Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy? New Year's Eve

Since I have spent 6 hours at the hospital today, and have only been home for 1/2 an hour, this will be quick. Wynn & Gary both got their nose straightened today. Yes, they chose this date simply for insurance reasons & because they didn't want it done on Christmas Eve. All went well, and now, they will be able to breathe, something Wynn has never been able to do, & Gary not since he broke his nose so many times in wrestling. So my celebrating will be spent taking care of them. Thank goodness neither of them are the whiney, sick male type. They just deal with it quietly & recover quickly. That's how I can handle both of them doing this at the same time. And they took care of me last year, so.....

2008 was a good year for us, not so much for the country or world. May 2009 be everything you need it to be. Love ya, from our house to yours.

Now I better go check on the men folk.

Monday, December 29, 2008

You're finally 7

We took down all the Christmas decorations on Saturday because...today is Tanner's birthday!!! We used to leave them up until January 2nd, but we want his birthday to be just that, his birthday, seperate from Christmas. This year neither have been very exciting for him. He woke up Christmas morning with a fever & has been sick ever since, so has been heavily medicated, but still played with his toys while awake. He seems to be doing better today, and is playing with Lexie with all his toys. He wants to build a snowman with all the snow we've gotten lately, but going outside & getting wet & cold would probably not be the best idea.

Tanner is our youngest & so (as Gary says) our most spoiled, since he has older siblings with money. They all get him birthday presents as well. He seems much older than he is most of the time, because of being raised with older children I believe. He is a few grades higher on all levels in school & extemely smart, but every once in a while he says or does something that reminds us that, yes, he is just a little boy....


This summer I was cooking dinner & asked the kids what vegetable they wanted. Tanner asked, "Could we have melted corn? That's my favorite!" I told him sure, but had to turn away I was laughing so hard. Melted corn? Really? I had never thought of creamed corn that way before. But think about it, isn't that what it would look like to a little child? To this day it is called melted corn in our house. I will have to be sure this next year to print more 'Tannerisms' so we don't forget them. He is so wise in his childlike/grownup way.


We love you Tanner!!! Happy Birthday!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

Here is some Christmas music (2) & pictures to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas.




Lexie and her friend Rachael, accompanied by Emily, singing 'Estrella de Luz' for their Spanish class program.
(they didn't have the microphone very high so I don't know how well you can hear them. They did very well though.)





Morgan played 'Jingle Bell Rock' with her piano teacher, Janette Peterson, at her house for the piano recital yesterday. She did so well.






Every year we get a real tree. This isn't a very good picture, but the kids decorate it with lots of love & tradition.




The nativity under the tree isn't showing, but here is the nativity in the living room.



Have a very Merry Christmas everyone!

From our house to yours.


Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Catching up #5--The wedding

On November 21, 2008 Andy Jenkins & Leza Farmer were married in the Logan Temple. The day before we had hurricane force winds, I swear. As I was driving Tanner & myself to school, he said, I hope it isn't doing this tomorrow, it will ruin the whole wedding. His little prayers for this were answered as we had a BEAUTIFUL day for a wedding, even though it was the end of November & just a week before Thanksgiving.

Here are a few pictures Drew took of that day:

Andy & Leza at my house ready to head to the luncheon




View from the back of the luncheon (I had 6 very wonderful friends help me with serving the luncheon, but I didn't realize noone got a picture of them. They were Debbe Balling, Jennifer Stenquist, Vicki Nielson, Alice Lucherini & MaryAnne Essig. Thank you my very wonderful friends/sisters)




With the parents at the luncheon



The most important event of the day had just happened. Coming out of the Logan Temple as Brother & Sister Jenkins


With both families (it was cool/cold in the shadows, but perfect in the sun)


With parents and grandparents from both sides


I love this one of the rings and bouquet


In front of the Logan Temple


Our family at the reception
She had her aunt make a grooms cake for him out of my (his favorite) carrot cake recipe as a surprise



The cake, made by her aunt

Friday, December 19, 2008

Oh, the weather outside is frightful....

Working for the school, I get a Christmas break with my kids. Mine started yesterday, which gives me (including weekends) 18 days off!! My kids are at school right now, therefore getting only 16 days off. Tanner & I went to a program for Lexie's spanish class yesterday morning at 8:30, before his school, (will have that posted later), and it was all of -4* outside on the car thermometer!!! Yes, you read that right, 4* below 0! & my car always matches the radio & reader boards in town. I am not a cold weather person. I came home & curled up in a blanket & watched sappy movies.

