Jense Journeys

FOOTBALL FEVER

2011-11-12T17:38:00.000-08:00

Trey (& his friend Porter) ended up playing tackle football in Cedar this year because Parowan usually doesn't have a younger team. Of course after we signed him up we found out Parowan was going to have tackle football for the younger kids this year. Oh Well! There were so many 5th graders that they ended up splitting into two teams. Of course Porter and Trey played the exact same positions and ended up on different teams. On offense Trey played Full Back and on Defense he was the Middle Line Backer. He had a very successful year and you can tell Football is his favorite sport. They played other teams from Mesquite, Snow Canyon, Pine View, & Hurricane.One game he had over 150 rushing yards. Through the season he had many forced fumbles, 2 strips that he ran back for a touchdown (only one counted because the ref didn't even realize he had the ball & blew the whistle but Trey was about 10 yards from the endzone and turned around an held up the ball.) He also had a kick-off return and is one heck of a blocker. All is all he had a fantastic season and his team ended up winning the championship.

TREY JENSE #4

Trey has the best fans ever!!!

Trey forced a fumble.

How many Tigers does it take to catch a REDMEN????

Loved the Coaches - Coach Colby & Trey

Another Fumble

Love the Breast Cancer Awareness - Great Job Boys!!!!!

TOUCHDOWN

I'm coming for you!

DEFENSIVE FACE-MASK

OFFENSIVE FACE-MASK

Final score of Championship Game (Cedar vs. Pine View)

Coach Ken & Trey

Coach Barrack & Trey

Cedar Redmen 2011 Youth Football USA 5th Grade CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!

Birthday Bash

2011-08-20T18:10:00.000-07:00

Well we had a combined Birthday Party for Trey (11) & Easton (8) this year. We ended up renting the Roller Skating Rink in Cedar. We had about 30 kids there and they had a great time.We played all kinds of skate games and had pizza, pop, and cake.


Happy Birthday Trey & Easton

Aspyn

We did the limbo / Good Job Trey!

Even the moms got in on the fun!


Derek, Porter & Lincoln enjoying some Cake.

1/2 Steelers & 1/2 Colts Cake

Photo Shoot Preview

2011-05-16T06:05:00.000-07:00

I did a quick photo shoot today for a co-worker. I had a ball and they were great to work with. Here is just a preview.

Aspyn's End of Year Dance Performance

2011-04-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

Aspyn did dance again this year and it might be her last. She does such a great job but she is starting to not like dance. You would not be able to tell by her performances. She looks like she is having a ball. So I guess we'll she if she decide to next year or not. But she did a fantastic job this year and we are so proud of her. Here is a video of her favorite dance: When I Grow Up! She is next to the girl on the end.

Aspyn getting her certificate from her teacher

Geo-Caching

2011-04-24T21:08:00.000-07:00

We have started to go Geo-Caching and we are loving it. It took a little while to figure out what we were doing, but we eventually found our first Geo-Cach. I have a feeling it will be the first of many!

The Kids out Looking!

We found it!

The container with treasures!

Had to throw this one in. I can't believe this is my baby!

Camping Easter Weekend

2011-04-22T18:26:00.000-07:00

We wanted to go camping for Easter this year, but apparently so did everyone else. We started out going to Red Cliffs which was full, so we headed acrossed the mountain through National Forest all camping spots full. After we dropped into St. George we tried to camp at Gunlock /Full, Boulder/Full, Pine Valley/Closed, A spot by Pinto/Full, finally after about 3-4 hours of driving around and the kids begging us to camp somewhere Jim knew a spot from his hunting trip. It was a little on the colder side, but we got to camp. Oh how I miss camping. We make such fun memories and have a great time together as a family we really need to do this more often. Once we got the fire going it was time for stories and smores. One of my kids favorite things is when I start a story and they each get a turn telling a key part of it. The following story is one we wrote around the camp fire. Trey said the things in red, Easton said the things in blue, Aspyn said the thing in pink, and Ridge said the things in green. So heres our story enjoy. (Aspyn was not feeling well so she went and laid down in the tent just after we started the story.)

Story

One day in a far off land called Disney lived a Red Giant Power Ranger named Allen. He had a pet Kitty named Bob Schraider together they conquered the world of Sticky Marshmallow Villains with their amazing Dragon Vader. One day while fighting the marshmallow villains a sudden flash of lighting filled the sky and it started raining glass. So Allen, Bob Schraider, and Vader quickly ran for cover in a Gumball Cave. As they explored the Gumball Cave further they new they were in trouble! Because deep inside the cave were Gumball Guys Exercising with Skeleton Bones. Allen, Bob Schraider, & Vader quickly Disguised themselves as Gumballs. Suddenly Allen's stomach started to growl. The gumball guys who were exercising started to lick the bones and flex their muscles. Allen, Bob Schraider, & Vader tried to run out of the cave, but before they knew it they were grabbed from behind and pulled back into the cave. Just when they thought they were doomed Vader blew fire out his mouth and the cave melted. The Gumball Guys melted with it. Allen, Bob Schraider, and Vader breathed a sigh of relief. But suddenly the ground began to shake and up rose a Sticky Marshmallow Villian. However they were not afraid. They knew just what to do. Vadar roasted the Marshmallow Villian. They made tasty smores and told stories around the campfire. Allen, Bob Schraider, & Vader lived happily ever Hero's. THE END

Thanksgiving with the Jense's

2010-11-25T10:37:00.000-08:00

Well this year was Jim's families turn for Thanksgiving. I did a photo shoot for Jims sister Amy and it was freezing. I hope we got a couple pictures she liked. We will have to do it again in better weather conditions. Then we headed up to Jeanna's house for Thanksgiving dinner. We had a great time and it is always fun to get together.

The Jense Grandkids

Brianna & Aspyn

Dexter & Aspyn

Jared with the kids

The newest Grandchild - Reagan!

Ridge and Jim

They love the I-Pad.

The kids table

Too Crazy or Too Cute???

2010-11-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

Well this is how I did Aspyn's hair the other day and I got lots of comments. I want to know what you think. Is it Too Crazy or Too Cute. I finally decided it was a little of both which totally fits her personality. And the majority of comments I got were "now that is an Aspyn hair do". Not to sure what that's sup-post to mean but you know Aspyn. I took this at the end of the day so you see it starting to come out a little. And of course she had to kept posing so you get a few different angles LOL:) Where did this girls come from?

Football Fever

2010-11-20T19:13:00.000-08:00

Well Trey had a great time playing football this year and he really did a great job. Here are some photos from his team this year - The Eagles.

Trey Jense (Mini Man) #9 Running Back

Receiving the Hand-off from QB (Trey & Trey)

Going.......Going

Gone!

Nice Cut- Trey

Interception

Tough D!!

One of Easton really good friends was on Treys team so here is a picture of Nicholas.

Love the football season and looking forward to next year when both Trey & Easton will be old enough to play.

Camping with the Holy Ghost

2010-07-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

We went camping Sunday night July 4th where the kids had monday off school. Jim had to work so it was just the kids and I. They had been wanting to go camping all summer and we had just been to busy. So I took them for a quick one night camping trip. We went up Yankee Meadow but with it being a holiday most people already being there through the weekend we had a hard time finding a spot. We ended up camping just off the road and started to get camp set up before it got to dark. I did not feel good about the location we were camping in because our tent was just off the road as you come around a corner. The whole time setting up the tent I keep thinking this really is not the best place. If someone can't make that turn they will run right into us, but we really have no other options and the kids were so excited I pushed they aside and set up camp.

