It's Coming Along...

Total chaos. That is what our house has been in since we started this project (*see previous construction post). But we are getting there. I should say, Larry is getting there. I just cheerfully encourage from the sidelines. But I am anxious to show off his good work. It is looking so good, I can hardly remember that old yucky carpet! I thought I'd get a few pics up of the process before he finishes- tomorrow! Or at least I hope tomorrow since Syd's birthday party is tomorrow night! The part we've been waiting for to finish finally arrived yesterday (I don't think 'overnight' means what they think it means!) So here goes- please let Larry know what an amazing job he's doing! And we'll have you all over as soon as our dining/living rooms no longer serve as an oversized pantry!
The is the kitchen unloaded in the family room.
The is that oversized pantry I mentioned!

The is the kitchen almost done.

This is the pantry with the floor torn out and the walls freshly painted (my humble contribution!)

The is the kitchen floor. The part we were waiting for is the connecting strip for where the floor meets the carpet.

This is the flooring we chose- Dream Home flooring, St. James Collection, Westminster Rosewood. Love it!

And here it is again.

A longer view of some finished floor.

The office was finished first.

My new faucet. It took 2 of us a long time to pick it out. But thanks to the Home Depot customer-friendly ladder, we could test it out on the display!

The gorgeous new vanity. Again, on display at Home Depot up on a top shelf was a difficult place to try out faucets for size- but well worth the effort, don't you think?

Our finished bathroom. Well, we will be waiting a little while for baseboards, but finished enough for me!

Seeing as this project started with a backsplash and pantry redo, we are pretty happy with the results. On tv, all the projects go over time and budget, right? Our house needed it. In a few days we will have all the rooms back to normal and all of the construction will be completed. We will get to sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labors! Thanks, Larry, for working so hard to get this done! I hope you know how much I appreciate it! (Now we have to start talking about wrapped windows!)

Ode to the 12-year old.

Today marks the 12th anniversary of Sydney Layne's birth. I have shared with her for the past 20 hours different moments of significance that occurred 12 years ago.

For example, the labor beginning late Saturday night, May 10, 1997 and continuing through Mother's Day, Sunday, May 11, 1997. That labor continued through church meetings, through coming home, driving Payton and Riley to grandma and grandpa's house (since I was scheduled to be induced the next morning), and laying on my side drinking lots of water as per the advice of the nurse. I recalled the moment when we finally decided it was time to head to the hospital with contractions 5-6 minutes apart; Darrin Weaver coming over to assist Larry in giving me a blessing; the nail prints in the armrest of the car as I tried to breathe through the pain. *Sydney was quick to note that hers was my first "normal" delivery since Payton and Riley both came c-section. Thanks for understanding, Syd!* I explained to her what it meant to be at a -1 (yes, you read that right, a -1!) when I was checked at the hospital which, in turn, meant an entire night of non-drugged labor. I did leave out the memory of attempting to walk the halls (I had friends that swore by that technique), hanging on Larry's neck, admitting to him that I would rather die. I tried sitting in the hot shower, the water hitting my belly, while Larry read to me- that actually worked for quite a while. But I did omit the part about Larry falling asleep while I labored on in the hard chair alone. But I didn't harbor bad feelings towards him, it was more envy than angst.

As I read the clock this morning, 8:40, I am taken back 12 years to when I finally was given a little something to take the edge off - blessed Stadal!- and finally hit that magic #4 so I could get my epidural an hour later. Then it was only 45 minutes to a 10, 3 pushes to crowning. This is when the nurses left to round up Dr. Bigler. You see, the nurses station had a bet going all night that I wouldn't make it and would end up with another c-section. Ha! Ha! Did I prove them wrong! (I'm glad I didn't know about that until after it was all over- perhaps I would have given up a long time ago!) Larry and I were left alone in the room, Sydney crowned, stupefied to say the least. The nurses came back a minute or 2 later and told me to "close my legs and lay on my side". Yes, that's right. Dr. Bigler was in a c-section and would be a few minutes more. But when he did sweep through that door those nurses were ready! With a glove each to slide on his hands as he sat in the stool at the end of the bed, they were set. One more contraction, one more push and voila! Sydney Layne was born. And I swear to you my very first thought was "I could do this again". Crazy, I know.

There has always been something special about Sydney. We prayed to know we should have her. Larry and I both felt prompted to have #3, but tried very hard to ignore it. When I finally told him my feelings, he admitted to having them as well. We decided to fast and pray to know if it was the right thing because we certainly couldn't wrap our heads around the idea with a 9-month old and a 3-year old. But it was meant to be. I then prayed, actually I think the term demanded is more suitable, that I wouldn't be sick if I was going to go through with it. And those prayers were answered as well. We're not sure why she had to come when she did. Maybe Riley needed a sister that close. Maybe someone else out there needed her. Maybe we'll know why someday, maybe not. Either way we recognize the blessing she is in our lives and I am grateful for listening to those promptings way back when.

So now that you know the whole story, I want to include 12 amazing things about one amazing girl!