Today I have visiting teaching at 10:30. So I got ready & took Tanner to school around 8:40 even though I'm not working. All morning it looked to be a nice morning even though they were predicting heavy snows. It had started snowing around Provo, but not here yet. Until 2 minutes before we were to leave that is!! Then it started an instant blizzard. It is only about 1 1/2 miles to the school from my house, 3 miles round trip. IT TOOK ME HALF AN HOUR!!!! And I am still going visiting teaching. I am not a snow on the roads person either! Thank goodness it is all just right here in the neighborhood.

Thank goodness Andy & Leza got home safely (at 12:16am) from their 3 day trip to Las Vegas. Yes, they were there for the famous 3 1/2 inches of snow stuck on the ground in Vegas. But Drew is in Ephriam/Manti for her roommates (from Snow) wedding today. She went down last night & is supposed to be coming home tonight. She has 4 brand new tires & lots of relatives & friends houses along the way home to stop if it is still nasty. Now I know how my mom felt when Wynn & I would take a trip in the wild Wyoming winters. Sorry mom.

Oh the weather outside is frightful....

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Catching up--in addition to...

Drew has some pictures from her camera that she felt should be shared, so here they are...

This is her favorite picture of Gary at Halloween:




These are pictures Drew caught of Morgan opening the birthday present she gave her:










It is the Twilight sound track. I think she was a bit excited!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Catching up #4---You are the scariest undead thing, and I really mean that

Halloween 2008 at the Jenkins'. It seems long because of all the pictures, but it's pretty fast to scroll through. AND you wouldn't want to miss our favorite, we saved it until last. Enjoy.

This year it was warm enough that this is just how they went, no coats, no jackets of any kind. They loved it.

Tanner, the brave knight with me ready to go to school





As the red power ranger ready to get some treats





Lexie the vampire, nobody recognized her at school




Morgan, the woods nymph? (found out later they might not be a good thing to copy. better research next year) But isn't she cute?


Drew, the gothic vampiress:

Her true self?


Every year Gary will dress up as whatever we, as girls, want. This year has to be our all time favorite!!



The whole picture


Lexie couldn't resist writing this on his pants (do we watch too much Cars maybe?)


And here is the fam.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Catching up #3--Lexie's dance

This is Lexie dancing at halftime with the Vistauns at a Sky View football game in October. She is the little blonde in the middle-ish with her shirt tied in a knot in the back. They never have shirts small enough for her. Isn't she a cute little 11 year old?


Catching up #2--crazy hair day

The end of September, Tanner had crazy hair day at school. Since Drew is a beautician, he talked her into helping him. I know in this picture it looks green, but it was actually a BRIGHT yellow. He looked like a 'sun'!

From the front:
And from the back:





Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Catching up #1--color guard

Last spring Morgan decided she wanted to try out for color guard with the Sky View Marching Band in Smithfield, Utah. She made it. I didn't realize at the time that this is pretty much a year round thing. It cost $492.00, but they had many fund raisers that she was able to raise the majority of the money. They start in the spring with practices, & then go all through the summer, many times for 10-12 hours a day in the blazing heat. They were in many parades, as well, over the summer. When this season is over, they can try out for winter guard, of course this costs another $350.00, (this actually costs more than any of the sports my other kids were in. Who knew?) and is what makes it year round. Of course, her advisor begged her to do it. But, they did really well this year & even traveled to Las Vegas to compete in Bands of America with bands from all over the country. THEY PLACED 6th!!! This after placing 10th last year. WOOHOO!


Following is a video from BBI (Bridgerland Band Invitational) at USU on Sept 27th. (Sorry, Wynn needs to invest in a tripod before we do any more of these I think.) She is the dark haired one on the left hand side at the beginning. Then he gets a good close up of her on the side line.



Their theme was Jekyll & Hyde:



And here she is in one of the parades this summer





And maybe we'll get better at the whole picture/video thing for winter guard.



Monday, December 08, 2008

Expounding on the previous

Saturday I felt I needed to expound a little more on my experience of that morning, to explain where I was coming from, but when I got home, the computer was having a brain spasm & I couldn't get on the internet. Wynn fixed it Sunday night, so here I am, Monday afternoon, hoping I can remember the things I had to say....