Once camp was set we went on a little hike where Zip (our dog) got into some water. The look on the kids face when he ran by them and shook was priceless.

After out little hike it was time to start a fire, tell stories and enjoy some smores!!!!

Trey was our professional Smore Maker!

Every time a vehicle would come down the road I would hold my breath and I still felt uneasy about our location. I continued to keep my feelings to myself and did not want to upset the kids. We were having such a great time. We ended up going to bed about 1:00 AM and after we said our prayers and quieted down I could hear someone crying. I rolled over and asked Aspyn what was wrong. Through her tears she said "mom I really don't think we are sup-post to camp here." I began to cry because I knew she was right. I had ignored the feeling I was having the whole time, but it took the spirit of a child to make me listen. We had been learning about the Holy Ghost in Primary that month and the boys (who had started crying also) said "Mom I think the holy ghost is telling us something here and we need to listen." We quickly packed up camp and headed down the mountain back home. We had a great time while we were there, but we also had a great learning experience about the Holy Ghost and how he can help us in all aspects of our lives. We discussed how when we hear those promptings we need to obey. Need less to say when we did get home they all wanted to sleep with Mom just to be safe, and of course mom didn't mind. All in all it was a camping trip I will never forget and I don't think they will either.

July 4th

2010-07-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

Well we decided to head to Kanosh / Fillmore this year for the 4th of July. It is always so good to go home and see so many friends I have not seen for awhile. We went to the Parade, had a BBQ at uncle Trav's, Played around with the cousins, watched Megan play powder puff football (no fair they got to tackle), and Trey got invited to play in a baseball game so he and I went to that. We ended the night watching the fireworks then headed for home. It was a long but fun filled day.

Birthday Blast!

2010-07-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

Well Eastons birthday is on June 25 and falls on the Fish Lake Kesler Family reunion every year and Treys birthday is July 23 and we are always gone to Kanosh for the 24th of July festivities. So we decided to have a big party in between them both. Treys party was to start at 10:00 and go until 1:00. Eastons was going to start at 12:00 and go until 3:00. We had a big BBQ lunch for them all while both groups of kids were here. But the kids from Treys party were having so much fun they did not want to leave. So they ended up calling their parents and stayed for Eastons water party also.

~Kick-Off Party~
Trey wanted a football themed party so here was his invitations. I made them to look like a ticket for a game.

I gave each kid a paper with about 15 different Football Team emblems on them and they had to name as many as they could. We played this game while waiting for everyone to come. If they could name both the city and the name (Chicago - Bears) they would get 2 points if they could only name one they would only get 1 point. I tallied up the total and the winner got a prize. Then we played a game where you had to throw a football through a tire. Each kid got 5 throws at a closer range & 5 throws at a father range. He would get a point for each throw he made in the tire. The winner got a prize.

Then we played a game of "Name that Player". I had some pictures of professional football players and their names. They were timed and had to match the name with the player. Winner got a prize.

Then we played a game of "Sock Head" (which was a big hit). And of course no Football party would be complete without a game of flag football.

For the goodie-bag I had a candy bar with custom wrapper (Parowan colors) designed with footballs and said Go Parowan Rams. On the bottom is said "Thanks for Coming" ~ Trey. They also got a Steelers cup (Treys favorite team), referee whistle, candy, and a picture of them from the party.

~H2O Party~
For Eastons party we did a water theme and they played on the slip-n-slide, the bounce H2Oslide, & played H2O balloon volleyball. They had a good time and everything was great until it started to rain and get a little cold. Everyone came running inside and I was not prepared for them to have to come in. Easton opened his presents and I quickly came up with a few indoor games. We played "Minute to win it" and "Pop the Balloon". By then the weather had cleared up and we headed back out for more water fun.

The boys had a blast. I think the last kid ended up leaving around 5:00pm. It was a long day, but well worth it. The boys had fun together and think next year they are just going to have one big party. Which is fine with me.

FiShLaKe

2010-07-07T19:56:00.000-07:00

Well every year we have the Kesler Family Reunion at Fish Lake Utah and it is so fun to get together. We rent the same cabins year after year and there is getting to be quite the crew of us. Jim was not able to go again this year and we missed him not being there. I had to work so we headed out as soon as I got off work Friday and stayed the weekend. We had a great time and look forward to it again next year.

Eastons Birthday was Friday so we celebrated up there with birthday cake. He loved serving the cake to everyone.

We played with play dough

Bubbles

Pam & Lloyd do a fish pond every year that is a huge hit.

We played games (Sock Head)

Went Fishing

And just hung out. Great Times!!

C-Ya Next Year!!!

I Love to Look for Rainbows

2010-06-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

Well it rained yesterday and we had a beautiful double rainbow right over our house. I love rainbows and like to think its a sign from my mom that she loves me. The kids and I just sat and watched it for a long long time. What a beautiful world we live in and I hope I can not be to caught up in life to not stop and enjoy the things that really matter. Thanks for the reminder mom!

Lovely Lake Tahoe

2010-06-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

Well each year we go on a family vacation and we try to go somewhere new. This year we went to Lake Tahoe. We had a great time and enjoyed many different activities. The water was still to cold to play in and we got into snow on some of our hikes, but other than that we had a great time. The drive out there is so boring and we only saw 2 things the entire way. One Jim was way excited about a desert sheep and the other not so excited about a cop and yes he did get a ticket.
***Enjoy the pictures***

Of course we loved the pool and hot tub!

The whole family enjoyed playing tennis and racquetball.

We saw a Cowboy Show that was very funny. We were laughing the entire time!

Ridge Loved the Train and when it blew the whistle this was his priceless face.

We toured a mine.

Virgina City - NV (So Fun!)

Having A Ball.

2010-06-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

Can you tell we love the baseball season! Whether it is watching or playing we love baseball. So the majority of our spring is spent at the ball field.

Eastons T-Ball Team
I was the Coach and one game we only had about 3 kids there when we started so Aspyn got to help us until some of the other players showed up. She loved it.

Don't ask about the socks (He has to wear them)

I did the pictures for Trey's Baseball Team this Year so here is the final product.

Trey's Individual Picture

Team Picture

And last but not least my awesome niece Bailey playing softball.

Have not made it to one of Brock's games yet, but I will add some pictures of him when I can.

Favorite Childhood Activity

2010-05-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

THE GANG:

Easton, Treyson, Ridge, Trey, & Brandon

Well I don't know about you, but my favorite thing to do as a child was slide down the stairs in a sleeping bag. And we seem to have the perfect stairs for this activity. The kids and some friends (Sorry Mindy) played for hours and had a blast. They found that if they stuffed the sleeping bag with a couple layers of the foam mats they would go much faster. I was laughing so hard watching them. It brought back so many memories.