1. She has an easy smile. It can literally light up a room.

2. Her favorite foods are apples and popcorn.

3. She has no fear. Never has. Hopefully never will.

4. She has a style all her own, and isn't ashamed to show it.

5. Her big, brown eyes can melt any heart.

6. She loves numbers and enjoys math.

7. She might look frail, but she holds her own on the basketball court.

8. She loves her sisters and her brother. They might fight but nothing can make her cry quicker than thinking one of them may be hurting.

9. She has retained her child-like innocence.

10. Her voice can carry much farther than you think.

11. She is willing to try just about anything.

12. Twelve is just about the most exciting thing to her (for the past 4 months, too!)

Thanks for being everything you are, Syd! We love you! We adore you! We are excited to see what you do with 12! Happy, happy birthday!

Happy Mother's Day!

I didn't want the day to pass without a little "Mom" recognition. First, a big thanks to my sweet family and especially my amazing hubby. Thank you for the nice dinner last night and the visit to the temple. Thank you, girls, for the fun and festive decorations we came home to last night- I love the Mother's Day poster and chocolates! Thanks for letting me stay up too late and sleep in plenty. Thanks for the delicious breakfast that I didn't have to cook. Thanks for the quiet time when I could paint my toenails- yeah! And a big thanks to Payton and Riley for taking shifts with Porter at home so that I could attend all of my church meetings. It really meant a lot to me. Thank you, Larry, for fixing dinner- yummy!- and then cleaning up afterwards. And a thank you in advance for taking me on a walk even in the misty rain because that is what I want to do.

I can't forget to thank all of those Moms out there who have influenced me in so many ways. Thank you, Elizabeth and Terri for being incredible sisters. Thanks friends, and you know who you are, for doing what you do and letting me peak and copy your great parenting ideas. I honestly have learned more about Motherhood from just watching those around me than any other way. I love to see Moms and their daughters all grown up who can go to lunch and go shopping just for fun. I love to see Moms and their sons who still give them hugs and kisses, even though they have to lean down to do it. Thank you all for your wonderful examples.





And thanks, Mom, for teaching me to do whatever it takes and then some. I learned to believe that I can fix anything, build anything, create anything (on almost no budget) by watching you take charge while we were kids. Hang in there and I hope you get to come home from the hospital soon!





So I guess today was about gratitude. I have felt full of thanks as I have sat and pondered about this Hallmark day. Just like I told my kids, I don't need gifts to unwrap, I don't need anyone to spend money on me. I appreciate the fact that my family spends this whole day thinking of me and I can focus on relaxing, rejuvenating and whatever else suits my fancy. I'm ending the day filled with thankfulness and gratitude for the chance I have to be a Mom- good, bad and overwhelming included.





Now let's go for that walk!

Our 1000th Customer!

Just picture balloons falling, confetti bursting forth from cannons, ribbons hurling through the air, horns trumpeting, the crowds cheering and the red carpet being rolled out through the middle of it all. I believe you would see my Dad walking in amongst the accolades. Yes. He was our 1000th visitor. As some of you may have noticed, I have a counter on my blog to tell me how many hits I get. I am happy to announce that it 1000 this morning. So thanks, Dad, for coming to check it out. (Or, if not my Dad, than whoever is visiting from New Braunfels, TX internet provider). My apologies for being slightly post-neglectful lately. But I will do my best to bring all my visitors something to laugh or cry about on a somewhat regular basis. Thanks, again, for coming and hope you come back soon!

Construction update:

No pictures... yet.
What started as a simple project has blossomed into an entirely monopolizing entity.

I wanted a bead board backsplash. Tons of work. But check.

I wanted real shelves in my pantry. You know, the sturdy kind that can actually hold more than 3 cans of beans before they bow and sag? No check.

But I can't have the pantry shelving until the floor is done because eventually we would change the floor of the kitchen and it would have to flow into the pantry. Of course.

When I can't find a tile that I love (and am willing to pay for!) I would naturally choose a beautiful hardwood laminate. Of course. But since we would someday want the entire downstairs to be the same wood floor, we couldn't do just the kitchen and pantry. You would see a seam when we added on later. No. You can't have that. So we have to start in the office- removing EVERYTHING that has not been moved since we moved in 7 years ago. Not so bad. But then on to the living room. Darn that linoleum and it's horrific underlayment! I didn't realize they made staples that long! But we made it. I should say Larry made it. But I did stand by with encouraging words. Then the living room furniture could be put back (with felt padded feet, of course) so that we could, then, empty the dining room. But we got through that. Which leads right into the bathroom next. The toilet and sink need to be removed, right? But we can't just put them back. No, not the Jensen's. We have to purchase a new vanity and sink that I fell in love with at Home Depot on one of our many visits there weeks ago. If we're going to have the sink ripped out- why not put in the pretty wood vanity now? Exactly.

Now this is where we all get worn out. We have finally made it back to the kitchen. I convince Larry, luckily, that we could use some help to rip up the linoleum/underlayment. (That is after I pulled up said floor in the bathroom all by myself- it felt good to finally contribute.) So Dion came over last night and from 6-9pm he and Larry shoveled, hammered, scraped, chiseled, pounded, crow-barred (is that a word?) and tossed the entire kitchen/pantry floor. Bless them! It would have taken us a couple of days without Dion's help- thank you, Dion!

