Robbie's first baseball tourney/Boys trip to St George

Thanks to meeting Carlo last summer outside of Cafe Rio just a few weeks after moving to SLC, Robbie got invited to tryouts back in late February and ended up making the Olympus Titans 8U team.  I've been helping out as assistant coach and have been so glad Robbie has been part of this team.  Carlo is a great coach and he LOVES baseball.  Baseball in this league is super intense but we've lucked out with practices and games being mostly pretty close to where we live.  

"March Madness Tournament" (March 19-20) -- Robbie's first games took place at a tournament in St. George which ended up turning into a boys trip.  4 games in two days.  Awesome weather. Staying in a hotel.  Eating out.  Good times.  The city was full of kids in baseball uniforms.  We had such a good time.  The baseball itself, on the other hand, was a humbling experience (both for Robbie, his teammates, and especially the parents) as the Titans were outplayed in about every facet of the game and got crushed by a combined score of 73-18.  Still, the experience was so fun and I kept telling Robbie that the best way to learn is to play against the best and that learning how to lose is important as long as you are always playing your best.  I talked with Robbie a lot about how important it is to always play hard at no matter what position the coach puts you at and that even if you are on the bench you should cheer hard for your team.  Always play hard and the coach will take notice and eventually put you in spots where you can contribute more.  

Robbie and Blake at Subway on our way to Game #1.  Robbie LOVES the meatball sub and Blake pretty much loves anything that Robbie loves (i.e. baseball, Subway, etc.)

Robbie at the plate in one of his first at-bats against another kid pitching.

Seriously...doesn't this look like "Field of Dreams" St. George style?    :)

We grabbed some breakfast and had a picnic at the St. George Temple.  

Sure love hangin' with these guys!

A little bit of April

Anna, Cara and I did a Saturday morning hangout (which should happen a whole lot more) and Ryan did Saturday morning solo...which was lucky for these five because it included a morning bike ride to Mc D's.

She likes books!  It does me heart good to see it starting.

CLARA @ 13 months

Elsha Drummond and I were in charge of the photobooth for our fundraiser dinner.  We went with the 20's.

Easter Egg Hunt with extended Jensen family

Clara and Zoey.  Same age.  Same big blue eyes.  Same fluffy blonde hair.  They are second cousins and they could almost be twins. 

Bode, Bob and Ryan use Robbie's Junior Jazz tickets

Carter and Amanda's baptism day.  All the great grandkids that were there with Granny Rae.

I have decided that I will love WHATEVER sport our kids are playing. Because they are playing it and then that makes it important to me.  I will just naturally want to learn everything about it and I'll be their best cheerleader(/critic)

Because I cannot believe how into baseball I've gotten.  That is a testament right there.

Never in a million years.....

Robbie leading off.  He picked #34 after one of his favorite players:  "Big Papi"

We love watching Aubrie play soccer!  She hadn't played in over a year and came out super aggressive much to the pleasure of her mom and dad.   :)   She scored a goal in her first game!!

#37

Just to remember because its fun to look back...

Robbie had a baseball tourney so Ryan got off work about 2:30 and came and joined us at the ball field.  We were there for many hours, after we went home and changed, went to 5 Guys for dinner and then came home and look for (hot/cold) and opened presents (BYU athletic gear, lots of baseball equipment, new sweater for work, new work shoes and our 2014 family blog book (its tradition, he gets one every year)) and had cake.  Looking through the blog book together was so much fun.  Ryan fell asleep at 9:30 putting the kids to bed and although I was disappointed I decided that the best present was to clean the house and let him sleep the rest of the night ;)

Interstellar

Ryan forced me to watch "Interstellar" after he saw it on a business trip.  I was exhausted from a late night the previous night and it is a long movie and we started it late.  I really wasn't very interested.  It ended up being a very thought-provoking movie and I loved our discussion afterward with Liz and Jimmy.  After watching the movie, Ryan had watched a documentary by Nova about the "Fabric of Space" and shared alot of the things he had learned.

