Can it really be just 5 days now?

Well after 3 LOOOONNNNNG months I get to see my husband again in 5 (I hope) short days. The blog updates have been brief because I haven't had much time to sit in front of the computer. When my head has hit the pillow my body has been done for the day.

My parents were kind enough to take me, my two dogs, and three kids in while Jeff was away. I know it was difficult to go from a house of quiet to a house of choas and I am grateful for everything, although I complained along the way :(.

It has been a few months with lots of changes and things to do. The most exciting thing so far was when my sister came out from Colorado and my brother and his wife came down from Washington and we had an early Thanksgiving, a baby shower for Heather (my brother's wife) and a going away from my little brother. Please keep Dean Jensen in your prayers for the next year. He will be deploying next week with the Army for one year. Heather is due in January. As soon as my brother deploys she is coming to California to have the baby with family and then in April she and little Brodie will come out to Colorado to live with us for the remainder of Dean's deployment. We can keep each other company as Jeff has found out that he will be away from February to August for more training.

My parents will also be relocating to Colorado next year. And my little sister Nichole and her husband are expecting their first baby as well and are due in June! They are already living and teaching in Colorado - so we will all be close together. (With the exception of my sister Tanya who needs to move there ASAP). While this season of life is full of change and stress for all of us, God has been faithful to see everyone through. These new lives are a beautiful reminder of his love for us. How exciting for these new joys. I can't wait.

Last week I spent a week with my friend Shalana and her family. We are very grateful that they had us for a whole week. It was a blast and I miss her already.

Next week I get to go to Jeff's graduation and partake in all the festivities that go along with this very exciting time. I am so excited to see him again I can hardly contain myself. The kids are anxious for daddy's return too. They talk about it all the time. We decided not to tell them that he will have to leave again until a few days before he will have to go. Their little hearts couldn't take it right now - and honestly neither can mine.

Anyway - this is my update. I probably won't update again until we are settled into Colorado, we are leaving right after Christmas. Then I can post pictures of Jeff's graduation. I am so proud of him. One week from today I'll be an Lt.'s wife.

For Daddy

The kids ready to go to the Harvest Festival.

Caramel Apples

Here is how to occupy sick kids for a while - or not so sick kids... we have just had a nasty cold.

What you'll need:

Caramels

5 or 6 green apples

Butter

Wax Paper

Milk

Topping of Your Choice (Rainbow Sprinkles for Us)

You'll also need some eager and hard working kids to peel all those caramels and put them in a pot.

While they are peeling twist the stems off and shove the sticks in (oh ya - so I guess you need sticks too).

Be on the look out for snotty toddlers who eat caramel's and drool them everywhere while siblings are diligently working.

Heat them up on medium low heat.

Add 2 Tablespoons of milk and melt them till creamy

After pumping hand sanitizer into their sick little hands, have them hold naked sticks of butter and rub down the wax paper. This helps the caramel apples not to stick, keeps kids occupied, and causes lots of whining over goopy hands.

Only.. I repeat.. only mom can do the fun part! Dip, roll and then set on wax paper.

Pour sprinkles into a bowl and convince children not to eat them but to put them on the apples.

Hire a clean up crew!

P.S. Don't share with your friends if you are contagious.. just make the sacrifice of love and eat them all yourselves.

Little Helpers

Just a quick note on why my heart was full yesterday.

I walked into a rocking chair and hit my ankle bone pretty hard. It hurt and I started to cry. The kids were watching a movie and playing. The first one to notice that something was wrong was little M. He came over to me and asked, "Mama, mama wat wong? No cyin'. Wat a matta?" I told him I hurt my foot but it was okay. He got down on his hands and knees and kissed the top of my foot and said, "All betta Mama." Gave me a hug and went back to playing.

As soon as he walked away J noticed that I was in pain. "Mom, are you okay? What happened?" She gently placed her hands on my hands and gave me a very compassionate and concerned look. I explained to her that I hit my ankle and it was sore and I needed to sit for a moment. She put her little hands on my face and caressed my cheeks down to under my chin several times. "Don't worry Mom, we will get you a band-aid and it will be all better." She hugged me and kissed my face and went back to playing.

Then, when she stepped away over came L. "Oh Mom, are you alright? What happened?" He crossed his arms in front of him and leaned in to hear the problem. I repeated my story. "Oh Mom, you just need something cold - hold on." He ran off and came back, a rock in hand. "Mom lets just put this cold rock on your foot and it will help it stop hurting." He placed it on my ankle (ouch).

Anyway I loved that each them, came over with all the compassion and love in their little hearts and helped me the best they knew how. M with his kisses. J with a band-aid (which she needs for EVERY thing. We nick-named her the band-aid queen). And L with a rock - him and his rocks. How can I not count my blessings to have such tender hearted and nurturing kids. Sure they do a lot that isn't so sweet through out the day - but yesterday was a good day.

True Woman | Growing your heart by giving it away

True Woman | Growing your heart by giving it away

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Three Little Pumpkins

***So this post is going to be picture heavy. Forgive me but it is for Daddy. He thinks he will be able to access our blog from his roommates computer to see the kiddos. :)***

On Monday the kids, Mema (grandma) and Grandpa, and I went to Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center. It was a blast. They had a petting zoo, pony rides, straw maze, Hayride, and of course a pumpkin patch. The kids had a wonderful time.