Note to parents: with Dion here, a certain other teenager seems to work pretty hard, too.

After all was done, I swept, pulled staples, shoveled scraps, vacuumed, vacuumed and vacuumed some more. I'm amazed at the amount of dust that has softly covered each and every surface of my entire downstairs! Now my frig is halfway in the family room- but still plugged in. My pantry items are on the kitchen table which is sitting in the living room. Many pantry items are also covering the dining room table, as well as the kitchen chairs. The family room is also housing several small appliances, casserole dishes, buckets of flour and rice, and, I believe, the potatoes and onions. I couldn't tell you where to find anything this morning. Thus, the desire to wake Porter, quickly dress him and leave! Construction zones are not suitable for 2 year olds.

But it won't be permanent, I know. Larry is determined to finish, and finish soon. I so appreciate all of his hard work. There isn't much we can all do but cheer him on and sweep up afterwards. It is looking beautiful so far. What a difference new flooring makes. Would we do an entire floor again? Perhaps not. Unless we weren't living there! But will we be grateful and happy when it is done and I can swiffer my way from the front to back door? Absolutely.

So if the Jensen's haven't been patient on the phone or available in any other way- please forgive us. We will be back to ourselves soon enough. Because after the floor we only have to paint the pantry, build the shelves and probably replace the unmatching baseboards. Wait. Then the door trim won't match either. Hmmmm.... maybe someone should invite Maisyn for a playdate- she isn't keen on construction projects!

The Tacoma Boat Show.

Spring Break: Thursday, April 2

Larry took the day off to make an attempt at a family "vacation". We thought we'd check out the Tacoma Boat Show with our discount coupons downloaded the night before. Then we'd spend the afternoon at the History Museum down the road after a yummy lunch. Well.... we made it to the boat show. The kids thought it was pretty cool to climb into each and every boat. Try out all the seats and pretend to drive some. They also loved the "mini-yachts". Who wouldn't?! When asked, "Why don't we buy this one?" I my only response was, "We'd have to sell our house and live on it." They thought that was doable. Me- not so much. But it was fun to check out the amenities on a recreational vehicle. Larry fell in love with more than one ski boat on the way. He had a handful of deep conversations with some insistent sales people. And we decided that if we were actually in the market for a boat, this would be a great place to strike a deal. Did you know that they also had trucks at the Boat Show. Yes. Very large, very expensive trucks. I guess you need one to pull your very pricey boat. Payton thought that a truck as her first car was a pretty viable option. Hee. Hee.

By the time we made it around the entire show, the kids were spent. There would be no museum for me. Oh well. A day with the family wouldn't be the same without some degree of whining and Porter escaping a handful of times. Larry and I promised ourselves that the next day would be "kids' choice" so that we might tip the balance of happiness to the other side.

Sidenote: Payton and Riley were able to remember every inch of the Tacoma Dome from their Dance Festival last summer. They reminisced fondly and wished they could do it all over again.

Regionals in full swing...

I can't let the day get away without mentioning the game we went to today. Yes, it was very far- Bellevue Stake Delphie?- and, yes, I had to ditch my prom-decorating-activity but I have to say it was very much worth it. Payton and Riley have been playing basketball with our wards' young women this season. They ranked #1 in the Stake and thus went on to Regionals. Friday night was their first game. Larry took them because the women's team, which I play on, also made it to the tournament as first seed. What's crazy this year is the Men and Young Men's teams both made it as second seed. Anyway, the girls did great and easily won last night. But today's game was equally matched. They had to work really hard to win this one- and they did. They finished with a score of 27 to 23, with 2 free throws made by Alyssa with 4.4 seconds left! I wish I had the camera. Payton and Riley have both been playing so hard, along with all the rest of their team. They play again next Saturday in Auburn and we are excited to see them move on in the tournament. Way to go, girls!

Update: Larry and his team played in North Seattle today and won also! Yeah! They play again Thursday night. The Young Men lost their first game by 2 on Thursday so they're out of the tournament. And the women's team lost our Friday night game (very badly) and decided to forfeit todays so we could watch the girls instead. I believe it was a very smart decision. We love to play together but it's about fun and excercise- definately not the win! So good luck Men, too, I guess. It will be fun to see how far these teams can go!

April Fools!

Yes, Sydney is quite the trickster. And thanks to Disney Channel teaching hysterical April Fools jokes all week. She got her dad. Take a close look. I'm sure you can picture it now. He sits down with his bowl and spoon. Milk at the ready. Grabs the Frosted Flakes... but lo and behold! Pours out the Apple Jacks! HYS-TER-ICAL! Dad found the humor in it and even paused to let me get photographic proof of this little prank. Nice one, Sydney- can't wait to see what you drum up for next year!

Yeah, that's gross...

Riley is a very talented child. But this is just gross. I'm not quite sure how she discovered this hidden gem... but I thought you should all be mesmerized right along with me.

Her back bend.

Attempt #1 (again with the annoying camera!)

Attempt #2: Success.

Gross, isn't it. Amazing, indeed. Bet you can't stop looking either!