Oh to be a child again:)

Aspyn & Brandon

Brandon & Trey

Ridge & Trey

Easton & Treyson

Childrens Theater (Alice in Wonderland)

2010-05-16T18:30:00.000-07:00

Well the boys have been working so hard learning their lines and songs for their play. And all that hard work paid off. It was such a great performance and I was so proud of them. Trey had so much fun, and you know Easton he was all smiles. They played many parts throughout the play, but their main characters were: Trey: Mad Hater & Easton: The King of Hearts. I wish I could have recorded the whole thing because it was so cute, but my camcorder ran out of tape and batteries. You can tell from the pictures it was quite a performance and a lot of time and talent went into it. A special thanks to Jennifer for putting this whole thing together and making it a great experience for my boys and family. My two little owns are still running around the house saying parts from the play. Had someone not known we had been practicing Alice in Wonderland for months they might wonder what we are teaching our kids because Ridge runs around the house saying "off with your head". Enjoy the pictures!

Awesome Jennifer!!!

Alice

Mad Hater and March Mare

White Rabbit

Queen of Hearts

King of Hearts

Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum

Flowers & Catapiller

Fun Fun Fun!!!!

Trey's Track & Field Day

2010-05-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

Well Parowan had their Track and Field Day and this is the first year Trey was able to compete. So he was so excited. He made it to the finals in 50 Meter, 100 Meter, High Jump, and the Relay Race. He placed 2nd in all the events, except his relay team placed 3rd. I was glad I was able to take the afternoon off work to go watch him. Great Job Trey!!!

Handing off to Remington.

Nice Running Bud!

Trey & Porter

Trey & Friends.

Baseball Season Once Again

2010-05-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

Well once again Baseball is in full swing (at least on days it doesn't snow). They have had to cancel at least 4 games so far due to the snow and I keep hoping all the white stuff will stay gone until next fall, but so far no luck. Trey is on Jense Electric and was glad Jim is sponsoring his team this year. Easton is on M&D and I am his coach. Then I am playing on a coed softball team with Colby in Cedar and it has been a lot of fun. I was really nervous wondering if I could play with my shoulder or not. I hurt it about 8-9 mths ago and have been working it every since trying to get it back so I could play. It has been a long time coming and I was starting to worry if I was going to end up with surgery, but it seems to be holding its own so far. Every year Parowan has a big opening ceremony where they introduce the kids and coaches. Everyone gets free hot-dogs,drinks, and chips and then they have the first game of the season. This year I helped in the concession stands. Looking forward to a fun season!!!

Trey's Team Jense Electric

My Team M&D Frogs!!!!

Helping in concessions.

The kids.

Nice stop Trey!

Trey - Getting ready to Bat.

Sunny San Francisco

2010-05-06T15:48:00.000-07:00

Well I went to San Francisco in April and saw Wicked which I loved. While we were there seeing that performance they had a little trouble with the mic and we ended up getting free tickets to come back. So this time I talked Jim into coming with me. It was soooooo good to spend some time alone with Jim. I hate leaving the kids and it is such a pain to get babysitters and arrange everything, but we were past due for a trip with just the us.

Our first stop was to see "Wicked". Don't tell anyone, but Jim even liked it. If you have not seen it you are missing out. It is a great show.

The next morning we headed to Alcatraz.

Row of cells.

The Lunch Room. Part of the reason Alcatraz was closed was due to cost of up keep.

Whats left of the Wardens House.

Jim in the isolation cell.

The rooms were tiny just enough room for a bed to drop down, toilet, and sink.

That night we headed to Peter Pan. I was excited to see this because it was 3-D. I have never seen anything like that before. The 3-D was really cool, but I was really disappointed in Tinker Bell.

The next morning we walked down to the Golden Gate Bridge. The following pictures are from our walk and at the bridge.

After we spent sometime at the Golden Gate Bridge we headed to the Science Museum. I love watching the jelly fish and other than the Museum was really crowded it was a lot of fun.

Of course a trip to San Francisco would not be complete without eating at Bubba Gumps. We had to eat here twice we loved it so much!!!!

A special thanks to all those who helped with the kids and made this trip possible.

Relay -4-Life

2010-04-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

Well it was time once again for Relay-4-Life. Cedar's Relay-4-Life gets better every year. We had a really good turnout and for once the weather was not freezing.

My co-worker Cheryl was on the committee and does such a great job as our cancer support go to girl.

The first lap was walked by survivors and care givers together and it was such a joy to be among so many of my fellow patients and their families. They have been and will continue to be such an inspiration to me. They are so strong and full of hope it is a pleasure to serve them. The following are just some random pictures from the event.

My co-worker Mats cute kids

Another crazy co-worker (Tiff) & (Matt)

Brock & Easton

I was so busy taking pictures and running around I kinda just left Jim with kids. Thanks Jim for always being such a good sport and supporting me in all I do!!!!!!

Team Parowan always raises the most money. Their goal was $5,000.00 but the last day they decided to raise it to $7,000.00. Each year they have a cool theme and matching shirts for their team. This year their theme was we are H.O.T.T.T. (Helping Others Through Though Times). Great Job Team Parowan!!!!!!

They had several different types of entertainment going on. Some of them were bouncy houses for the kids, several dance groups, a live band, you could tie dye your t-shirt, etc.

So in the end we will never give up the fight!!!!!!!!!!!

A Day for Dad!

2010-04-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

***Picture Overload***

Well let me just start off saying that Jim is not into wrestling. He does not enjoy sitting at a meet all day long to watch the boys wrestle for maybe a few minutes (coming from a family of wrestling I on the other love it). When I first told him I was going to sign the boys up for wrestling he said you are not, so since then he has come a long way and is a more supportive of them. With the meets being on Saturdays it keeps our weekends tied up all season. We had a break in wrestling last weekend and the kids and I decided it would be fun to surprise dad and plan a fun day for him. We told him we were going stay home and clean the house. I secretly got lunches, camo-packs, and everything we needed loaded in the car then Trey and Easton ran a (cheesy) note in to Dad. It said:

We don't want to work. We are ready to play,
So grab a jacket. Today is family day.

Moms got everything packed & we're ready to go.
We're hoping for good weather. We don't want it to snow.

Wear some good shoes we may do some walking.
And its hard to hear a dead man talking.

So climb aboard and have on good socks.
Cuz' everyone knows the JENSE FAMILY ROCKS!

We started our day at Virgin. It was fun for the kids to feed the animals carrots and get some good photos.

Ridge & Aspyn

Easton & Aspyn

Aspyn

"Hold Em Up"

Yee Haw!!!

Ridge

Then we headed into Zions and spent the day hiking and climbing. We had a ball, but it was packed. We avoided to people and did not go on any trial we just blazed our own. The kids loved it.

It is so beautiful there!

Ridge & Aspyn keep looking in the holes trying to see if something was in there.

Easton Climbing

Jim Climbing.

The Family Zion National Park 2010

Being Silly!

Trey Climbing.

After lunch and some hiking around Zions were headed to Grafton, Utah. Trey has been learning about ghost towns at schools and has been wanting to visit one for sometime. The kids had a lot of fun reading and exploring the little town of Grafton.

Ridge

Jim & Easton

Trey

All in all it was a fun day as a family and we just want to say thanks Dad for putting up with the long wrestling season and being a good sport. We love you and appreciate all you do for us!!!!!!

