Brynleigh Reese Jensen

Brooke had her baby on December 19th @ 3:59 p.m. 6 lbs 9 oz Beutiful baby girl Congrats sister!

Christmas 2008

Poll # 2

Porter was the clear winner so here is Porter up against a few more choices. Thanks for all your votes. Hope your having as much fun with this as we are.

Name the baby

So I thought it would be fun to get some feedback on what names everyone else likes. I put four of our favorites up and then in a week I will put up the winner with a few more. Tell us your opinion on what you like and if you have any other suggestions just leave it in the comment field. We already have a favorite but I thought it might be fun to see what everyone else thought.

Not so great day

Yesterday was not he best of days for me. As I was cleaning the bathroom I suddenly realized there was a really strange and strong smell coming from the other room. When I walked into the family room there was Sophie painting her own toe nails, all around her were open bottles of nail polish poured out! Several time outs later we went to Wal-mart for some more nail polish remover. As I was walking into Wal-mart I was completely overwhelmed and on the verge of tears. I was wondering what I was thinking when I decided to have more children clearly I was not that great of a mom I already had one three year old that doesn't listen to anything I say. I was feeling horrible and wishing I could some how zoom past all these years and see that by some miracle my children had turned out okay. As I was walking in an older lady in her late seventies early eighties passed by me and looked at me and Sophie with a longing in her eyes. It was painfully clear to me that she remembered her life in that moment and wished somehow she could go back there. In that moment I realized that lady had probably had a million days like this one and yet what she wouldn't give to relive that time in her life. Then I remembered a talk by Thomas S Monson called "Finding Joy In The Journey" in his talk he said "If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly" Maybe that stain on my carpet will never come out but does that really matter? What matters to me is my family and that my children know I always have time for them and love them no matter what mistakes they make in life.

No Privacy

Full Spread Eagle showing off his boy parts. Poor little man no privacy.

A week at the doctors

I feel like we have lived at the doctors offices this last week. I don't know what I was thinking scheduling all of these appointments in the same week. First we had a baby apt everything is still looking great with the baby. He showed off everything he owns full spread eagle so now I'm not so worried anymore about the doctor changing his mind and saying its a girl. Then we had a follow up appointment with Jeremys doctor, he has been having a lot of digestive problems so they have been doing a bunch of tests a colonoscopy, a stomach scope and some blood work. They think Jeremy is a celiac which means his body can't have wheat or gluten. Basically anything with flour in it he can't have. I have been spending a lot of time on the internet doing research about celiacs and a gluten free diet and I am feeling completely overwhelmed so if any of you know anything about gluten free diets or know a celiac that you could put us in touch with that would be greatly appreciated. Finally we rounded out our week with Sophies 3rd year well child check up. Sophie has always been on the bottom of the charts for her weight and small for her height so when we found out she was in the 11th percentile for her weight we were shocked she has always been in the second. She is growing! yay! I have always worried that at some point she would not be on the charts and we would have to go through tests so I am so happy that she is finally higher up on the charts. She weighs 27 lbs I knew she was getting heavier but wow for her that was a huge jump. Hopefully next week will be quieter at our house I'm sick of the doctors office.

Halloween At Our House

Halloween: Halloween Carnival, Photo Shoot at Kimbers house (she has the cutest decorations), Trick or Treating at Dad's work, Grandma Wheelers work, Aunt Janets, Grandma Strongs, and a Trunk or treat. WHEW! No wonder I am always exhausted after Halloween. Sophie was an adorable witch this year after much convincing and a costume rename. She has insisted all season that she wants to be Cinderella not a witch. I tried everything showing her pictures of Glenda the good witch, buying her a broom, giving her a choice between two witch hats I even told her that she could wear a crown. Well on Halloween day I put it on her and she didn't argue so off we went however if anyone called her a witch she let them have it. "what a cute litte witch" someone would say "I am not a witch I am just a princess" Sophie would yell at them. So I finally decided she can call it whatever she likes as long as she is wearing the witch costume.

