be bossy, is sweet and a good listener. We love you Chloe Jane!

Aprons for all the girls

Table all ready for cake decorating

Snack table

Decorating boxes to put their cakes in

Austin eating sugar stickers that just look like paper

Austin:)

Felicity helped model some of the clothes and shoes I made.

Chloe grabbed the camera and said, "A picture of the birthday girl," and took this picture of herself. We'll be switching up friend and family birthdays each year so I think this is the friend year. It will be fun to see what Braeden wants to do.