Our Christmas Gift to You

This year has been both joyous and, let's say, interesting. It started innocently enough, but we encountered snags that had us stopping and counting our blessings.

Stephanie is now a junior in high school where she is doing really well. She is also a licensed driver, which has turned out to be a huge blessing for me. In February she went with Steve to a Dr Who convention in Los Angeles and came home with joy and excitement of her experiences there with her dad. I really love listening to her serenade us on the piano.

Scott is truly a teenager now. He somehow manages to escape upstairs every chance he gets. He is in 8th grade and loves playing the baritone in band and the piano in jazz band. We are pleased that he was selected to participate in the county Honor Band. There were 5 students selected from his school and they have to practice their music over the Christmas break and their concert will be in January. In September he earned his Life badge in Boy Scouts. He has set a goal to get his Eagle project done this summer.

Steve has been working hard to provide for us, planning our big 'Holiday', doing the weekly shopping, and being the best husband I could ask for! He continues to work 'at' Microsoft as a contract worker and enjoys the top secret work he does. Between getting our passports, booking travel arrangements, securing tickets for the events in London, he was on top of it.

It seems like I have spent much of my year in my recliner. The tendons in my right foot first tore, they were repaired in October 2012. Then just when we thought I was 'healed', they ruptured. The second surgery my doctor did another repair, which included hardware to hold things together. After each surgery the time to be non-weight bearing increases...I consider myself a bit of a pro getting around on a knee scooter. My lovely tendons in my right foot just didn't like me, so they stopped working. Hence the need for the 3rd surgery, which took place 2 weeks ago. This time he fused bones together which should allow me to walk normally.

So what does a person do when they are tied to a chair? Read lots of books, knit, play games on my Surface, and watch the seasons change through the Windows.

As a family we went on our fabulous European Holiday in November, so my Christmas shopping was done online or through family and friends. Please see my blog at sweetrt.blogspot.com for our vacation photos and stories.

I need to publicly thank Amber Dyer for taking these wonderful photos. We went out on a cold autumn day after school and she captured us perfectly. Thank you Amber!

Jensen news

Wow! There have been lots of changes this year!

In May we finally finished the remodel of our home. The livingroom/dining room is now Sharon's studio. The pantry is now the shower of the bathroom, formerly known as the powder room. The bonus room upstairs has been divided into a room for Scott and the gameroom. And since we no longer have a pantry, we added cabinets in the dining room to take it's place. Sharon now has her own "store" in the Studio filled with paper, yarn and fabric. There are also French doors that greet you when you come in the front door, so it doens't seem closed off.

Our home now also sports a new member...Isabel. She is a 5 year old cat that we got from the Humane Society last week. She has adopted Steve as her best friend! It's fun to see her laying on top of the blankets that he is under on the couch.

This year we have also had to learn new things for Steve's diabetes. Calling the EMT's to come and help get his sugar back to normal levels has been educating. Getting older means changes had to be made. Things are fine now...but we really watch things closer now.

We are also currently unemployed and looking for work. Both of us. My time as a "stay-at-home Mom" is coming to an end, but keeping the family in this home is very important to us. It is also why our "newsletter" is being sent in this format instead of being mailed out. All available money needs to be saved for the mortgage and such. And no, we are not part of that subprime mess, we just have a normal mortgage and want to keep it that way. :)

Christmas this we year we have focused on our Savior and during Family Home Evenings, held every Monday Night, we have discussed this. We have simplified many things. Most of the gifts have been homemade...or baked. The children for the first time have to spend their own money on gifts, or make them.

So this year, please know that we really love our friends and family...and we truly wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Scott's news

Here is Scott's Christmas list:

• PSP (Play Station Portable)
• Tonyhalk 4 (psp),
• A cellphone...please.
• The whole Warriors collection,
• A blue tooth with the cellphone,
• $1,000 dollars,
• $50.00 for charity.

That should give you a little bit of an idea of what our Scott is like. :) He thourghly enjoys his Cub Scouts and is now working on his Bear patch. His uniform is so full of badges that it's a good thing that he made himself a vest to put the extra patches on. (Mom helped a little, but he helped make the pattern, cutting out the felt and sewed the seams himself).

This year Scott participated in the running club at school, which met before school every morning except Fridays and they then ran in the Seattle Kids Marathon. (See the post about this in sweetrt.blogspot.com).

He is also passionate about Legos. He also is involved in the Lego Club at school, and that meets every other week after school on Mondays. He is in the 3rd grade and is doing very well. His 4 square team came in 3rd place in the school tournament.