Sophies Birthday

Sophies birthday was so much fun. All of her little girl cousins and friends came over dressed up like princesses and Cinderella herself came to the party. When Cinderella came to our door and Sophie saw her she went running back into the house she was so suprised and excited. her and her friend Kylee could not stop talking to Cinderella about anything and everything. She played games with the girls, told them a story about being a princess on the inside first, they did a craft together she even painted their fingernails. All of the girls were so excited to be playing with cinderella. It was absolutely adorable. She gave each of the girls a lipstick and a necklace and Sophie will not ut hers down she even gave Sophie her very own special tiara from Cinderella. Thank you so much for helping us make such wonderful memories. I know this is something Sophie will be talking about for a long time.

Happy Birthday Sophie

Sophie has grown so much and her personality continues to grow with her. I have always felt that Sophie has this huge personality trapped in a tiny little body but lately she has only convinced me more of that. Some of the funny things she says lately:
"Your making me nuts" (Whenever you are bothering her)

If you ask her How are you Sophie? she says "2"

She is excited for her upcoming birthday and invites whoever she thinks is nice to her. Recently we went to park City for a girls day and she asked like 10 ladies that were working at the stores if they would come to her Cinderella party and "don't forget to wear your princess dress" she even asked the checker at wal-mart yesterday if she would come.

She continues to insist that her baby brother is a girlie and that he can wear dresses and will love the color pink.

I have been trying to teach her that it is important to not be lazy and I turn off the TV and tell her to go play for a little while. Now she turns the tv off on me or daddy telling us "your being lazy"

She loves to wear dresses but lately she wants her Sunday dresses and she goes to her closet pulls them off the hanger and then puts them on on top of whatever clothes she is already wearing and dances around the house.

When she is mad at us for something she says "I'm not talking to you hmm"

Whenever daddy says I love you she says "I love Mommy"

She is constantly trying to boss people around including mom and dad so I always tell her to stop being so bossy. She is also learning about manners so now she tells us "can you please not boss me?"


Sophie is such a beautiful blessing in our lives. I have loved the last three years being her mom and watching her learn and grow.

Targeted UltraSound

We just went in today for the targeted ultrasound. Baby boy Strong looks perfect and healthy. She pointed out that his second toe is longer than his first and that he has really long toes of course we already knew that because jer, me and Sophie all have the long toes. The doctor teased us with Sophie that she could either play piano with her toes or hang from trees so naturally baby brother will have the long toes. When she measured his head she was looking at the computer strange and I said let me guess he has the huge strong head. She just laughed and said OK that is also a trait you are familiar with. Sophie has always been in the 98th percentile for her head and the 2nd percentile for her weight no wonder she is so clumsy. His heart looks strong, all of his parts are there and so far he is still a boy. I know from these pics he looks more like an alien than anything else but I can already tell that he is going to have his dads features at least his mouth and nose look like jeremy to me.

The Pumpkin Patch

We went on a hayride to the pumpkin patch with our family on Tuesday and it was so much fun. Sophie wanted a tiny green pumpkin. She carries it with her everywhere I cannot convince her to put it on the front porch with mommy and daddys pumpkins. This is one of my favorite fall traditions one that I hope to continue as our children grow.

win a free handbag!

I saw this on my friend sarahs blog. What girl doesnt love a cute purse! go here to enter

Fall

Fall has arrived and I am loving it. Fall is my favorite time of year. The cool air, the crisp leaves, the pumpkins, the haunted houses I love it all. One of my favorite fall things is cooking. There are so many fun fall recipes so I thought i would share some with you. First I found these halloween cupcakes which I thought would be fun to make for family night. Spider cupcakes go here. Monster cupcakes go here Then I found some good recipes on the allrecipes website delicious ham & potato soup and downeast maine pumpkin bread I havn't tried the pumpkin bread yet but it sure looks good. Happy Fall!

