Jensen Daily

The Happiest Place on Earth.... Disneyland!!!

At 9:30 on Wednesday night, Jared came home and said.... "Let's go to Disneyland!" So... we started packing and by 2:30 a.m. were ready to go. We woke the kids up and put them in the car and watched with excitement as we told them we were driving to Disneyland. They were surprised and happy, but very sleepy, so they slept. At 8:30 am, we pulled into the Disney Parking Lot.  We were chosen as Sheriff Woody's guest of the day and got FREE parking right next to the shuttle.  It was an awesome start to our magical day :)

 

After a few pit stops on Main Street, we made our way to the River Belle Terrace for Mickey Mouse pancakes for breakfast. Yummy! With our tummies filled, we were ready to begin our adventure, so off to Adventureland we went. First stop... Pirates! Last time we went to Disneyland was when Rand was 5 and Mitch was 2. It was terrible. Rand was afraid of everything! So this time when he was running to get on the ride, I was so excited. Mitch and Mackay were a little nervous to start with such a dark one, so Rand and I went together. So much fun. I have never been to Disneyland when the crowds were so small. The wait times were amazing. We rode Indiana Jones twice in 20 minutes. The stroller pass is just another reason Disney gets it right. Jared would go with the kids, and then with the stroller pass, I would go to the front of the line and ride again with the boys. We did every ride/attraction in Adventureland before 2:00 that day. No ride had a wait over 15 minutes the entire day. It was the best! We got on all the big rides with our fast passes and did the small ones in between. It was the perfect age for our kids. Rand loved it, Mitch was fearless, and the magic of it all on Mackay's face was priceless! We rode and played and ate until we couldn't keep our eyes open anymore. Went and checked into the hotel at about 8 pm, with the intention of going back for the fireworks that night, however, in the time it took us to drive from the parking lot to our hotel, less than a mile away, the boys had fallen asleep in the car. So we called it a night, and got up early the next morning for more magic.

 

Friday was another glorious day. Beautiful weather, crowds a little bigger, but still not bad, and  we were all so happy and relaxed. The kids were so good. No fighting, no crying, no begging, just MAGIC! This was also the day that I FINALLY got to have one of those gigantic corn dogs I've seen every time I've been, but never eaten. Oh, I ate it this time! The biggest  corn dog I have ever seen. Amazing! The best corn dog I have ever eaten. I can still feel it clogging my arteries, and totatlly worth it. Mackay loved It's a Small World! We went on it 3 times. Here is his reaction:

 

Rand had a big day on Friday. He was ready to redeem himself at the Jedi Training. Last time we were there, he was selected to go up onstage, and chickened out at the last minute. So... this time, he was ready! He and Mitch were selected to become Jedi knights. When it came time to fight either Darth Vader or Darth Maul... they were split. Rand went to fight Darth Maul, and Mitch went up on stage to fight Darth Vader, and got to force push the storm troopers. While standing in line, Rand was spinning his light saber, doing all kinds of impressive Jedi moves, and the Jedi Master said... "No twirling or spinning... that is reserved for the advanced class." Rand's cheeks went red with embarrasement.

He took it very seriously, and walked a little taller after defeating the evil one!

Mitch ducking just before taking Vader out with his green light saber :)

 

We got Fast Passes for the new water show World of Color. It was good, but so crowded it made it hard to see anything. Especially for our little ones, so Jared and I held one big boy each on our shoulders for 30 minutes to watch the show. I needed a chiropractor and a massage by the end of that, but they loved it, so again.. worth it.

 

Saturday we took a break and went to Newport Beach. We knew the crowds would be big because of the holiday weekend. We got there about 10:30, and were lucky enough to find parking near the pier after only 25 minutes of driving around. It was COLD  and overcast when we first got there, but finally burned off about 1:00.  The water was FREEZING, but we still went in and played. We built 2 very cool sand castles, played squash ball, searched for shells, and ate ice cream. Before we left, Jared rented this very cool bike, and we cruised around the boardwalk on this baby. :) You can just imagine the looks we got. :)

 

We went back to the hotel, showered and then went over to Disneyland for the rest of the evening. We got there just in time for Fantasmic, but had terrible seats. Mackay was falling asleep on my shoulder, but kept waking up to talk about the bad witch, and Mickey Mouse. As soon as it was over, we hurried over toward the castle so we could watch the fireworks. I just loved it. Even while carrying a sleeping 2 year old. Jared and the boys went on a few more rides before turning in for the night.

