Comings and Goings

Always lots to post, never enough time/desire to do so.  So here's my quick recap. 

The end of April my boys were pretty much the closing exercise for primary with Dylan in charge of the closing prayer and Charlie saying the scripture.

I practiced all week with Charlie to get him to memorize his scripture and he had it ready for Sunday.  "For thus saith the scripture, choose ye this day whom ye shall serve."  He got up to the mic and froze.  I whispered to him "do you want to say it with your eyes closed" and he nodded so he proceeded to close his eyes and repeated after me.  I was so proud of him.  I know he is a little shy and it is really scary once you get up there and all eyes are on you.  Dylan did great, too.  I helped him and he didn't hesitate.  They were so proud and so was I.  I think if it were me sitting in the back of the primary room instead of daddy I would have been a blubbering idiot, but luckily I'm up on the piano anyway so I got to be the helper. 

We've finally learned how to ride our bikes.  Little pros.  We spend a lot of our time riding in circles around and around in our driveway.  I haven't been brave enough to go down the street since it's a slight incline to get back to our house and I fear they'll poop out half way there and I'll be stuck carrying bikes.  Selfish I know...but what you gonna do about it? 

Mother's Day came and went.  Each year it has come around since having the twins it has been surreal.  Crazy that I'm a mommy but how lucky am I?  I mean, look at these 3?  They are awesome and I love them so (even though they have tried me all day today).  I wouldn't change it.  Love my boys.

And last week I went to the zoo with my momma and the crew.  We played on the playground, rode the carousel, and rode the train.  Saw the rhino and the elephants and that's about it.  A quick trip but a fun one. 

And here's what we're doing every day about noon.  Stop on by if you need a pb&j, too.

**SWINGSET**

It's up!  It's up!  The swingset is up! (except for the swingset part - haha)  Last weekend we worked HARD and got the playset and slide up in our backyard.  We gave up once we got to the swing part but figured we'd wait until fall since the boys can't pump on their own yet anyway.  We need to dig a big ol' hole to put part of the swingset in so that it'll be level and I just couldn't get myself to dig anymore.  So, that's put off for awhile and the boys couldn't be happier.  They ask everyday to go out on the "swingset slide" and have so much fun.  We're so blessed.  Seriously, the best investment yet!

Leo's 90th

So when you're turning 90 years old are you going to invite your mailman? You are if Brandt is your mailman! We have an invitation on our fridge for Leo's 90th Birthday Party. He is one of Brandt's customers. How stinkin' cute is that? He is Brandt's buddy who eats lunch at the senior center every day and compliments B's nasty beard and jokes the way old-timers do. I have a very soft spot in my heart for old men and I love that this man loves his mailman! How lucky I am to be married to a guy that is friendly with everyone no matter what age, race, or lifestyle. This invitation is evident that he's not just a great mailman but a great guy. Love him lots and lots.

Yes, we're still here...

I guess it's gotten to the point where I'm posting once a month. Come on Drea...you're better than that! I have created my own insanity and Brandt and I are working hard to "stop it." We've been really busy lately with kids, work, and more kids, and more work. Brandt has about 4 different side projects he's working on getting wrapped up so we've been out in the garage a lot lately trying to re-claim the garage. Brandt's been working a ton of overtime so 10hr days 6 days a week plus the woodworking in the garage takes its toll on our family. Once all the cabinets and such are out, the swingset from you-know-where is moving in. A few weeks ago I had gone to Costco to buy the swingset they're selling this year since it was a couple hundred dollars off. Apparently everyone else had the same idea so there were none in the state of utah (except St. George). They were anticipating a shipment in the Saturday before the sale ended so I kept calling each day to see if they were in so that I wouldn't miss them. That Friday they told me that there were only 3 units coming the next morning and to call in the am to make sure it arrived. I called that morning 1/2 hour before opening and the guy said there were 6 there and he had a lot more calls than that so he suggested being there early. Brandt's dad was gracious enough to meet us there since it was just me and the 3 boys cause B had to work. We got there, with a few others, but we were #2 in line. Oh yeah, we have a swingset. Problem is that our backyard is a hill so we need to level out the part where the playset goes and the plans say it takes 12 hours for the playset and 2 hours for the slide to set up. So we're going to widdle away at it each night and then once Brandt's long weekend comes up next week, hopefully we're ready to just assemble it all together and wham-bam we are in business. I'm excited for it. A little stressed/worried about setting it up, but I'm sure it'll be ok. We're quite resourseful.

