Victor Falls Variety Show 2010

Maisyn, Summer, Sarah, and Annie performed a dance/lip sync in this years' show.  They had a show at 2pm for the school (and Grandma and Grandpa got to come!) and then again at 6pm that night.  They looked adorable!  Annie lip synced during the chorus while the others danced.  Thanks to all the Mom's who helped choreograph, drive and dress these 4 little cowgirls.  Their song of choice was Hannah Montana's "Hoe Down Throw Down".  If I knew how to include songs on posts I would have it playing for you. 

But trust me.  It was cute. 

Mountainview 7th and 8th grade Choir Concert

Riley sang in the Advanced Girls' Choir this year.  Sydney sang in the 7th grade girls' choir.  Ms. Rice- their favorite teacher! - was gracious enough to plan the concert with all choirs combined to make one evening in June that families could see all of their children.  Yeah!  So here they are. 

Riley with the Advanced Girls' Choir in their white tuxedo shirts, sang 3 traditional songs.

Sydney and her choir sang 2 songs accompanied by the piano.

This is Maisyn and me watching- or should I say waiting - during intermission....

Then the Disney Dazzle began!  They had several Disney songs mixed in with a little play acting out Beauty and the Beast.  Sydney got to play some dishes!

The combined choirs also sang a Journey song - Haley T. had a solo for the girls part

along with another boy who sang the boys part.  It was very "Glee-esque".  Impressive!

I don't think Riley will continue with choir in high school.  So this was it for her. 

But she had fun and will always remember Ms. Rice as one of her favorites! 

Sydney made Advanced Girls' Choir for 8th grade next year and is thrilled to have

one more year of singing bliss!

Happy, happy Father's Day!

To my dad!  I love you Dad!  Couldn't let the day go by without paying tribute the my dad.  He game me my dark hair, my brown eyes, my nose, my incredible math skills and the idea that I can do whatever I set my mind to.  Thanks for all of that and so much more!  I miss you all the time and can't wait to see you again! 

I want to wish my father-in-law a happy Father's Day as well.  We are very blessed to have him so close and such a big part of our family's life.  I'm grateful for his influence on my husband and, now, on our children.  We love you "nampers"!   And I couldn't let this day go by without remembering my amazing

brothers-in-law.  All of them make the world a better place.  Thank you, Tom and Brian,

for loving my sisters and all the craziness that is our family.  And to Craig, Mike, and Tom for helping

to make the Jensen's a family I can call home, too.

"L" is for Larry.  And the "love of my life".  Just have to say that this man is everything I've ever wanted, more than I deserve and all that I could ever need.  

Thank you, honey, for making every day better.  Thank you for 5 beautiful children.  Thank you for working so hard to take care of us and our home.  You are simply amazing.  I appreciate you more and more as the years go by.  I don't think I even knew the half of what I was getting when I married you. 

You make me laugh.  Even when I don't want to.  You make me cry just thinking of how much you love me.  You are my best friend.  I am grateful to have you in my life.

 

Thank you for this.  Our beautiful family. 

You are truly a partner in this thing called life. 

And I consider myself one lucky girl.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!  I LOVE YOU!

Today in the car with a 3-year old.

Porter:  "blah. blah. blah. blah. blah. blah. blah. blah. Kangaroo. blah. blah. blah. blah. Penguin.  blah. blah. blah. blah.  Mom.  Mom.  blah. blah. blah. blah....(So you get the picture, right?) blah.  blah. blah. blah. blah.(head turn) HEY!  COW!  HI COW!  HEY!  HI HORSE! Hmmm.  Hmmm.  Hmmmmm.  Hmmm. (sing songy now- translated into Mom language) Water Kangaroooooo. Water Kangaroooooo.  Water Kangarooooooooo.  Water Kangarooo.  Water Kang-cun.  Water Kang-cuuun.  Water Cancun.  Water Cancun.  Kangaaaaaroooooo. blah. blah. blah. blah. blah. blah. blah. blah."

I wish I knew what went through the head of a 3-year old!  I might understand what he's saying more often.  Although, it may not be nearly as entertaining...

Happy reunion!

The year, 1990.  The place, BYU.  Desert Towers, to be exact.  Freshman year started out with trying so many new things.  It was my first time in Utah.  My first time living away from family.  I didn't know a single soul.  But I quickly made friends with some amazing girls.  Three of us became fast friends and were inseparable from that point on.  So many memories!  But those are for another time. 

Fast forward to 2010, March.  When I got home, Larry told me I got a message from Jennifer!  I couldn't believe it!  Her family had moved to Washington about an hour away!  So we talked, for a long time.  We made a plan to meet for lunch.  And it was like no time had passed.  We had a great visit catching up on the past 20 years.  The last time I saw her she had babysat Payton while we went sledding back when we lived in Provo.  Payton was not even a year at the time.  Now Payton is almost 17 and a big sister to 4 others!  Jen and Scott have 6 kids!  It was so great to catch up, page through my old college photo album, laugh really hard and hear stories of how we got to be where we're at. 

After all these many years of exchanging baby announcements and Christmas cards, I look forward to getting our families together often.  How fun!  So more pics and posts to come from the great Jensen/Pulsipher reunion, part II!