Some thoughts I had/we talked about:

-We often live so far below our potential and we have almost an infinite amount of knowledge yet to gain and our time is extremely precious--be protective of the way that we spend our time.  "Be anxiously engaged" in learning and applying.

-We get so prideful as humans of "how far we've come" , not needing God to help or teach us.  Reality is so lost on us sometimes, and yet Heavenly Father still is so good to us.  He still loves us completely.  He never gives up and is always reaching out to pick us up, push us forward and forgive.

-There are literally worlds without number and Christ is the Savior to all.  And we were sent to this Earth, the one were He lived.  That is pretty special.

-Watching the movie, made me have a better feeling for what "beyond the veil" could mean, or that those who have passed on are still so active in our lives and have a much deeper understanding of "eternity, infinity and one eternal round".  How close our eternal connections really are.


Little random for a blog post but it's what I am thinking about this morning.

Blakie's preschool

When we lived in Pemberley when Aubrie was preschool age, we did a co-op preschool and she loved it and I loved it.  So when we moved into a neighborhood where it was feasible I immediately wanted to again.  And we both have LOVED it.  There are 5 kids (Alivia, Blake, Issac, Jayda, Lexie) and we switch houses every week.  We have a "preschool box" that we put supplies and 5 "station" activities for the week into it and it rotates house to house.  Every week is a new letter and number.  One week we focused on vowels too.  I am amazed at the creativity and the effort of all the moms.  Blake has learned SO much.  They have made worm farms, and cracked open ice dinosaur eggs, made flower gardens, colored bubble paintings, finding "sea life" in a kids pool, made volcanos, made guitars and kazoos, learned words in spanish, done lots of puzzles and learning activities. And Blake can write so many letters and knows their sounds which is so fun for me.   It hasn't been stressful and the kids get along really well.  We are going to end the year with a firestation visit and talk about community helpers (our neighbor is a nurse and one is a firefighter so they can come talk to the kids).  My neighbor Katie is super organized and has been so good at keeping things printed for their worksheets and making sure we all have a calendar 3 months out.   I wanted to post pictures so Blake can remember "preschool".

Alivia, Blake and Lexie

Isaac

Life

Real life

I read through some of my journals from when I was 8-12 and I had a lot of "thens" written in there.  "I woke up, ate breakfast and then I went to school, and then I played in the street and then I ate dinner, etc"

But today I WANT to capture our real life so I can remember when my kids call me on the phone when they are at the stage we are right now.  It's a little crazy, a lot of organization and also really fun.  The kids are all at fun ages.

Yesterday was Tuesday.  We got up at 7:00 and the kids quasi did their 5 "things" they are supposed to do before school (get dressed/make bed/practice piano/do daily job (dishwasher for Aub, Bathroom for Robbie, Vacuum and clean living room for Hallie and garbages for Blake)/scripture study).  We actually kneeled to pray instead of sitting for our prayer at breakfast. Bonus!

We had oatmeal and toast for breakfast.  Aubrie put her hair in a ponytail again (she is JUST like Cara--always ponytail, not too high, not too low).  Hallie was lucky to get her hair brushed, literally as she is walking out with her backpack.  They chose Tuesday for hot lunch for the week, so no making lunches (my favorite day:)).

I dropped kids off at school, then Blake and Clara off at Sarah Tripps house and I went back to the school to teach Junior Achievements (Money literacy and community) sessions 1&2 to Hallie's class.  It was SO much fun.  Highlight of the day for me.  Went and got the other 2 and we went with the Tripps to the library for storytime.  Got there--oh wait no storytime today--so we had our own makeshift storytime.  Headed to Chik-fil-a for lunch so Blake and Lexie could play on the playground since it was so windy outside.

Naps for the two kids, cleaned the kitchen, started dinner somewhat, ran two more loads and continued the stack of clean clothes on the floor from Monday.  Cleaned the blinds (first time since we moved in--wow they needed it) while talking to Sister Long trying to arrange Aub's piano lessons.  Sat down to read and fell asleep until the kids got home from school.  Immediately its snacktime (although I was trying to finish dinner so we could eat it right when they got home--I took a nap instead:)).  Rob's Baseball game and Aubrie's soccer practice are both cancelled because its stormy.