Easter has come and gone. It was busy but great. We partied ALL day on Saturday and had a low-key, very nice Easter Sunday. At the end of the day I said to Brandt, "Today was a good day." One of those that you stuff away in your memory and cherish. Happy children, beautiful weather, family bonding...loved it. I made the boys capes for their easter baskets. They love them and wear them almost every day.

We have started swimming lessons this week. It is way more worrisome for me than for the twins. I expect a little too much from them sometimes, I think. They are crazy little boys and it kills me when they're off in la-la land and should be paying attention. I must have a mild ocd problem. I just want to walk over to the pool and explain behavior to my kids when they're goofing off but I have sat like a good parent and just watched. The first lesson Dylan kept climbing out of the pool, wandering to the other side of the pool area, just la-ti-da-ing like only Dylan does. So the last couple days we've been trying to reiterate that you need to pay attention to the teacher and do what the teacher says, etc. Then today came and D was great and Charlie had his head under water the whole time. Great, you would think. No, not when the teacher is trying to talk to you and do other activities. Charlie would rather just keep dunking his head. So, the rest of the week we'll try to explain that you have to do what the teacher says and keep your head out of water to hear instructions. The teacher did say that they did way better so I guess that's an improvement.

And some other randoms. I did a Costco run and the boys played with the leftover boxes. They were robots.

And lately the twins have been talking about Aspen non-stop so we made a trip out to their house one day and played all afternoon. Thank you Craig&Tree for letting me crash into your home and play at your zoo. What a fun house they have. They boys had a blast.

I know this is a rambler of a post but we had some catching up to do. If I want anything recorded as a journal, this is it, so I gotta keep up on it and let the rambling continue.

Let it be known...

I constantly think of cute things that go on in my life that are worth writing down and NEVER get to it. *sigh* Now that I'm here, I don't know what to record.

Let it be known, that if you have a "marker" around our home it is usually referencing the phrase "that's going to leave a mark" - Dylan

Let it be known, that the first bad words were spoken at our home today...and it wasn't learned from me or Brandt. Promise. It was a phrase that I don't say and I don't believe I've ever heard Brandt say it. Yea for friends and the brilliance they share with each other. How am I to survive 12 years of school??? Lots of soap and tabasco?

Let it be known that Oliver was a little sniffly today. Please don't be sick. Cause if you're sick, Charlie will get sick. And if Charlie's sick, Dylan will get sick. And if Dylan is sick, I'll probably get sick. And if I'm sick, Dad will get sick. And my own mom & dad will probably be sick cause they kissed on all the kiddies today. It is a vicious cycle.

Let it be known that my daffodils opened up today! SPRING!!!

Let it be known that I'm crazy and I'm making myself that way all.by.my.self. I convinced my mom to buy an embroidery machine. I've spent 2 days at a conference with her. I'm taking a sewing course with her (came with the machine) once a week for 4 or 5 weeks. Then I'm taking an embroidery class. Then I bought me a quilting class. Whhhaaaatttttt am I thinking?

Let it be known that the twinners are going to take swimming lessons!! I'm so excited for them. I really think they'll like it. Charlie, for sure. Dylan, hopefully. The water is the one thing in his life that he has shown some cautiousness over. I'm sure it will pass quickly and soon he will be diving off the high-dive.

Let it be known that the Jensens are FINALLY getting a swingset! Woot woot! That's what I'm talking about! I may survive the summer. Maybe.

That's all for now. On to the next thing. Laundry? Sewing? Cleaning? Sleep? My vote is for sleep. hahahahahahaha.........

Comings and Goings...

Lately it's been a lot easier to sit on the couch and read other blogs rather than to update my own. I've had some brilliant, brilliant I tell you, thoughts going through my brain but to actually summon the energy to actually put it into words and into the computer has been impossible. We are good. Boys are growing. Mom & Dad are getting smarter at how to corral the crazy. I'm a year older and actually IN my 30ies rather than just 30. Yuck. I don't know how that happened. I think I'm ok with it but it is just a little surreal I suppose. I was never supposed to be this old. I never have imagined, dreamed, or thought I would be 30+. I still feel so young (most the time) that it never occurred to me that I would some day be out of high school, have kids, a husband, a house, grown-up responsibilities, etc. Just wierd.