Jazz Game

2010-03-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

Well for Jims Birthday we headed up to the Jazz Game and had some great fun. A special thanks to Jims sister Amy for helping us out with Ridge and Aspyn so we could enjoy the game. The boys had a great time and we look forward to going every year.

The Jazz Car

Getting Ready for the Pre Show!

The Boys!

Easton was so tired!

Ramette Review

2010-03-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

Well after all the posting of sporting events we better shake things up a bit. Aspyn had a dance performance at the Rammette Review the other night, and she did great. She just loves to dance and we had to stay and watch all the other girls dance as well (Oh Joy)! I don't know why it is so much eaiser for me to sit at a wrestling meet all day than at a dance recital. But Aspyn had the time of her life. Good Job Aspyn. We love you!!!!

What a Wicked Weekend

2010-03-12T12:12:00.000-08:00

I have been looking forward to this weekend for a long time now and it was such a blast. I headed up to Meadow on Thurs evening and picked up Lisa and Monica. Then we traveled to Lehi where we meet Jen and Joanna. We loaded the buses and left for San Francisco Thurs night. My sister in-law planned this trip and was going to rent one bus. Well that bus filled in about 3 days so she went ahead and got another bus and filled it as well. So we had a total of 112 girls that took the trip with us. Our room held 6 people and Leann was going to go with our group, but it ended up being her daughters Jr. Prom so she was not able to attend. We missed you Leann. On our way up to catch the bus we got a phone call asking if we would mind if a girl joined our group. We were excited to have another person with us and she fit right in. She is from Lehi & it was really fun to have her join us. We stopped at Lake Tahoe for a quick potty break and I am excited to come back for a week with our family the end of May to spend some more time here. Then we continued on to San Francisco.

We stopped at the Golden Gate Bridge and it was so nice to get out and walk around for awhile. Our legs (well everyones except mine. Short legs are good for some things!) got so cramped. The bridge was really cool and everyone (but me) got some great pictures. I had left my camera for Jim because Easton was devastated I was missing his wrestling matches so I had to leave the camera for Jim to get some picture of the boys. So all the pictures I have on here were taken by my fellow friends who were nice enough to share with me. We left to bridge to go to our hotel, get showered, and off to go see Wicked. It was such a great show and we all really enjoyed it.

After a few quick hours of sleep we headed to Alcatraz first thing Saturday morning. Alcatraz was really interesting and I liked the audio tour, but I don't think I would pay to take my family there unless they were older. After the tour to Alcatraz we headed to Bubby Gumps for a great meal. I got the "shrimp heaven" and it was sooooooooo good. I had to send a picture to my husband so he could be jealous. After we got some food in our system it was time to shop......We had a great time shopping, visiting, and of course people watching. Around Christmas time I posted about the snow globes we received in memory of Jims mom (Norma who passed away shortly after Aspyn was born). She collected them and we decided we would add one to the collection each year in memory of her. I figured since I was on a trip with his family this would be a great time to buy a globe for our collection. So in memory of Norma and our girls trip to Wicked this is the one I ended up with.

Then we loaded the bus and faced the long ride back home. All in all it was a short but fun girls weekend and well needed. Thanks to Jeanna for putting this whole thing together and all my friends who made it that much more fun. We will probably be doing it again next year so if you were not able to go this year maybe next time you can come.

Wrestling Juab Saturday Feb 27th

2010-02-28T18:32:00.000-08:00

Well this last weekend we headed to Juab for some more wrestling. It was so fun to see Lisa and her kids. I wish we lived a little closer. Our kids would have so much fun together. Trey did not wrestle, but Easton took first and did a great job. Trey had a friend Tyler who has never wrestled and only been to a couple practices. He came with us and we are so proud of him. He did great and loved it. Great Job Tyler!!!

Easton

Easton w/ a pin.

Smiley Easton

Father and Son.
Jer & Bryson

Take that! Bryson wrestling.

The Boys!

Trey & Tyler

Good Job Tyler!

New Beginnings

2010-02-28T15:29:00.000-08:00

Well Sunday the 21st was the New Beginnings program in Kanosh Ward and I was asked to come and be the motivation/guest speaker. I was honored to come and talk to these wonderful young women and it was such a good experience for me. I hope they got as much out of it as I did. They had it decorated so cute and I love the new theme song for this year "Strong and Courageous".

Megan & Shantel (my cute cousins)

They had balloons tied to each value banner.

The girls singing "Strong and Courageous"

Bantum Wrestling 2010 Begins

2010-02-24T21:04:00.000-08:00

Well Trey just barely decided he wanted to wrestle this year. The first meet was Saturday Feb 20th at Parowan. Trey did well and he loved every minute of it. Easton is off to a rough start, but he did not give up and we are so proud of him. Here are some pictures from the event.

Choas before event.

Buddies

EASTON

Easton never gave up.

Ride & Aspyn

TREY

Nice!

State Wrestles, Hunting Expo, and Family Visit.

2010-02-22T18:20:00.000-08:00

Well we headed up to Lehi to stay with some of Jims family for the weekend. Jim went to the hunting expo while I went to the State Wrestles. It was such a fun weekend and ended way to soon. Thomas took State and Keith took 5th. Millard took 1st. Way to go Eagles & great job Kesler boys!!!!!

Easton & Megan

Keith never wrestled on the mat right in front of us so this is the only picture I got, but great job Keith 5th place.

Several of the Millard boys wore this KS on their leg for a senior wrestler from Delta who was not able to participate after suffering an injury at one of the tournaments. He is walking again and it was good to see him there at State.

Go Thomas!!!!

Thomas Rocks!!!!

State Champion

Now on to the Hunting Expo. Jims bear was in the taxideremy contest and it took peoples choice. What a great accomplishment for Doug (the taxidermy) He worked so hard on it and it looks awesome. Thanks Doug!

To let the kids burn off some energy I ended up taking them to the park. We had a blast.

Aspyn

Easton

Trey

Ridge

Ridge & Aspyn

Region Wrestling

2010-02-22T15:39:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun watching Kathy and Lloyds two boys at the Region 2A Wrestles this year. Thomas is a senior and Keith is a sophmore. And both of them did great. Thomas ended up 1st at Region and Keith ended up taking 3rd. Great job boys we love watching you guys.

Aspyn & Dak

Keith & Easton

Thomas & Aspyn

Trey & Thomas

Millard Eagles

Painting Nails passing time at the wrestles

Thomas 1st Place

Ridge watching the wrestles.

Quick Foto Shoot

2010-01-22T17:36:00.000-08:00

Well I was wanting to take some pictures and Easton was nice enough to be my model. Here's just a couple pictures from our quick shoot (it was freezing)!

And my Favorite for last!

Operation Cover Up!!!

2010-01-21T12:35:00.000-08:00

Thanks Natalie for posting this. I had not seen it, but remember helping my Grandma Kesler on this service project. It was in 1995 and was called "Operation Cover Up". It is much more real when you actually get to see the joy in the childrens eyes. What a great tribute Brittany did for her dad. We loved Marc and his family when they lived in Kanosh and we were sad to see them move. Thanks for sharing!

Book Giveaway

2010-01-11T09:27:00.001-08:00

Well some of you I have totally shocked by really getting into reading. Yes I read. Now for thoses of you who love to read also Cami is giving away a book everyday this month. You can checkout the deatils here.

http://camicheckettsbooks.blogspot.com/

How Does She Do It???