Sunday morning we used our early entrance that we got with our park hopper, and got to enter an hour before everyone else. We ran to Space Mountin and rode it 2 more times, making our grand total 8. 8 times on Space Mtn in 3 days! Not bad! Once while riding, the ride broke down, and the lights came on. Rand, Mitch and I were at the highest point of the ride, and got to see the inside of the ride. Very cool! They let us finish the ride with the lights on, and then  let us go again dark. We spent most of the day at California Adventure. Rand and Mitch finally agreed to go on the Tower of Terror! They were freaked out, but came out smiling :) Rand rode California Screamin with me twice! I was so surprised at how brave he was. He loved it, and wanted to keep going. What a fun age our kids were this trip. They all loved it. That night we ate dinner early, and then set up camp for a great seat to see Fantasmic at 7:00 pm. The show didnt' start until 9!! It was the best! My favorite part of the trip was being right next to the fence, right on the water, watching Fantasmic. The magic on the boys faces, especially Mackay... so awesome!  He just kept saying... "Mickey Mouse, bad witch... magic wand!" then would pretend to be Mickey shooting the bad witch. So dang cute!

 
Our little boys closed the place down that night. We stayed until it closed at midnight after getting there at 8 am.

The next morning we packed up and went to the park one more time, this time just to buy their souvineers and get one last mint julep for Jared. Oh... and ride Splash Mountain one last time! AND... Tom Sawyers Island, and one last churro, and.... and.... we didnt' end up leaving the park until 3:30 pm. We got gas and some lunch and drove home. Didn't get here until almost 11 pm. Nothing like squeezing every last drop out of a vacation!  It was our first vacation in almost 3 years. After everything we've been through together in the last year, it was nice to just be together as a family and have some fun! Jared was relaxed and fun, the kids smiled and laughed all weekend long, I felt happy and joyful and carefree for the first time in a long time. It is just a magic place. I found myself with tears in my eyes so many times... and felt so silly so many times. It's just Disneyland after all. Just Disneyland? I don't know... something about it makes it worth every last dime.
 

8 is Great! Rand's Baptism Day!

I can't believe my little Rand is 8 years old! I can't believe that he got baptized today. Where does the time go? It was such a great day. I love this little boy and his big huge heart. I love his desire to be good and to choose the right. He was so excited to have his Grandma Cookie and Grandpa Pancake (Jensen) here and Grandpa T. with us on his big day. Also as an added bonus, I have the best cousins ever. Lindy, Jen, and Launi and families all came to support Rand. We love you all!

 

 

When we got home from the church, I asked Rand to write down his feeling in his Baptism Book that the Primary Presidency gave him. This is what he wrote... 

"I felt so good that I wanted to kneel down and pray and say thank you Heavenly Father that I could be baptized and thank you for letting me get confirmed."

Amen Rand!!

 

Happy Birthday Rand!!

8 Years old! Here are a few pictures from Rand's big day.

 
I'm lucky to have a professional artist/penman for a cousin, and I'm really lucky that they agreed to come help me decorate in the middle of the night. I had so much fun laughing and talking while they did all the work. Thanks Jen and Launi :)

 

 
the Lego Cake... I kinda didn't buy enough frosting, so this is the best we could do with one tube of frosting for each "brick"

 

Calling Heaven

Oh the old telephone. I am a caller. I like to talk on the phone when I do the dishes, the laundry, in the car, just about anything that would be much more boring if I weren't on the phone.  My mom is usually the one on the other end of the phone when I do this calling. I remember when I was a newlywed and had just moved to Washington D.C. Oh man, I was homesick. A lot of times when my mom would answer the phone, the only thing she would hear on the other end of the phone was "sniff, sniff, bawwwwhaaaa... boo hoo." The minute I heard her voice I would lose it.

In the last month I have picked up the phone to call my mom, just like I always did, at least 2 times a day. Oh SHOOT! I hate that she's not there to answer! 

While having dinner the other night, Mitch tried yellow squash again, and realized that he actually likes it. I guess he remembered me telling him that yellow crooked neck squash is Grandma T's favorite vegetable, because he got so excited that he liked it, that he stood up and grabbed the phone. I said, "Mitch, what are you doing...sit down and eat!" He said, "Mom, I just have to call Grandma in Heaven to tell her that I love yellow squash." 

Gosh Mitch, I sure wish you had a way to get that call through...

Until he figures it out, don't be surprised if your phone rings and you see my number ringing through.