1/2 way there!

So this week marks the half way mark. 20 weeks. Yay. I really feel like this pregnancy everything has just flown by. I hope the rest of it goes equally as fast. I sort of feel like I am holding my breath for things to go wrong I don't know why. I guess every mom worries about things going wrong but everything has gone so smoothly so far that I'm afraid something will happen. I know everything will probaby be fine I am just a worry wart. I told Jeremy my new fear is that we will go to our next appointment and they will say oh this is a girl not a boy (not that I care either way) I just feel like if I start buying blue that they will change their minds. Silly I know!

Where a kid can be kid

We went to the new Chucky Cheese's in layton on Monday. It was such a blast. Sophie had so much fun playing all the games with dad and I had so much fun watching them together. Dad won her 780 tickets and Sophie got to pick out a bunch of "really cool" prizes. She chose a blue squishy spider and a chapstick among other things, it doesn't take much to make her happy you would have thought we just gave her the world. She couldn't stop smiling the whole way home and all she can talk about now is when we can go back.

State Fair

This is the first time I have been to the state fiar and it was so much fun. Our favorite thing was this little path that the kids got to go through. They started by feeding the cow then milking the cow, planting a seed, then picking it, driving a tractor, brushing a sheep for wool. When they got to the end they got to sell their milk and produce and wool at the farmers market for a paper dollar and then they got to take it to the store and buy a bag of fruit snacks or a granola bar. I thought it was a great hands on way to teach the children about farming and how the product actually gets to the grocery store. We had tons of fun!

We Will Never Forget 9-11

I thought today would be a good day to share some things that I remember from that day. I know that this will be the day that we will forever be asked if we remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard about the attack. I remember at the time I was working for Americarpets and every morning when I woke up to get ready I would watch the today show while I did my hair and makeup for the day. When I turned the TV on the first plane had already hit and everyone was till thinking that this was just some horrible plane crash. AS I continued to watch the second plane hit the second tower and that is when everyone realized that this was an intentional attack. A little later a report came across that the pentagon had been hit and I remember just staring at the TV unable to move. I felt like life as we knew it was over we were clearly being attacked and before this I had always felt like we were completely safe from anything like this. I called Jeremy who happened to be in the middle of taking his CDL driving test and didn't know everything that was going on. I wasn't even sure whether I should go to work. The news reporters who were normally so composed were clearly shaken. As the towers collapsed there were moments where the reporters were crying, running, staring in awe; it was shocking. The images were replayed for days as the information unfolded. The world was different we all realized that we could not take for granted our freedoms that we had. It was months before life really started to get back to some sort of normalcy. Not a single customer walked into the carpet store for weeks afterwards. People were scared to leave their homes and scared to spend any unnecessary funds. I know that this a day I will never forget as it will be for most of you. I think its important to remember this day to learn from this day and to share these memories with our children when they are grown.

Tuesday Tell All

Tuesday Tell All is over! Sad! I have really enjoyed the weekly topics they have kept me blogging about things that normally i probably wouldn't have thought of. I am going to try to continue to think of different topics though I think that it is a great way to journal about things you wouldn't normally write. This week I have been thinking about camping so I thought I would share our family's favorite camping spot and why. We absolutely love marsh lake in the uintahs and try to go there at least once a year. It is beautiful there it reminds me of Yellowstone country. We always see wildlife: deer, moose, antelope. The lake is breathtaking and jeremy really enjoys the fishing. If you have a favorite campsite share it with us in the comments and tell us why its your favorite.

Baby Boy Strong

We are so excited! But now i am panicking. I don't know what to do with a boy plus everything I own is pink and girly! We can't come up with any names except off the wall names that we would never really consider (Artoreous, Sparticus, Edgar, Shadrack) we can name a million of those names but cannot come up with any serious options. I know I have 5 months but that is not that long. 5 months to hopefully buy some blue things so he won't have to wear pink and to somehow come up with a real name. HELP!