PETTING ZOO

PONY RIDES

STRAW MAZE AND TRACTOR RIDE

They thought this scarecrow looked like daddy.. ha ha

PICKIN' THEIR PUNKINS

Mema died from excitement

California Living

We have been in California for a month now. Jeff has been gone for nearly 2 weeks. The kids and I miss him terribly but are trying to stay busy and beat the heat. To pass our time we are homeschooling in the mornings and then either swimming in the pool or going to the park in the afternoons. We've done some church shopping, and signed L up for AWANAS to help him meet some kids and make some friends.

Although we are at my parents house - I am lonely. Both of my parents work so the kids and I are on our own most of the time which is nice for everyone I think. It lets us keep a somewhat normal routine. One thing that has come of the temporary separation and the demands of single-parenting - I realized how totally dependant on the Lord I am.

I don't do well with change and in the last month we have had a lot of that! God has revealed himself to me so much in my quiet times and my prayer time. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He does not change and that is a huge comfort.

Here are some pictures from last week when we started kindergarten. L's first day of school.

Viva Las Vegas

So as I mentioned last week Jeff and I went to Vegas for our FIRST VACATION since our honeymoon. It was a blast. We stop on the way there at Bob's Big Boy for lunch. I hadn't seen one of those places since I was a kid.

On top of the Stratosphere. I nearly died on the elevator ride, my thrill-seeking husband did the ride that swings you over the edge and spins you around.

Home Again Home Again Jiggity Jig

That's right. We arrived in California on Sunday evening to a welcoming 109 degree weather :). Geez how did I ever grow up in this heat? Our trip was uneventful for the most part. We hit heavy rush hour traffic in Portland and got lost in Woodland, Ca (we needed a gas detour). We waved fairwell to Washington at about noon on Friday and drove for 10 hours, crashed (in hotel beds not in cars ;P) and started again and at 6:30 the next morning. Saturday we drove until 5pm and arrived at our friends house for a -much too short- visit. After spending the night with friends we got on the road at 5:30 Sunday and arrived in Cali at 3pm. That was 3 days, 1300 miles and 30 hours in two seperate cars with 3 kids and 2 dogs - if anyone was interested.

I haven't taken out my camera in at all in the last week. I'm having withdrawals. I have 10 full days left with Jeff until he leaves and only 105 days until he comes back (what? whose counting?).

Today I'm meeting with a friend for lunch and on Monday hubby and I are going to Las Vegas for our 2nd time away in the 10 years we've been together. We went away for our honeymoon and we went away for one night on our 5 year anniversary (but I was 8 1/2 months pregnant so I'm not officially counting that one). This time my parents are watching the kids for 3 whole nights. I'm excited and a totally nervous about being away from them.

They have been crazy and emotional and hyper since we arrived. I am hoping that it will all settle down with time. J is an emotional wreck and L is bouncing off the walls. Praying that once we establish a routine life will become more normal.

Family Portrait

We drove to Oak Harbor today to visit some friends before our movers come TOMORROW and the chapter of our life in Washington comes to a close. We had a WONDERFUL time. I wanted to post one of the great pictures she took of us. I don't have time to talk about our trip as the movers come (as I mentioned) TOMORROW! Odds are you won't get many updates from me for the next 2 weeks because of this transition. So be blessed and be praying for us please!

Oh What A Day - No pictures in this one

No one wants to see this. So I'll just tell you about it. My morning started with L helping with the laundry. He put the clothes from the dryer onto the kitchen table and then jumped down from one of the table chairs. On his way down he tried to pick up a sock he dropped and ended up jumping off a chair bent over catching the back of the chair with his eye. Blood everywhere.. thankfully he only split his eyelid open. After several minutes of profuse bleeding we were able to stop it and he laid with an ice pack on his eye.

Then off to the park to meet a friend. While the other kids where playing on the playground M decides to walk back and forth on the park bench. Just as I look over from the other side of the playground I see M lose his footing and start to do a dead drop off the bench. Unfortunately his arm caught on the table, he spun forward and broke his fall with his NOSE.

I rush over pick him up and his nose is already tripled in size and gushing blood. We spent 4 hours in the ER to be told that it is likely he fractured his nose, but there is nothing they could do about it, but since he was so swollen we would have to wait and see. Our discharge papers officially diagnosed him with a nosebleed. Really? It was a stress filled day to say the least, and I was NOT impressed with the ER staff. Grateful they didn't think he had done any damage to his brain we came home to rest.

My loving husband let me take a nap after all the emotional stress of the day. This morning L's eye looks fine, just sliced, and M's nose is purple and swollen, but MUCH MUCH better than I had expected.

M Turned 2!

Yesterday was M's 2nd Birthday. With all the events of moving in the next week we decided to have a small family party. It was Yo Gabba Gabba themed. If you don't know what that is - it is kind of like kiddie crack. M will watch it and sing and dance and shout. He loves it! After grilling, presents, and cake we ended the night with a bonfire. I can't believe my baby is 2.

PS. The pic of M getting ready to blow out his candles is my favorite because of Dad's quick thinkin'.