Life Goes On...

We're back in Arizona, and we're fining out that life moves on whether you're ready for it to or not. We missed being home in Koosharem for our Sheril and Shelley Torgersen family reunion this year, due to the fact that I had spent a month there not too long ago. We also missed being home for the small town 4th of July. Koosharem 4th of July are right up there among my favorite childhood memories. Starting with a pancake breakfast and the parade, to the games in the afternoon and then water fights and dinner on the town square. We would go at sun up and stay until after dark.  It's hard to find even a parade anywhere outside of a small town anymore. Just one more reason I had the best childhood ever.

Although Jared had to work all day Saturday, we made a fun weekend of it anyway. We saw some fireworks on Saturday night here in Phoenix, and then early Sunday morning we made our way to Sedona, AZ for some cooler weather, and a bit of hiking, touring,  and relaxing. We hiked in Slide Rock State Park, and would have loved to slid right on in to that water, but thanks to thousands of tourists and some dead animals upstream, there was too much bacteria in the water to enjoy it. So we hiked and then came home and swam in our clean, chlorinated pool :) It was really nice to have Jared with us in a relaxed state of mind, and to just be a family again for a minute.The kids enjoyed hiking and exploring, and I enjoyed the low 90 degree weather. Felt like a cold snap from the 118 we had last week here. Anyway, here are some pictures of our trip.

 

 
Jared is famous for trying new things. Me... not so much. This is grilled cactus. Jared ordered it for us all to try, after all we are living in Arizona for heaven's sake. Almost the nastiest thing I have ever tasted. Eww... that's all I had to say for Rand to give it a try. Boys!!
 
 
 
 

I'm Doing it again!! 3 Days, 60 Miles.

  
Just 2 short weeks ago, breast cancer stole my mother from me, way before I was ready to let her go. I promised her before she died that I would continue to battle for her, and for everyone who has been affected by this awful disease.  I wasn't planning to walk this year, but her passing made me even more determined to pick up where she left off. She was with us for every single mile last year. She had just finished chemo and radiation for the 3rd time, yet she came and encouraged everyone for 3 days and 60 miles. She slept on the ground in a pink tent with everyone else, and offered her wheelchair to almost any person that was limping along the way. She was a warrior!
 
So...Yes, I'm doing it again - I signed up for the 2010 Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure! I had such an incredible experience doing the Komen 3-Day for the Cure last year that I'm going back for more. This year I really know what I've gotten myself into. 
 
With less than 3 months to raise the $2,300 required to participate, I need your help. I am planning on surpassing the $2300,  that you - my friends and family - gave so generously last time around to help end breast cancer.
 
To make a (tax deductible) donation, simply follow the link below to visit my personal fundraising Web page. If you don't want to donate online, you can download and print a donation form from that page that you can mail in with your donation. Many companies have matching gifts programs, so please ask your employer if they will double your donation with a matching gift
I appreciate your support. I'll add your name (and the names of all of my donors) to my T-shirt, so I won't forget you as I set out on my journey.
 
Thank you for all you do for me, and for your continued support as I honor my mom and her life.
 
To donate please visit : https://www.the3day.org/site/TR/2010/ArizonaEvent2010?px=1053554&pg=personal&fr_id=1460

 

Thank You!!!

Just really quickly, I wanted to thank everyone who has sent thoughts and love of sympathy in the passing of my mom. I am so blessed to have such great friends and the best family. She really was an angel, and will be missed every single day for the rest of my life, but I feel the love and support from so many, and today I just want to say thank you.

In Loving Memory of My Sweet Mom....