2010-01-07T09:57:00.001-08:00

Well there have been many many times in my life I have said this phrase. I want to take some time and thank all the "she's" in my life. I look at each and every one of my "she's" and they have all impacted me in one way or another. This year I hope to be more like "she". More like the friend who never talks bad about her husband. More like the friend who never gives up when things get hard. More like the friend who is so in touch with the spirit there is no question in what she should do. More like the friend who cooks dinner and enjoys family conversation around the table. More like the friend who is so patient and understanding with her children. More like the friend who is adventurous and not afraid to try something new. More like the friend whos house is clean and uncluttered. More like the friend who knows whats going on in my life because they are not to busy to keep in touch. More like the friend who enjoys each day to its fullest. So my goal is to take a little away from all the "She's" in my life and be a little better "she" my self. Thanks for the great example you are to me!!!!!!!

Snow Much Fun!!!

2010-01-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun sledding on New Years Day. The kids had a blast.

Easton w/ his sled.

Trey & Ridge

Trey & Aspyn

Ridge has the right idea making Easton push him back up the hill.

Easton

The Kids!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!

2009-12-31T14:56:00.000-08:00

Well this year we had a great Christmas! The older boys got football uniforms (Trey-Steelers & Easton-Cowboys) and a DS. The little ones got a v-smile which they call their DS. Jim got some hunting things (a knife, compass/watch, new socks, flashligt etc.) I got some exercise clothes and then Trey and Easton gave me 3 of the best gift I could ask for (see picture below). Not only did they pick them out all by themselves, but they paid for them by themselves as well. They gave me a plaster football helmet that has a "F" on it. They said the "F" is for families are forever, a Chicago Bears football card (my favorite team), and a cowboy necklace. Thanks guys I love the gifts. You are so thoughtful and I love you both. Travis and his family and Colby and his family came over the day after Christmas and spent the day with us. We had a great time. All the boys went chasing a cougar a friend of ours (Cliff) had tree'd and the girls stayed back and played some fun games. We need to get together more often. We always have so much fun!

Aspyn trying to convince Santa she has been a good girl.

Ridge wanted nothing to do with Santa until he realized Santa would give him some candy. He went and sat on his lap and Santa asked Ridge what he wanted for Christmas Ridge said "I just want the candy" and he point to the sack for Santa to give him. Both Santa and I were laughing .

Ridge got a little tent from Kevins family and he loved it. If you can't find Ridge he is probably hiding out in his tent.

Trey w/ Santa.

Easton w/ Santa.

Trey and Easton with the wonderful gifts they got for me. Thanks Guys!!!!

Kyler has the best aunt ever who gave him some yummy chocholate covered cherries. Yum Yum!!!

Well this picture was taken awhile ago when Aspyn went to St George for a little models photo shoot. Her pictures turned out great and this picture is in the phone book for their advertisement. We finally just hung it where our family photo is sup post to go since we have not gotten a family photo done yet.

Our Christmas Program

2009-12-23T14:57:00.000-08:00

Well we had out Ward Christmas program on the 23rd of December and it went really well. The boys were toys and the girls were dolls. They were wondering why they were being given away, but throughout the program they learned that when the kids were giving them away to someone else on Christmas they were trying to be like Christ and serving others. It was really cute and the kids did a great job.

The Dolls

Toys and Dolls

Nativity Scene

Scouts serving others by shoveling snow.

Jense Family Christmas Party!!!!!!

2009-12-21T05:59:00.000-08:00

I have posted a couple post all at once to try and catch up a little since I have been behind on my blogging. This year the Jense Family Christmas Party was at Jim's sister Jeanna's house in Lehi. It is always so fun to get together and this was no exception. Here are some pictures from the event. Enjoy!

Harley's new wife Kathy is such a sweetheart and my kids love her dearly.

The Beckstrom Family read an inspirational story & we all had lights to help us remember to let the light of Christ into our lives & celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

Jim's mom Norma collected snowglobes for years. The grandkids loved to go in the "Grandma Room" And look at all the snowglobes. All in all I think she had around 56 globes. Well this year Harley divided the globes up between the children and each of the grandchildren got to pick one. So here are the globes we ended up with. It was a very hard yet healing night. My kids were so exicited to get them and everytime they look at them they think of Grandma Jense. Our family decided to get a new globe every year on her birthday to add to our collection. We love and miss you Grandma Jense!!!!!

Thanksgiving!!! (finally posting)

2009-12-21T05:58:00.000-08:00

Well This year we just stayed home for Thanksgiving. We ended up crashing Randi's family Thanksgiving party and appreciate them accepting us as part of their family. Here are a few pictures.

Around the House

2009-12-20T17:28:00.000-08:00

Well I have been slacking on my blogging lately. These are just some fun things that have happened around our house. Trey was playing and when I came out of my bedroom this is what I saw. Thanks Trey!!!! I love you to and your little message made my day!

I love this picture of Ridge, Aspyn and Jim!

Trey was qualified to participate in the Hoop Shoot Contest, but he had just gotten his tonsils out so he didn't go. But Great Job Trey on making it into the contest!

Aspyn loves to color on the computer and wants her own computer for Christmas. This is how I found her.

All in all fun times around the house!!!!

Eastons Adventure!

2009-11-21T15:56:00.000-08:00

When Easton goes with his dad you never know what stories he will come home with. Jim, Craig, and Easton went on a mule ride and Craigs dogs got a cougar tree'd. Easton was so excited. You can see Easton standing with the cougar behind him in the tree. All in all a day he will never forget.

Halloween and Aspyns First Dance

2009-11-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween the kids were: Trey- Army Guy, Easton- Rodeo Clown,
Aspyn- Caterpillar,
& Ridge- Monkey.

This Halloween was also Aspyns first dance performance. It was at the rest home in Parowan. She did a super job. The danced to a trick or treat song, and I'm a little teapot. Great Job Aspyn!!!

Fall Fun

2009-10-18T16:03:00.001-07:00

Well there were a ton of leaves at church today and my kids were dying to play in em. So we came home, got some lunch, and headed back to the church to play in the leaves. So much fun!!!

Fun weekend with Nates Family!

2009-10-11T19:52:00.000-07:00

Well the kids and I headed to Mesquite this weekend to meet up with some of Nate's family. It was so good to see Grandma, Aunt Fern & kids, Uncle James and his beautiful daughter. I wish we could get together more often. This is the first time I have been able to meet Nate's brother James and it was an honor to meet him. We had a great time playing at the park, going to the arts festival, bowling, swimming etc. The weekend went by way to fast and before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye. Thanks for making the long trip to come see us. We love and miss you already. Tell everyone in Belize hello and we hopefully see you again soon.

Alfred and the kids

Uncle James and his precious daughter.

Uncle James helping Aspyn bowl.

Aunt Fern's kids

Aspyn loves bowling!

Trey & Aspyn (Uncle James bought the boys fake tattoos)

Aspyn loved Auntie Fern!

Uncle James and Easton!

Uncle James and the Boys- You can't tell their related.

Scrapbook Class so far.