For AmeriCorp, we need to do 50 hours of community service this school year...25 in an 'easy circle' meaning that it is something that is no big deal for us to do. Carpooling for Colorguard took care of that quite nicely & easily. The other 25 have to be in the 'hard circle'. It has to benefit the community, for a non-profit organization & cannot be for church. I thought I had a project lined up, actually putting kits together for CAPSA, but it fell through. Then our study group leader begged us to help her with her sub-for Santa project, there were plenty of hours for everyone! We said yes & she was to tell us when she needed us. I finally emailed her since none of us had heard from her...she had some USU students come & help her the week before instead, so she was all done. So #2 fell through. I thought I had another date lined up to do some things for CAPSA, but it happens to be next weekend, while I am supposed to be in Layton at my neice-in-law's baby shower!!! #3 falling through. At this point I am saying 'Are you kidding me!? It shouldn't be this hard, I already have part of the hours done!' So enter the ward Christmas party, I don't know what we're doing, but I figure we'll go, it'll be good.

Long about Friday night I start talking myself out of going, even though I was feeling so strongly that we needed to go.....It's the one morning I can sleep in, I could actually take my walk in the morning, I could take a bubble bath & maybe actually get some reading done, it's probably just a Church Humanitarian project. Yes, I actually thought just! This is when I realized how horrible I was being about it all and decided we were going no matter what they were doing.

We got there & ate breakfast & then I went around the doors & read what they were doing in each room. THAT is when I found out it was for CAPSA!!! I had to do some quick repenting. Here the Lord was trying to help me get my much needed hours while I was helping someone else & I was being whiney. I have spent the last 3 days apologizing to my Heavenly Father for being so ungrateful for the things I have & almost not doing something he was handing right to me. Very big teaching moment for me with my kids. Yes, I got something out of this, but if I hadn't quit my pitty party & gone, I would have missed the opportunity.....not only to get my hours, but to help someone in need when I have so much.

And I still got my walk & reading time in that day anyway.

Saturday, December 06, 2008

A morning well spent

Have I mentioned before that we live in a really great ward? They did this last year, but I didn't get to go because they did it after I had my hysterectomy, therefore I was somewhat laid up. So this is the first time I got to participate.

For the ward Christmas party, they chose to do it on a Saturday morning. We went to the church at 8:00am & they fed us a nice breakfast of pancakes, sausage, eggs, milk, chocolate milk, & orange juice in the gym. Then they had tables set up, in the gym, young womens room, young mens room, & primary room. This is where the great morning comes in....

Young mens room---put together buckets of car cleaning supplies
Young womens room---put together hygeine kits
Primary room---put together buckets of house cleaning supplies, or make cute gloves for girls by gluing on beads or for boys by putting on sports stickers
Gym--a whole assembly line....sanding wooden cars, putting on the wheels, dunking them in mineral oil, & then wiping the oil off

We were there from 8am until 10:30am. There were close to 100 people who came, men, women, & children of all ages & walks of life. I wish I had a picture to put on here to show the amount of everything that was put together this morning & how much fun & joy we had doing it. There is no complaining of Why do we have to do this?, or How much longer is this going to take?, or Can we go home now?. There is only We're done already?!! I wish there was more to do. And so much fun had by all. There is so much love & caring going in to each project done that you can actually feel it. The kids know they are helping others that are less fortunate & only show love while doing this. Where are all these projects going now we have them done? To the local CAPSA organization. And to think that with all that was done this morning, they still need so much more. I wish you all could have been there.

And even though this does count for my service hours for AmeriCorp, (for those that figured that out) that isn't why I did it. I went without even knowing it was for CAPSA. I went because I wanted to help others. My kids (Gary, Morgan, Lexie & Tanner) wanted to help others. I thought we were doing a Church Humanitarian project that would not have counted for my hours. WE did it because.

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Things we missed

I realize there are important things that have come and gone that I have not blogged about. Getting ready for a wedding, even as the mother of the groom, got very, well.......hectic? stressful? crazy?.....and yes, Leza knows this & is fine with the fact that I say it was that way. Plus doing my AmeriCorp requirements on top of it....well we won't go there right now. That's the purpose of this post. I am going to be doing posts of the things I missed posting about during that time. Things like Morgan's colorguard, Halloween, and now, the actual wedding, Thanksgiving, what have I been doing for AmeriCorp that takes so much time, etc.

Now I need to get ready for me to go to work & Tanner to go to school. Lexie came home early from school yesterday, she actually waited until she knew I was done teaching & then called me. I told her she can call me any time & I can come get her or get a friend to go. Her stomach hurt, and she is staying home today with it as well. She is old enough to stay home alone for 5 hours while I'm teaching. If it was more than that I would just get a sub.

Drew moved to an apartment in Logan on Tuesday. It is a really cute condo & she is living with 2 of her friends from her ward. It will be good for her to get out on her own again. She is just working right now at Master Cuts in the mall & being 21. She loves it.

Well, better run now so I'm not behind all day. The other posts are coming, I promise.