Reflection on Motherhood

Yesterday was beautiful.  The sun was shining.  Breakfast was made to order.  I was able to go to all 3 of my church meetings because Larry took care of Porter at home.  I got to relax outside on my new lounge chair- thank you Larry and Sydney!  My closet clean-out has begun- thank you girls!  I enjoyed the gifts. I enjoyed the dinner at the in-laws cooked by the hubbies and cleaned up by the kiddies.  I couldn't have asked for a more pleasant Mother's day. 

I always knew I wanted to be a Mom.  It's nice to look back on my experiences in Motherhood each Mother's Day.  I need to be reminded why I'm here.  Why I chose to be a Mom above all else.  It's easy as I browse through pictures from long ago to revel in the blessings that surround me.  So bear with me.  These are just a few images that speak loudest to me today on what I think about when I think of Motherhood.

These guys are first to mind.  The most beautiful, rewarding, trying, amazing group of people I ever helped to create.

My own mother and my life as a little girl with my family.

Larry's mother and what I still learn about being a mom from her.  How grateful I am that she raised her son to be the husband and father that he is now. 

The motherly "duties" that give me a sense of accomplishment.

Basketball.  Lots and lots of basketball.

Again, these 5 people that get to call me Mom.

Motherhood in Disney World is like a double bonus in the happiness department.

My girls getting to know their Oma.

These future Moms and how they amaze me with their natural abilities to adore their brother!

Fun with my kids.  It seems to be rarer these days than it used to be.  Perhaps I've gotten old, but I need to carve out more times for the sillies.

Some of my favorite Moms around.  My sisters probably don't realize how much I rely on them for my own success.  Memories I hold dear give me a foothold while the future will always include lots of phone calls, emails and girls' weekends!

This guy right here.  He is the reason I can get up each day and do what I need to do.  He is my partner in this rollercoaster call parenthood.  He is my partner in life.  My better half, to say the least.  I love him.  I adore him.  I thank him for letting me be a Mom 5 times over.

I have chosen to surround myself (whether near or far, far away!) with Mothers at all stages.  I watch them.  I study them.  I commiserate with them.  I ask lots of questions.  I try to glean everything I can from their experiences, good and bad, so that I can discover what works for my family. 

Thanks to all of you- I hope you know who you are! 

Happy, happy Mother's day and hope these good feelings last a good, long time!

My Newest Endeavor.

Walls By Design

Interior Paint Professionals

My new business.

Suzy Bertch

My new business partner.

www.WallsbyDesign.viviti.com

Our new website.

After owning my own painting business for several years, I decided it was time to take it to the next level.  Porter is getting older now and next year he might possibly be in preschool.  I knew if I had a partner, I would be more inclined to push forward.  So Suzy and I have opened Walls By Design.  We are starting out small and are relying mostly on word of mouth advertising.  So I hope you take a second and let me know what you think of our website and services.  We'd love to have you find us on Facebook, too. 

Walls By Design on Facebook

This business is going to be a labor of love, a great learning experience, and (hopefully) a way to earn a few extra dollars for our families. 

I hope you feel like you can pass our name along to anyone you know who is interested in having any painting done.  (in the greater Bonney Lake area, that is!) We are excited to get to work! 

Tolo

Theme:  Famous Couples

No.  Not this couple.  Or, for that matter, the pair of shoes Porter picked out for himself.

But this couple.  Poison Ivy and Batman.  (Or Payton and Dion as you may know them.)

You'd be amazed at the number of ideas we had to come up with to have Payton finally choose this one.  So thanks to all of those that contributed to the event!

I tried to have Payton look tough and menascing.  What do you think?

I'd say success to the costumes.  Maybe not success on the "menascing" factor, though.  They doubled with me and Larry to Zato's Grill for dinner and then headed off to the school for the festivities.  They didn't win for best costumes but had fun all the same.

February 16, 2010

Maisyn's third grade music program.  Luckily Grandma and Grandpa came to watch, while Mom stayed home with a bad back.  But pictures were taken while songs were sung.  Mr. E. put on another successful show!  Hopefully you can pick her out- Maisyn is the cute one in the back row!

But before the program... there was one more exciting event being celebrated. 

Porter's 3rd birthday!

Yes.  My little man is 3 years old.  Time does fly when your baby is growing up!  So we had a yummy dinner, opened lots of presents and had delicious dessert.

There was a Mickey birthday card from Oma.

 New wooden blocks from Grandma and Grandpa.

 

A giant cookie from Syd.

 

A golf set, a bowling set and a ball and glove from big sisters.

The big Tonka truck from Dad.  (sidenote:  Dad has been waiting since Porter was 5 months in the womb to buy this truck.  Mom put it off for 3 years!)

An amazing rolling platform, built by Grandpa, for building train tracks, car races, bowling alleys and, on occasion, a birthday jig!

Grandma and Grandpa are the best!

So that's our birthday boy.  I know it's been over 2 months since the day - but now it's documented and official.  We waited a long time for this little man to come into our lives, and I know it will only get better each year! 

Happy Birthday, Porter!