Some of his other loves are playing on the Wii, his game cube and his Nintendo DS, which he bought with his own money! The Wii was a family gift for Christmas last year, but it is Scott who uses it the most. :) It also helps that the "game room" is just outside his bedroom door.

News from Stephanie

Stephanie started Middle School this year, she is in 6th grade. We were very pleased to hear that all her core classes would be with the same teacher, Mrs. Barton, and that she would only need to leave this room for gym and the exploratory wheel in her 6th period of the day. And she has thrived!

She will soon be graduating from Primary as in January she turns 12! And I love the young woman she is turning into! As long as she knows what her responsibilities are, they get done. When we moved her to her new room upstairs, it has been kept clean and the bed made everyday...all without any prompting from us!

She still loves her horses and has decorated her rooms around that theme.

Stephanie will soon be taller than her Mom...and I'm not short! At her last visit with the doctor's, she measured 5' 6"! Off the charts for her age!

She also sports glasses and braces.

Sharon's news

The past few years have been busy ones for me. Once both children were in school, I learned that I was happiest if I kept to a routine.

Monday's is house blessing day (laundry, cleaning, etc.).

Tuesday is my volunteering day at the schools. For Scott's teacher, Mr. Brown, I either grade papers or work with the reading groups. I then head over to Park Place Middle School and help Stephanie's teacher, Mrs. Barton, with whatever she needs. I usually then go home and either work on one of my projects or bake cookies. :)

Wednesday I try to keep open for any doctor appointments and such. Oh...also on Mondays and Wednesdays you will find me at the YMCA doing water aerobics. My girlfriend and I truly enjoy the benefits of this exercise!

Thursday is "play day". This is when I get together with my friends and we create. Sometimes it is here in my studio and other times it is in their homes. We like to sew, scrapbook, knit and at times we have just watched a movie and gabbed. We also like to try new recipes that our respective families would rather not have to eat.

Friday morning I'm at the school again, this time as Bank Day lady. As part of my PTA duties, I'm one of the ladies that takes bank deposits from the students and then take that money to the bank. This event actually takes place before school opens so we are done by 9:30, and that includes the time it takes to get the money to the bank. When the student makes a deposit, they get a prize, so many of them are there every week! I started doing this when Stephanie was in 2nd grade and it really is a lot of fun! Who knows what will happen when Scott gets into Middle School?

Sometimes on Friday, I need to finish projects that were started on Thursday...in 2007 I started knitting and I haven't stopped! That year I knitted scarves for every member of my family. I learned how to cable knit, made some slippers, and this year I even made a few baby sweaters. Right now my passion of knitting has included in making dishcloths. I really like making the round ones, so much so that I had enough of them to give out at the Jensen reunion this past summer.

Also this year I have truly enjoyed sewing up bags. Some are big and some are small, but I have truly enjoyed making them.

A lot of this would not have been possible if it wasn't for my new studio! I love being in here! This is where I will usually be found...otherwise I'm in the kitchen or the laundry room. :)

As for Sunday's, I'm currently the Primary President in our ward and I love coming up with appropriate Sharing Times for the children. My counselors are wonderful and we have the greatest teachers!

Some of this will change soon as after the first of the year I will probably be headed back to work. I was offered a job in Omaha, but after much prayer, it was decided that it was best to stay here in Washington. I used to be a really great medical claims examiner, so that is what I will be looking to do again...we shall see...

Soooooooooo...if you want to watch my other blog...you can find it at sweetrt.blogspot.com

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

News from Steve

I'm not going to write a lot here - this blog think is really Sharon's domain.


I don't have a lot of pictures of myself, so here is one of our new cat (mentioned in posts above). Yes, it seems she likes me the most - so far - I think because I like laying on the couch, and I think this is a couch-cat.



Yes, I am currently unemployed and looking for work. It is a challenge just looking during this holiday time. But, I have to keep looking just to keep getting unemployment (else, I'd just put off looking until after the holidays). I'm looking for work that involves software development, or software testing; however the longer my search goes, the more I start wondering if I should be switching to something completely different?




Here is an older picture of me showing off the Doctor Who scarf that Sharon made for me two years ago. I took it to a Doctor Who convention in Los Angeles in 2007, where many other attendees were quite impressed with the speed in which it was knitted.

Here is another picture of me with several of the guests at that same convention.



At church, I am now the Ward Librarian. It may seem like a simple calling, but it is certainly a busy calling as we prepare for next year's curriculum for the other auxiliaries.

Well, that's it for now. Merry Christmas, everyone!