 
Our cherished wife, mother, daughter, and friend passed away peacefully at home, in the arms of her sweetheart and surrounded by her family, on Sunday, June 13, 2010. She was born July 1, 1949 in Price to Lloyd and Lois Wilson Moffitt. She married Sheril Torgersen June 20, 1970 in the Los Angeles Temple.
Shelley was and remains our angel warrior, always inspiring us with her unwavering faith and eternal optimism. Her contagious laughter lightened even the darkest of life’s challenges and brought joy and happiness to even the loneliest of hearts. The radiance of her smile and the glow of her eyes infused love into all who crossed her path. Her nature was one of selflessness, always quick to help, never missing the chance to serve others. She always ensured that everyone was well cared for by her unmatched skills in the home, her steady yet tender mother’s touch, and her constant devotion to her eternal companion.
Her greatest joy was her family. She was a doting mother and grandmother and took every possible opportunity to be a part of her children’s and grandchildren’s lives.
Shelley had a deep, enduring faith in her Savior Jesus Christ, and through her service to Him she shared His love for us. She served diligently in many church callings, including various young women’s positions both at the ward and stake levels, Relief Society counselor, primary worker and most recently in her cherished calling with her sweetheart in the Manti Temple. For 25 years, she also served up health and well being as the school lunch manager at Koosharem Elementary.
Shelley is survived by her dear husband, Sheril; her parents, Lloyd and Lois Moffitt; her five children, D’Le (Cody) Eustice, Tyler (Debbie) Torgersen, Eric (Jenna) Torgersen, Brianne (Jared) Jensen and Brian
(Amelia) Torgersen; her brothers Bert (Gaye) Moffitt, Stuart (Pam) Moffitt and Bruce (Carolyn) Moffitt; and 17 grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 19, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. in the Koosharem, Ward Chapel, Center and Main. Friends may call Friday, June 18, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Magleby Mortuary, 50 S. 100W. Richfield and Saturday at the ward chapel in Koosharem from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Burial will be in the Koosharem Cemetery. Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary, Richfield, Salina and Manti. Online guestbook at www.maglebymortuary.com

Home in Koosharem

School's out, and so I drove with the boys to Koosharem the other night to be with my mom while she's still got a few good days left in her. We only have dial up here in good ol Koosh, so I'll try to post some when I have the patience.

In the mean time, I'm going to be taking care of all the things that are making Mom crazy that she just can't do anymore. She got bad news from the oncologist the other day, so we are enjoying every minute left. Cancer has spread to most of her body, including her ribs, legs, shoulders, heart lining, and lung lining. :( Stupid Cancer!! She's pretty frail and weak, just getting dressed makes her tired and she hurts all the time, but that doesn't stop her from smiling and laughing. She's sitting up now watching musicals with my niece Natalie. She still goes to church, and wants to pretend like nothing is wrong with her, as she continues to try to cook, sew and live a normal life. Too bad her body won't cooperate with her spirit. I love being around her, and her positive attitude and even in her pain, she still makes me feel like the most special person on earth. I love you MOM!!

Tiny Little Garden

I love to have fresh food from the garden, but I've never had a place to plant one. Someday I would love to have an acre of nothing but fresh fruits and veggies growing, kind of like George Washington's at Mount Vernon, or the beautiful flourishing furrows of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. (I'm homesick for Virginia).

The exciting thing is, that we have been told by our prophets forever to plant a garden, and to be self sufficient, but I love knowing that two of our most important founding fathers, made it a huge priority in their own homes and lives. I feel blessed to have lived in an area so rich with history, but more than that, my goodness, look at the beauty of these gardens.

Mount Vernon-

(Monticello)

  Someday, I'd like to be able to spend my days experimenting with plants and crops the way George Washington did, or grow hundreds of varieties of veggies, flowers, herbs and trees the way Thomas Jefferson did, but for now... for now, my humble little 4x4 box has brought me such a sense of accomplishment.  I built the thing by myself, well except the help of my baby Mac. I filled it and planted it, and it's beautiful!

 gotta start somewhere....

2.

.

 

tomatoes, peas, carrots, squash, cucumbers, beans, cilantro, basil, bell peppers, pumpkins, and watermelon.

Our first attempt, a learning experience, for those out there more experienced and with huge beautifully arranged and organized gardens, Shhh.... we don't' want to know. We just want to remember the words of TJ.. and like to think we are what he says... in some small way.

"Cultivators of the earth are the chosen people of God, if ever he had a chosen people, whose breasts he has made his peculiar deposit for substantial and genuine virtue. It is the focus in which he keeps alive that sacred fire, which otherwise might escape from the face of the earth." - Thomas Jefferson c.1781

 
 
 
 

In Other News...

This is how Rand woke up screaming at 5:30 this morning... notice anything unusual??

After an early morning visit to Urgent Care, we have an antibiotic to treat this nasty infection in his gland/lymph nodes. Poor baby!

Speaking of babies... guess who's not one anymore?

Jared took the crib panel off today, making it a toddler bed. He was so excited he was jumping up and down and couldn't wait to show mommy. Until I tried to lay him down for a nap, and then he looked at me and said, "Mom, Daddy break a crib." "get it, fix it mom"  But, he laid down anyway and had a great nap. I feel like that stupid Michael McLean song about taking the tree down, only for me it's my baby's crib.
 