Marsh Lake 08

Sicko

My poor Sophie is sick. I feel so bad all she wants to do is lie around and be held. The one thing I enjoy about sick times is that she never cuddles anymore and when she is sick she wants to cuddle with me all day.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Tuesday Tell All: Olympic Spirit

With Olympics coming up in a few days it's no surprise that this would be the subject for TTA this week. I really enjoy watching the Olympics. My favorite sport to watch is gymnastics. It is amazing to me that these little girls can fly through the air with such precision and beauty. I do not consider myself competitive when it comes to sports but when it comes to other things in life I would consider myself competitive. I was more competitive in my younger years; competitive in school, in dance and with my sister. I am excited for the upcoming Olympics and the change in scenery on TV.

Sophie & Checkers

Sophie has so much fun playing with the dogs. I absolutely love that she has the same love of animals that her mother has always had. I think that growing up with animals she has learned compassion for living things and responsibility. Besides our lives would be boring without them.

Baby #2

baby number 2 is on the way and expected on February 9th. We are happy and excited and we decided to share our news with you before my two year old does it for me. We were at the doctors office today and she walked up to a complete stranger and said my mommy has a baby in her tummy really loud. We wanted her to understand what was going on at the doctors and although I think she got it I don't think she will understand who we can tell and who we can't.

Disneyland

So I am finally posting about Disneyland! We had a blast. Sophie was the Disney "groupie" whenever she saw someone she liked she would scream it was so funny. She saw Woody and completely freaked out yelling his name and waving at him. She loved finding nemo I couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. We went with our friends the Stoddard family and it was so nice to be there with them. Their daughter Taylor rode with us in the car and her and Sophie became inseparable. We stopped in Las Vegas on the way down. First we went to MGM Grand to see the lions and Sophie got scared to death when the lions came crashing into the glass right behind us. She finally relaxed when she realized they were stick behind the glass and she thought they were so funny. We also went to M&M World and the shark reef at Mandalay bay. The shark reef was cool they have one of those touch pools where you can reach over and pet the sting rays. Taylor was freaked out by the sting rays and didn't dare touch one (until we got to the gift shop). When we went to see the princesses Sophie was pretty quiet with all of them that is until we got to Cinderella and then I couldn't shut her up. She told her how much she liked her gloves and shoes and dress, she told he she was tired but didn't need a nap, she told her she was her favorite princess and that she had a tiny Cinderella at home...... she just kept talking and talking it was so cute. All in all we had tons of fun and the weather was perfect 80-84 we made some really great memories that Sophie will be talking about for a long time coming.

Tagged

Thanks Melissa



A- Attached or single: Attached

B- Best Friend: Jeremy

C-Cake or Pie: Pie

D-Day: Friday the start of the weekend yay

E- Essential Item: Lipgloss

F- Favorite Color: Red

G-Gummi Bears or Worms: Worms

H-Home town: Layton, UT

I- Indulgences: Shopping, Chocolate

J- January or July?: July because I love, love, love the 4th of July!

K-Kids: Make me Laugh!

L-Life is incomplete without: Family

M- Marriage Date: May 5, 2000.

N- Number of Siblings:1 brother 3 Sisters

O- Oranges or Apples: oranges

P- Phobias or Fears: Losing Someone I love

Q-Quote: Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. Theodor Geisel
R- Reason To Smile: Disneyland memories

S- Season: I love Autumn the fall leaves perfect temperatures

T- Tag Three Friends: Kimber, Melissa, and Emily

U- Unknown fact about me: I'm an open book

V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: I love meat.

W- Worst Habit: Easily get stressed out

X-Rays or Ultrasounds: I have had both.