Help Robbie with his diaroma (mostly helping him find supplies and using the hot glue gun), get into a huge argument with Aubrie about piano lessons and it turns into yelling (I know she is just tired because her and Hallie stayed up half the night the night before playing/talking in bed) but I am too and it all gets out of control and I told her she cant play with friends/read books or write on her Gmail until piano is resolved.  She is in her room for the next hour probably after telling me I was the worst mom ever and she hated me.
 Hallie had to do a book report and threw it across the kitchen in frustration half way through (also exhausted) and it took us another 30 minutes to talk through her report and go over spelling.  Luckily Clara was still napping through all of that.

Finish up dinner, kids play in the living room, Robbie uses his accumulated time (15 minutes of media time for every morning they get ALL their 5 things done) playing on the computer--Mini clip games).  We had chicken divan, Ryan came home and I left to go on a "Date" with Tara to the SLC temple since the kids sports had been cancelled.  We had been planning it, I had to cancel and then got to go in the end.  I LOVE to be with Tara--it makes me feel happy every time.  She cracks me up and is so interesting to talk to.  Being at the temple is always so good to.

Ryan had the kids help clean up dinner all together (our new "rule" we started a few days ago) and they all wrestled and had a pillow fight downstairs--I think it ended when a zipper from a pillow hit Blake in the mouth and it was bleeding.

Clara went to bed without nursing just snuggling with Ryan--that was Ryan's highlight of the night.

Ryan went to practice Oh Divine Redeemer with Amy at a neighbors house, then we both watched "White Collar" espisodes and caught up on the day and then lights out.

I snapped some pictures of our house--a normal day--just for fun.

Robbie came to me tonight after dinner and asked "can I help you do the dishes?"  I just stared at him. (OK granted it was so that he could go to his friends house to play before bed) but still...  What a guy.

Aubrie helps with Clara-asked and on her own--all the time and NEVER complains about it.  I had her bathe Clara to help me yesterday.  Clara was exhausted from driving home from CA and no nap and ready for bed etc.  She cried the entire bath, getting pjs on, etc.  Aubrie brought her downstairs to me all bathed and pj'd and put her in my arms and said "She DID NOT like that. (stares at me) AND NEITHER DID I".   She looked down and she was soaking wet from the fight of the bath.  I started laughing, then Aubrie did too and then she said "I'm going to change."   It was my favorite interchange with Aubrie this week.  So....normal.

Hallie told me "mom, I think Clara is so cute I almost wish she wasn't my sister because I can hardly stand it".   Her and Blake have played ALOT since we've been back from CA--they pretend they have magic and Hallie usually is telling Blake the words he needs to say.   Hallie asked me very sincerely if she could be a princess and marry a prince a few days ago.  Today at the library she checked out a book called "Princess Primer written by a fairy godmother".  ( I kid not).   AFter she found the book she came over to me in the stacks and whispered a little embarassed--"mom, are you really okay if I marry a prince"   ("Sure Hallie, I totally am, as long as he is a Mormon prince")  "Well, are there Mormon princes?"  "WEll, I am glad that you said yes, because I really do think I am going to mom."

Clara can stand up from a sitting position on the floor and stand for awhile and hold my fingers and walk.  She is close to making the move.  She says "mom!" so resolutely and sounds like a 5 year old.  Copying the other kids I am sure.  She said it over and over again in the car all the way home from CA.  It never got old.

My favorite thing that Blake says is "really?" and his eyes light up and his voice intonation is adorable.  He says it was he is so excited about a piece of information.  He is so lovable.  Today he made his board book into a star standing up and said, " this is like on Elf, you know when he goes round and round" (The revolving door scene) and I thought "this kid is brilliant. he might not have all his letter sounds memorized and write his numbers 1-20 like the other kids in preschool but WHO cares.  His mind makes connections and he remembers details and understands things and uses vocabulary that amazes me everyday.)

I learned something this weekend (And it helps that I came home more refreshed and better focused). I will find in the kids and I's daily interactions...what I am looking for.

Easter/General Conference/Spring Break