 

What's that they say about spilled milk??

At 5:45 this morning it started! The boys were awake, and as much as I tried to deny it and pull the covers up over my head, there was no use. The day had begun.  Rand has been enjoying getting his own breakfast lately, and apparently left a few things out this morning. And because a picture's worth a thousand words, I will just leave it at this..... Gotta love those boys :)

Love these cookies :)

Oh my goodness, I have to post this recipe that I found on my new favorite food blog "The Girl Who Ate Everything" Not only can I relate to the name of this blog, but her recipes are really good. Anyway, to bring on summer make a batch of these and skip the drippy mess of a real creamsicle :) Oh Yum!

Creamsicle Cookies

Ahhh...spring is here. Do you remember those orange creamsicle popsicles as a kid? Well these taste just like them. Cookies with a hint of orange and creamy vanilla morsels. The center of the cookie just melts in your mouth. One note, I used a little more orange zest and added a little of the juice from the orange.

Creamsicle Cookies
by Baked Perfection

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange zest (for me that was the zest of 2 oranges)
2 cups Guitard Choc-Au-Lait Vanilla Chips (I used Ghirardelli white chips)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture until combined. Stir in orange zest and chips.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Do not flatten cookies; it will make them dry. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Do not overcook! Cookies will be plump. Cool for several minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

A New Beginning.... Again

Oh my goodness, I remember back in November when I vowed to be better at blogging..... Oops. Just like I vowed to be better at exercise, eating, parenting, the list goes on and on. Well, the good thing is I'm not a quitter, and I'm back. We have had a few bumps in the road, and a few change of plans, and we're back in the game.

The end of March we moved to Phoenix, where Jared got a great job with a law firm here. Finally!! After 9 long months of unemployment, temporary positions, living in different states, we are back under the same roof. I am loving the sunshine! I know everyone here always says, "Just wait until summer hits" I know, I know... 125 degree days, I get it, but for now, I am just enjoying thawing out from the bitter cold Utah winter. The boys love living where they can be boys and play outside all day long. We downsized in our home size, all three boys are in the same room, and though we miss our family in Utah, and miss having a viewing party every night in Mom and Dad J's bedroom, we are happy to be back on our own feet again.

Jared is working crazy hours trying to get adjusted to a life of lots of work to do in a very busy law firm. Any work that dried up in Texas must have come to Arizona, because they have plenty to keep him busy. We try to drive to his work to see him for dinner one night a week. Although it stinks to not see him before 2 am every day, we are grateful that he has a job, and we are so proud of him for coming out stronger and better from his biggest trial yet.

We decided it was time to take Jared out of the office for awhile on Saturday, and so we took him to a Diamondbacks game. I love that stadium. It was 99 degrees outside, and I was nervous that we were going to get fried! Nope, not here, they have a retractable roof, and air conditioning! Giddy Up!  And even though we lost miserably to the Milwaukee Brewers, the hot dogs were yummy, garlic fries delicious, Pepsi cold and fizzy, and we had great seats on the 3rd baseline. Relaxing night to spend as a family. 

 

My sweet vanishing mom is still fighting! After a big scare in February, she's back home again and doing her best each day to continue the fight. She has lost a lot of weight from her lack of appetite and sickness caused by the meds, so if you see her you might not recognize her, she's much smaller than I am at this point. I am so excited that she is coming down this Friday to stay with me for the week! I will treasure every single minute I get left with her. Who knows, she might surprise us all and live for 10 more years, all the doctors keep trying to sign her up for Hospice, but she tells them all that she's not ready for that yet, now if only her kidneys would listen. :) 

Well, that's it for now, an update.

Brotherly Love

"Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero"....

Long day! Mackay has a mild case of the swine flu.

Crying, whining, whimpering, fevering, clinging, holding. That's what my last 48 hours have consisted of.

Bedtime for the big boys rolls around tonight, we say prayers and get ready to tuck in, only Mackay is NOT having it! Not ready to even go near his crib or his bedroom for that matter. Mitch loves to have me or Jared lay with him as he drifts off to sleep. Doesn't have to be long, but every night.... "Mom... can you lay by me?" and most nights I love it, and I do.

Mackay made that next to impossible tonight. So, I took Mackay downstairs to rock him to sleep so he wouldn't keep the other two awake. (They all share a room at this point.)

 Almost an hour later, this was my tender mercy for the day. Rand was filling in for Mom on a day when I needed it , and without being asked.

 Tonight... Rand was a brother.