Y-Your favorite food: Pizza

Z: Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Tuesday Tell All

So I missed last weeks Tuesday Tell All (Favorite Sound) but this weeks TTA is smell and for me those go together so it worked out perfectly. My favorite Sound/Smell: I love Rain the sound of it, the smell of it, the feel of it. On rainy days I could just sit and listen to the sound of it as it hits the windows and roof all day. Rain has a way of making everything smell clean and fresh to me. I love rainy days.

Neighborhood Barn Dance 2008

TTA-Favorite Sight

My Favorite Sight..............

When I first looked at my beautiful baby Sophie. She was so perfect and the instant that I held her I was in love. The emotion was so strong that it took my breath away. Every time I look at this photo I am taken right back to that day and that feeling. I am so blessed to be her mommy and I adore her.

Tuesday Tell All -Tell us about your graduation

I don't remember a lot about my graduation. I graduated from Layton High School in 1999. I remember standing outside the Dee Events Center forever and I remember that it was really long. I graduated with high honors and was really proud of that but I didn't really participate in many extracurricular activities. I do have one regret and that is that along the way I sort of lost track of a lot of my friends. I grew up with the same group of friends plus or minus a few from kindergarten through graduation but somehow by the time we graduated our lives had all taken on different directions. I know that it's normal to change and grow and end up different than you were but I wish I had been surrounded by them at graduation . I did have my wonderful boyfriend (now hubby) and he is definitely the one out of everyone I would want there. So I guess life just has a way of throwing twists and turns out along the way and you just have to learn to be grateful for what you have.

Tuesday Tell All 5/20/08

Answer the following with only one word.


1. Where is your cell phone? .....................Purse

2. Your significant other?......................Everything

3. Your hair?....................................Blonde

4. Your mother? .................................Giving

5. Your father?..................................Loving

6. Your favorite thing?..........................Family

7. Your dream last night?........................Crazy

8. Your favorite drink...........................Water

9. Your dream/goal?..............................Dance

10. The room you're in?..........................Bedroom

11. Your children?.....................................Perfect

12. Your fear?...................................Unprepared

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years...........Happy

14. Where were you last night?...................Home

15. What you're not?.............................Prepared

16. Muffins......................................Mormon

17. One of your wish list items?.................Yard

18. Where you grew up?...........................Layton

19. Your Feeling?.............................Blessed

20. What are you wearing?........................T-shirt

21. Your TV?.....................................Expensive

22. Your pets?...................................Funny

23. Your computer? ..............................Confusing

24. Your life?...................................Stressful

25. Your mood?...................................Good

26. Missing someone?.............................Kassi

27. Your car?....................................Messy

28. Something you're not wearing?................Shoes

29. Favorite Store?..............................Scrapbook

30. Your summer?.................................Swimming

31. Like someone?................................Friends

32. Your favorite color?.........................Blue

33. Last time you laughed........................Today

34. Last time you cried?.........................Yesterday

Being a mother

Sometimes as a mother you wonder how much your child is actually listening to you. I have many days that I feel so completely frustrated and like I am getting absolutely nowhere. Yet somehow it always seems at these low points of being a mother you get a "blessed mother moment". I have been trying to teach Sophie her ABC's for awhile now or as she calls them her "ABI's". Everytime I ask her to sing them to me she just stares at me blankly like she has no idea what I am asking her. Just as I was giving up came that blessed mother moment. We were driving in the car and out of the back seat suddenly I hear A,B,C, ......G,H,I now given it was not perfect but to my ears it was absolutely perfect. She is listening to me even when I think she is not. I love being a mother.

Happy 8th Anniversary To My Love, I want you to know that I love you more than life itself. You are the best husband in the world. You treat me like a queen and our daughter like a princess. You are the best father to our Sophie. I love waking up everyday knowing I am married to my best friend, my partner, my true love. I look forward to everyday with you, you can always make me smile or laugh. You are my everything. I cannot believe it's been eight years I feel far too young to be married for eight years but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I don't know what I did right in life to have deserved you , I feel so blessed. I love you now and forever.
Love, Britt

Sophie Spring 2008