2009-10-03T19:57:00.000-07:00

So I have started my scrapbook class and I must say at least it keeps me scrappin. It is actually a sketch class where they have a sketch drawing and then you scrapbook your page like the sketch. Here are my pages so far. Some of the pictures will look familiar because I blogged about the activities already. But now they are at least scrapbooked.

Digital Scrapbook Pages

2009-09-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

Well with Ridge being sick (swine flu) and me having to take some time off work I have finally been able to catch up on a few things. I got some canning done. I did some peaches, pears, tomatoes, & salsa. I also got to work on some scrapbooking. It was nice to finally get some scrappin done. It has been a long time since I have been able to do scrapbooking I forgot how much I love it. I just signed up for an online scrapbook class through Got Sketch. Hopefully this will force me to scrapbook more. It starts Monday I am excited to see what it will bring. I am going to start up my once a month scrapbooking parties again if anyone is interested let me know. I am loving digital scrapbooking. It is so much faster! I just need more space on my computer for all my digital kits. Here are some of the pages I got finished.

Jense Family - Flag Football

2009-09-13T17:04:00.001-07:00

Well Trey is so excited for flag football. He keeps asking everyday if his coach has called yet. We still have not heard from his coach so we decided to have our own game of flag football. I was wondering what Jim was doing when he came out of the house with several pairs of socks, but he had a great time and Trey was extremely happy. It is so much fun to spent time together as a family and I had to laugh. One of our neighbors asked his wife why we had socks hanging out of our pants.

Best Buddies!

Trey gaining yardage!

Easton going for a touchdown!

Even Ridge and Aspyn had fun!

Go Team Jense!

Country Girl!

2009-09-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

Well I am sorry that she is in a diaper and her hair is falling out, but these pictures were to cute to pass up. Aspyn loves the horses and mules and she has to go out and help feed. What can I say she is just a country girl at heart.

Monday Matters- Thanks-BRO!

2009-09-01T09:55:00.001-07:00

Colby: I know you hate this kind of stuff so hopefully we will still be close after this post.

I need to tell someone thank you that is long over due. That is my brother Colby. He is the best brother I could have asked for and I have not told him enough how much I appreciate him and all he has done for me in my life. Long ago when I was small I fell off my bike and Colby came running to wipe away my tears and make sure I was ok. We here it is almost 30 years since then but when I called Colby crying he was right their wiping my tears making sure I was ok (everythings fine just had a bad day). Thank you Randi for being supportive and willing to share him. With all that Colby and I have been through we have a special bond. We are very close and always have been no matter how many miles apart we lived. And now that I am back in the Cedar area it is and honor to be known as Colbys little sister. I am proud of you and the person you have become. I love you Colby and think the world of you. Thanks for being the only stable thing in my life. You are my ROCK. The one I have looked up to, and turned to for direction & support. You are the best brother anyone could have asked for and I am glad I was lucky enough to have you as mine because without you I would have never made it!!!!!!!!!

My brother with two good friends (Spencer,Morgan,& Colby)

My Brother is an Eagle Scout!

His favorite horse "Little Joe"

Clowns at the 24th July parade (Travis, Colby and Brandy)

We spent many hours riding the 3 wheeler.

I was born with brown hair and you were born with blonde and then we switched.

Halloween!

Thanks for Everything!

MY ROCK!

Trey's New Bow

2009-08-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

Well Trey finally got his new bow for his birthday and his is so excited. His is shooting very well with it and actually hit several bulls eyes his first time out practicing. He is getting used to the trigger (not sure the correct terminology for archery and Jim's not home to ask) and loves to go shooting with Jim.

Fall Ball

2009-08-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

Well Fall Softball Season has started. During the spring ball season I would always slide face first, but last night I slide feet first. Never again. I would much rather spit rocks out than pluck them out from underneath my skin.
(Shortly after it happened)

(After it got cleaned up)

Monday Matters (Week 2)

2009-08-24T05:10:00.000-07:00

I have broken Monday Matters up into two areas one for the family and then one as a personal goal for me to work on. Well today since we just planted 7 trees outside in the yard. (Book recommended to plant a tree). I decided our Monday matters is to attack our play room and pass on the toy that were broken to the trash and those we out grew or no longer played with to the DI so other kids could enjoy them. Our play room looks great and you can actually play in there now. YEA!
The Floor!

The Closet!

For my personal goal I am going to work on patience. It seemed I was short with Jim and the kids all weekend so today I am going to try and be better!

Great To Be Eight!

2009-08-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

Well this year we (the primary presidency) decided to hold a "Its Great to be Eight" party for all those kids who have just turned eight (and not been baptized) or are going to turn eight so we introduce them to all the fun programs they get to be involved in and give them an introduction to baptism. I handmade the invitations so they would be a little more personalized and we had a lot of fun.

We decorated in the primary colors of red, blue, and yellow. Sister Edwards did a great job with these cookie vase center pieces (idea off www.sugardoodle.net)

that each child got to take home with them. Then bishop gave a demonstration of his interview with them and the questions he will ask. We also had the achievement day leader and the scout leader come and talk about the fun things they do. Then 1st counselor talked about the gospel in action program, and we had someone talk on baptism and someone demonstrate the proper hand hold and bending your knees to be baptized. At the end we played a fun game. I made a 12x12 scrapbook page for each of the kids with their pictures on it and 8 facts about them.

We had some balloons with a number attached to it and they would each get a balloon and we would ask them a question and then they would have to answer which one of the kids that question related to than sit on the balloon to see if they were right. It was a fun way to end a great night. We finished up with some cupcakes (I got finished just in time thanks to some help from Tiff but I must say they turned out great)and ice cream.

The kids also got to keep a little bag with a picture of Jesus surrounded by the children to help remind them how much Jesus love us. I think the night was a great success and the kids and their families seemed to really enjoy it.

NOTHING TO DO WITH GREAT TO BE 8 BUT IT WAS A TAG ABOUT THINGS OF 8 SO I POSTED WITH THIS
Lisa Woodland tagged me awhile ago and since it went along with the 8 theme I stuck it in here.

8 things to look forward to:
1. Eternal life and seeing those who have passed on again.
2. Being a mom -I love both the joys and hardships that come along with it.
3. Being a wife. I love my husband and look forward to each new day with him.
5. Taking classes to continue to learn and grow.
6. Spending time with my family and friends.
7. A Good Book - I recommend "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins(Believe it or not I am hooked on reading now if I can just get the running bug I will be set)
8. Camping with the family. What can I say we love the outdoor and camping.
(What no scrapbook??? I have got to get my priorities in order!!!!