The boys are busy. Oliver is trying to be big, big, big. He is mighty cute and we just love him so. The twins are hilarious. Just this morning I was downstairs getting something and as I came up the stairs Charlie popped his head around the corner and stated, "I'm Kierstin" (who is his auntie) and he had a HUGE bag from the RV show slung over his shoulder. I assume Kierstin must have had a large purse one time he saw her. I literally laughed out loud (and then took a picture and sent a text to Auntie Kierstin). Dylan has been saying for the last few months, "I want a big one" whenever he wants something. Whether it be a cookie, a piece of paper, or a toy...he wants a big one. So, the other day when he said he wanted some bread and I told him to wait and we'd have some bread with his dinner he threw me off when he responded, "I want a huge one." I laughed out loud again. They do try me and run me ragged, but they make me laugh and cry because they are just so darn sweet. The other day they wanted to play outside and I let them and just told them they had to play in the backyard. I was upstairs and thought I heard something out front so I looked out the window. We had that big windstorm back in December and it blew down one of our downspouts. We had put it in the garage and planned to fix it in the spring. When I saw the boys out front, they were carrying it to the lawn to "fix" it. I told them to take it back and so they obediently did. I love this little story because it reminds me of the time I saw the cute little boy across the street in his tighty-whiteies carrying a long piece of handrail or something across their front lawn (this was years ago. he's now like 10 and I'm sure he'd be mortified to do that now!). I remember looking out my window and laughing at how cute/funny it was. Little boys...I love their shenanagans they get into.

What else?? My little nephew was baptized a few weeks ago and I tried my hand at some machine embroidery. I am in love! I think I've convinced my mom that we NEED an embroidery machine. It was so fun and so easy! The things we could use it on are endless. I'm getting back into my crafting again. Trying to post and sell some new ties and get somethings lined up for the farmers market this summer.

I also gave in and finally let the boys finger paint. I've never let them because it can get so messy but they did well (got messy but what do you expect) and had fun. They keep asking me to paint again. I need to be brave and have a paint party again. Oliver has learned how to color, too...on him. We're busy around here but we're good. Very fortunate to enjoy what we do and have what we have. I couldn't be more happy being mom to my sweet boys. I'm going to go grey and lose my mind but I am super lucky. I don't know what I did so right to have what I have.

Oh the things they say...

A few weeks ago I went into the boys's room to wake them up from a nap. They were having a tough time waking up so I went up to D (his eyes were open) and said, "Are you trying to wake up?" His reply was, "No, I'm trying to sleep down." Love how they think.

Then today I had to make cookies and lemon bars to take to a funeral today at our church. I loaded the boys and the treats into the car and drove over to our church. The boys wanted the treats and I had to explain that we were taking them over for the luncheon after the funeral. I ran the food in and then came back out to head on home. Charlie said he wanted to stay and have lunch at the church. I told them that it wasn't our family who had someone die so we didn't get to have lunch at the church. And then rambled on about how that is good cause the lady that died had to go live with Jesus and we want our family to stay here with us a little longer. Then Dylan started whining about how he wanted to live with Jesus and wanted to live at Jesus's house. I chuckled and just said that one day he would but not for awhile. I'm not ready for him to live with Jesus yet.

I love watching the twins learn and grow. They're getting pretty darn smart. They love to pray by themselves. They love to get dressed by themselves. They love to do their carseat by themselves. They love to try to zip their jackets by themselves. They are anxious to go to school. I told them they aren't big enough and they had to learn their letters to go to school. The other day I sat down with them and their little work books and we worked on the letter A. They were supposed to trace it, color it, write it, etc. So I sat with Dylan and he did great. Then I tried to help Charlie. Oh boy. Just trying to get him to hold a crayon is tough. He uses both hands so he's not sure what hand to use, then his fingers don't cooperate. Then he just draws lines all over. My patience was tried. By the end of it, I'm getting mad at them cause I don't think they're even trying. Who am I to be mad? They are 3. They are just learning to do this! I had to take a breather and we'll try it again another day. Luckily for them (and me), I finally broke down and signed them up for preschool next year. That way they don't need to have their nag of a mom try to teach them EVERYTHING. I think our home will be a lot more happier with them gone a few hours each week socializing and learning. Then on to real school...excuse me? What???? Really they're old enough for that?