8 things I did this Weekend
1. Coached a soccer game
2. Went to church
3. Worked on Invitations for Its Great to be 8 Program
4. Watched a movie with the family
5. Cleaned up the house
6. Went out to eat
7. Visited a neighbor in Summit
8. Made Treys pinewood derby car

8 things I wish I could do.
1. Be more organized
2. Manage my time better
3. Keep a cleaner house
4. Take better pictures
5. Play the guitar
6. Enjoy running
7. Understand the scriptures better
8. Scrapbook more

8 TV shows I watch:
1. Grey's and a few Jazz games if I catch one on.

8 places I would travel
1.Italy
2.Alaska
3.Germany
4.Ireland
5.Africa
6.Rome
7.Japan
8.France

8 people I tag:
1. Mindi Frost
2. Wendy Higgs
3. Amy Carter
4. Tami Cole
5. Tiffani Schmidt
6. Jen Coy
7. Lisa Teeples
8. Anyone that wants to be tagged

Monday Matters - The List

2009-08-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

Well I bought a book called "Every Monday Matters 52 Ways to make a difference" and since we already have FHE on Monday I though it would be a great idea to bring this in with it as well. So today is my first day of Monday Matters they want you to make a list of the things that matter most. Is that where you're spending most of your time?????? Time is a non-renewable resource. Once its gone its gone.
It just gets you thinking about what really matters and where your priorities should be. I swear it is so easy to get caught up in this fast paced world just going with the flow sometimes we need to just step back and say wait a minute what am I doing.

Here is my list of what matters most to me.
What Matters MOST!!!

* Family
* Faith
* Friends
* Health
* Career

Primary Party

2009-08-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

We had our Summit Primary Party and thank goodness for visitors! I think we ended up with 21 kids there. Which is a great turn out for our super small primary. We had a good time and the kids had a lot of fun. A big thanks to all who helped.

24th July - Kanosh

2009-07-29T04:05:00.000-07:00

(I could not sleep last night so I finally got a chance to catch up my blog we have just been to busy. So I have a few new posts.)

I just love the 24th of July it is one of my favorite holidays. This year was even better because Jim was actually here. He is usually gone scouting and never here for the 24th, but this year he stayed. Kanosh goes all out for the 24th of July and has activities going on almost all day. It starts off that morning with a 5K run which Sara took first in her age group. Then there is the best little parade ever. After the parade there is a lunch at the park followed by games and races. To finish off the day there is a BBQ dinner and dance with a live band. I love to see the kids having fun and building the same memories I grew up with. Every year it gets bigger and bigger.

Jim about killed me for this one. This has been my new hobby is making tutus. I have had a lot of fun and Aspyn loves em. The one Ridge has on is for Aspyns cousin. Aspyn was gone and came back with her lovely make up she put on so she could be pretty for the picture.

Aspyn in her red, white and blue tutu.

The girls in their tutus.

I love this picture of Randi & Kyler.

Brock was not so lucky in the egg toss.

Shantel & Trey (Egg Toss Winners)

Bailey won her race

Brock won his race

Trey & Bailey Tug-O-War

Tildon & Easton

Going for a ride on the buggy

Greased Pig Chase

Troy & Aspyn clean up well for the dance.

Aspyn loved dancing!

What a fun way to end a great day by dancing the night away!

Oquirrh Mountain Temple and Aquarium

2009-07-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

We (Our family, Travis's family, Colby's family, and Spencer's family) headed up north to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house. I love to go to the temples. It is always so beautiful and peaceful. I had promised the kids if they were good we could get a treat after wards. Well we had barely exited the temple doors when Easton yelled "Lets go get a pepsi". Leave it to Easton to tell it like it is. After the temple we headed to the Aquarium in Sandy the kids really enjoyed the exhibits there and loved the touch pool with the sting rays.
Oquirrh Mountain Temple

EEL

Sting Ray touch pool

Jelly Fish

Portland- Carols Wedding

2009-07-29T02:20:00.000-07:00

Carol and I have been friend since before we could talk and I am so happy to see her married to a wonderful man. They are such a cute family and Cam just love Ian. I know how hard it is to find not only a spouse, but someone willing to be an automatic dad. Ian it takes someone special to fill that roll and you just fell right into place. It is so good to see Carol so happy and Cam have the daddy he deserves. I wish you guys the best as you start your future together.
Wendy, Lisa, and I flew up to attend the wedding and it was so much fun. I am not going to go into details, but when you get three crazy women (and Jen meet us up there, Her and her husband made a trip of it)away from their kids and stresses of being a mom anythings bound to happen;) We did a little shopping, went to Multnomah Falls, and took in a late night movie. Good times!
Mr & Mrs Ian Graham

The Girls (Wendy, Lisa, Me, & Jen)

Lisa, Jen, Carol, Me, & Wendy

Multnomah Falls

Ceiling of Healing

2009-07-23T05:26:00.000-07:00

Every year Intermountain employees have to set goals and fulfill them in the year. Well it has been over a year now since I presented one of my goals. I wanted to have the local school kids draw pictures on canvas and attach them to the ceiling so when our patients get there treatments they can look at the inspiring art work rather than a white ceiling. This goal was by far one of the hardest (yet my most fulfilling) I have done. It was not bad once I got into the painting and going to the schools, but trying to get through all the red tape up until that point was crazy. All in all it will be an ongoing goal and I will focus on about 3-4 schools a year. Here is want it looks like so far and our patients love it.

ViVa LaS VeGaS !!!!!

2009-07-08T23:58:00.000-07:00

***(Sorry for the long post)***
Wow did we have a great time in Vegas. We did several activities while we were there and had a blast.

Aspyn saw Excaliber and would yell "Mom my castle" so we had to get a picture of Aspyn and her castle.

****M&M WORLD

****CHILDRENS MUSEUM
The Childrens Museum was great. They were having "Grossology" and it discussed everything from where farts and burps come from to name that smell. It was very educational and gross. They kids loved it though.
This guy "Mr Nose it all" was teaching about colds and runny noses. He talked about where colds and runny nose come from and then he would have a big blob of snot fall out of his nose. All the kids would yell "YUCK"!

Kids size operation table

This guy was a belching machine. You would crank the handle up and down to get him to drink and the harder you cranked the harder he belched. Again the kids loved it:)

Layers of skin climbing wall

Some of the other areas in the Museum were:

Worker Area

Painting Area

Bubble Area.

Hurricane Machine which blew wind up to 100 MPH. The older kids loved it, but just look at poor Ridges face. He was not a fan of the hurricane.

Kids Radio Area and of course my kids had to perform.

Firefighter Area

Mechanic Area

They had several other things as well. All in all we spend over 5 hrs there and had a great time.

****TAHAITI VILLAGE (where we stayed)
Had a lazy river and a pool which had an area of beach. It was so much fun to just relax. The little ones had a ball on the beach digging and playing in the sand. And the older ones loved playing freesbie and water guns. Aspyn and Ridge love to float the lazy river by themselves and did not want you to touch their tube.

Aspyn

Brock

Easton

Bailey & Trey

Kyler

Brock, Bailey, Easton, Ridge, Trey & Aspyn. I'm not so sure why my kids look so ticked. We had a great time - I Promise.

****LION KING
Randi, Bailey, Brock, Trey, Easton and I went to the broadway show "Disneys - The Lion King". What can I say this was fantastic and yes Allen I finally saw my first broadway show. It will be the first of many. We loved it!

****Rainforest Cafe
And of course we can't go to Vegas without eating at the Rainforest Cafe.

We finished up the week with some back to school shopping and of course enjoyed some of the fireworks. All in all we had a great time and look forward to another week long adventure where ever we may go.

Kesler Reunion - Fish Lake 2009

2009-06-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Well every year we have the Kesler Family Reunion at Fish Lake. This year was once again a lot of fun. Jim went scouting for sheep in Idaho so I had the four kids by myself. I want to give a big thanks to everyone who helped me I could not have done it with out you. Travis and Sara took all the kids and filled up some water balloons and went in the boat with their pirate flag flying high to attack the other boats. The kids were so excited and ended up throwing their balloons way to soon. Kevin and Robyns boat saw them coming and immediately hosted their pirate flag and were ready. Needless to say they had a ton of fun and the kiddos ended up soaked. Another highlight is the fishpond Pam and Lloyd do every year. The kids love it and have great fun with the toys. It was a weekend of food, family, and fun what more could you ask for.

Birds

2009-06-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows I hate birds. So it was no wonder why I screamed when Jim held this little guy right at my face while I was reading a book and not paying attention. He is cute and was stuck in the garage. We let the kids get a close look at him before we turned him loose.

Lehmans Cave

2009-06-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

Well this weekend we headed to Lehmans Cave and had a ball. It was actually snowing a little bit on top of Wheeler peak. Trey and Easton did the Jr ranger program and had to look for different types of trees, and other education stuff. The kids loved the cave and it was a awesome day with the family.

This was the biggest dump truck I have ever seen. The two part hook together.

Wheeler Peak Campground- We want to come back and camp here.

This is an old car we found.

Lehmans Cave

The kids loved this it is called bacon.

The family inside the cave.

Cub Scout Day Camp

2009-06-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

Well I am glad it is over, but it was a great success. They were almost 500 kids at this years day camp (only 8-9 yr olds). This is far more than they have had in the past and I sure am glad a gentleman up there had an air pump for my balloons. I had no idea there were that many kids that age. Trey helped me with the balloons in the morning and then participated in the camp that afternoon. I had a blister on my finger from tying so many balloons, but I got very speedy at making balloon animals for the Cub Scouts! They got shoot BB guns, Bows, play games, story time, crafts etc. It was a lot of fun. Special thanks to Jim for running back into Cedar for more balloons.

F.H.E.

2009-06-15T09:40:00.001-07:00

We had a really fun family home evening last Monday. We went on a treasure hunt and each clue had a letter on the back. The very last clue was a certificate for bowling. Then we had to figure out what word the clues spelled to see what the lesson was about. It spelled out TEAMWORK. We headed to the car and on our way to Cedar we talked about how it took teamwork for us to find each clue and figure out the secret word. It is the same in our family. It takes teamwork for our family to run smooth. We talked about our different roles and how when one of us is slacking it talks a toll on the whole family. (You get the picture). To stay on the teamwork theme we did team bowling. Easton would bowl a ball and then Trey would try and knock the rest down. Aspyn would bowl a ball and then I would try and knock the rest down, And Ridge and Jim. We had to work together to get a better score. It was one of our best FHE's yet and I actually think the kids understood the lesson.

New Moon Trailer

2009-06-01T06:09:00.000-07:00

(I can't wait)!!!

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Cards for Primary (CC Please)

2009-05-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

Well I am trying to make some we missed you cards for primary that we can send the kids when they miss. This is what I have so far. I want to get some feedback before printing them so please let me know what you think of these. If you have any clever sayings for sorry we missed you do share.

We spotlight a child each week in primary and when they get spotlighted we wanted to give them a certificate to take to the bishop for a special treat. So this is what I came up with. I wanted to try and stay on this years theme of "Eternal Families" but something fun for the kids.

Fiesta Fun!

2009-05-29T08:26:00.001-07:00

I should have posted this awhile ago, but have not got around to doing it. Several weeks ago Tyson had his mission farewell. We were planning on going and stopping at Lagoon on the way up to Logan. We did not end up going and the kids were bummed. So we went to Fiesta Fun in St. George. It was no Lagoon, but the kids had fun so thats what counts. We had fun on the bumper boats, and Trey and I could have stayed at the batting cages all day.

The little kids liked the soft play inside and who doesn't like arcade games? We had fun, but missed Tysons farewell and going to Lagoon. Good Luck on your mission Tyson. Thanks for setting a great example to my kids:)

This Picture of Ridge cracks me up!

What can I say she loves to pose for the camera!

A friend in the garden.

2009-05-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

Well we were out working in the garden the other day and almost stepped on this little guy.

(Disclaimer: Aspyn's hair was pulled back in a pony and she pulled it out. I was laughing when I saw the picture.)

The kids loved to watch him jump and play. They wanted to keep him, but we returned him to the garden area and hopefully we will continue to see him around.

End of 2008-2009 School Year

2009-05-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

Well Easton graduated from Kindergarten. He is such a sweet little guy and always smiling. Some of the good things his teachers have said about him is: "If he ends up missing I have stole him. I love him to death. He is the sweetest boy ever." "Easton is such a joy to have in class and he is kind to everyone." "Easton stand up for others when they are being teased and he encourages those who need a little help." Easton I hope you had a great year in Kindergarten. You have grown and learned so much. We are so proud of you keep up the hard work! Their program was adorable and to see all those kids waving their American Flags and singing "God Bless the USA" almost brought tears to my eyes.
With Easton being in all day Kindergarten he had two great teachers this year. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. Here he is with his morning teacher Mrs. Mathews.

For Teacher Appreciation this year we made candy grams for each of their teachers and they loved em.

If you can read it it says:
Being you student was "mounds" of fun. You helped me be a "smartie" and get high "scor"'s. Sometimes I am an "airhead", but you are always an "extra" "sweettart" to me. Thats why I am going to tell "Mr. Whatchmacallit" (Porter) you deserve a bonus of "100 grand" on "payday". Then you can go on a shopping "spree" to "5th ave". I hope summer is not to much of a "fastbreak". "Take 5" mins for yourself, "u-no" a teacher out weighs a ton of books. (Gift Certificate to Barnes and Noble)

Thank You all the Teachers out there for all you do!!!!

More great deals at Albies.

2009-05-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

Once again Albies had 3 double coupons in its add this week. This is a great way to save some extra money on your shopping. These can be used many different ways, but this is how I choose to use my double coupons.

I bought
3 hefty storage bags @ $2.00/each
I used
3 manufacture coupons for $1.00 off each
3 Albies coupons for another $1.00 off each.
Total
$6.00 (products) - $6.00 (coupons)= 0 + .36 tax.

I bought
3 Edge save gel @ $1.50/each
I used
3 maufacture coupon for .75 off each
3 Albies coupons for another .75 off each
Total
$4.50(product) - $4.50(coupons)= 0 + .27 tax

I bought
3 French mustard $1.50 each
I used
3 manufacture coupons .75 off each
3 Albies couponsfor another .75 off each
Total
$4.50(products) - $4.50(coupons) = 0 + .07 tax

I bought
1 French mustard $1.50
2 Scotch Brite sponge $1.00/each
1 Edge shave gel $1.50
I used
1 maufacture coupon .75 off mustard
1 scotch brite coupon .75 off 2
1 maufacture coupon .75 off Edge
3 Albie coupon .75 off
Total
$5.00(products) - $4.50(coupons) = .50 + .22 tax = .72

So I ended up with
6 Boxes Hefty storage bags
7 Bottles Shaving gel
4 Bottles Mustard
2 Scotch Pads
Total = $30.50 (product)
- $30.00(coupons)
+ 2.18 (tax)
----------------
$2.68