End of 2025

Well, Elder Jensen has officially been gone all of 2025.  Its crazy! 

It has been such a nice, relaxing, fun week this past week all being home and lots of time to hang out together.  I personally have loved it so much.  It is my favorite thing in life when we are all together and its peaceful and fun! We of course miss you so much! Blake is reminding me more and more of you every day. 

Christmas Eve was so good.  We acted out the nativity after a really nice dinner with Jensens in town and Lito and LIta and a neighbor family that is renting Sara Jean's house, that have 2 little kids and one on the way.  They are not members of the church but they just jumped into the whole evening so well. I was glad the Pratts invited them! 

There was a lot of downtime spent making homemade gifts.  I feel like Aubrie, Hallie and Clara have done a lot of knitting. Lucas and Blake went to a "fly tying" experience that I was able to set up at Fish Tech ( a local fishing shop) and they got a personal mini class with one of the owners to learn to tie a few flies.  It was cool, and Lucas has Beckham for Christmas, which will be a happy gift!

We all have FOMO that all of the Jensens are together having fun in AZ;) Dad and I are on the adult Jensen group chat and hearing all the fun! ;)  

I am so grateful for the Haynies and the Jensens.  It is such a privilege to be related to such GREAT people who are such a huge support and so much fun.  It is already sad to have WEs and Amanda gone to TX.  It hasn't quite hit me that we will only see them once a year now. 

We have been watching a few movies (Elf and Home Alone), bike rides, lots of basketball at the church, Hallie and Blake had friends over for smores and a fire, doing nails, lots of playing games, marble run, LOTS of reading, and Lucas has been having fun with his RC car. He needs someone to play with him all the time. Aubrie made an appointment for the 3 of us to go to the temple on the 26th and do attend an endowment session.  It was wonderful!

Ryan Netelbeek spoke in our ward today post return from Mongolia on his mission.  What a unique mission he served in -43 temps in the winter, no wearing of name tags--its largely a do service mission and he said I have eaten any part of any animal you can think of.  It was so cool to hear his conviction of the gospel and neat to hear his story about not being active or thinking about anythign re: the gospel until he was 20.  He is so committed to being a disciple.  I hope he does all the things to stay the course and stay true to what he believes.  He is the only member in his family and that is really hard to be the sole strength in that way. 

It was a great meeting! We had a testimony meeting for our 2nd hour with all the youth and it was awkward for a lot of them to share.  But so good to practice that outloud.  I was so glad we did it. 

I just received my "inklings" conference packet a few months late.  Last year was my first year to have a packet where I am studying with all the resources the previous General conference.  I liked doing it so much last time.  And although I am behind, I can't wait to get started on Oct conferences.  Starting with President Oaks' talk about "Family-Centered Gospel of Jesus Christ," which was my most remembered talk from Conference.  

About 2 months ago I listened to a Follow Him podcast and had a real moment with an idea of CONNECTION OVER COMPETITION.  It is one of my biggest daily struggles.  I have repeated that phrase in my mind or out loud SO many times in these past 2 months.  To remember that to be admired is so easy to want but true connection is different.  Putting efforts into being admired (cleaning the house to impress, or wearing/buying/acquiring certain clothes or things to impress, parctipating in certain things to impress--is NOT a way to truly connect with people). Admiration is not connnection.  And connection is what truly fills us up.  and what Christ was so perfect at.  Connection.  It has been slowly helping me to make different choices and I hope I continue to get better at it.  My other thought about this coming year is to find ways to improve my ability to "Be Present" (not thinking or analyzing the past or worrying/planning for the future but to just be in the now).   It is not easy for me. But I am excited to practice it. 

 

Blake wanted me to send his highlight of the one time he actually scored on me.  I can send you the better videos later. ;). The Lakers have responded to his email he sent with videos so he's locked. ​​Blake really wanted me to play basketball one night with him (it was such a fun night we got to all color under the Christmas tree and read Christmas stories--highlight of the week for me for sure) and wouldn't take no for an answer.  We played for about 15-20 minutes, then Hallie joined and then dad came upstairs and joined and then Lucas and Clara got out of bed and we all played basketball until 10:30 at night.  It actually was so. much. fun. and boys won. 

 

​​In other basketball news.  Lucas had his first ever basketball game and he knew the basics but it felt like he took part of the game to figure out what the heck was going on.  he will get locked in next game.  Dad was going to work with him this week. He did have some shots on goal and despite playing a grade up he was still the tallest kid out there on both teams ;) It is so fun that he and Lincoln are playing on the same team this season.  And they will get to go to the Jazz game with the free tickets. 

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​​We all went to see Nate Bargatze (you remember the really fun clean comedian we all love) at a show at the Delta Center (he sold out 4 shows in 2 days here in SLC) and HE.WAS.FUNNY! WE all really enjoyed it.  Then we drove over to the German Christmas market up at THis is the PLace monument and walked around for a few hours.  It was such a cool vibe, and the performers were legit good!  and we had brats (like real German brats) And crafted apple beer and butterscotch beer.  And pretzels and cheese.  Anyway, it was a very fun night and it was actually decent weather.  Its been pretty warm through December so far.  Unusual.  (It reminds me of NH.  Then Christmas would hit and We would have snowmaggedon.

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​Also: Bricky opened his mission portal, Tara and Dan blessed Gigi today and have THEE cutest kids!  WE all went on a long walk tonight before kids went to bed, Dad has been cranking on DBAT stuff.  Blake officially has a job working once a week at DBAT which is cool.  Blake made 13. loaves of bread to try to earn money for his ski pass he has to pay off before he can use it.  Hallie and Paige talk on the phone pretty much every night.  Hallie went to Markos house and taught the whole fam to play NErtz and they all loved it.  Dad hung up our Christmas lights.  Janae and Brandon and fam stayed at our house last night just for one night and its always so fun to hang out with them! Nutcracker officially starts for Clara this week and she is so pumped to be in the older group of dancers this year.  (not on Pointe but still with all the oldest dancers).  She also is working for Ms. Mimi 2 days (her old ballet instructor) again this year as "Clara" for the Nutcracker at her old studio.  She loves it. Dad and I had a date night to go to Festival of the Trees (Sister Nieevard always gives us tickets) and Thai food Friday night. Dad spoke in Toronto for work. Hallie and I went to the RS Christmas dinner (I was so glad she wanted to go!).  

Thats a wrap (ping). 

Thanksgiving dinner at the church in the RS room.  I was so glad we did it there.  It was much more comfortable.  WE proposed that everyone (After eating for a while) tell one of their favorite memories of the person on their right and then the thing they are most thankful about the person on their left.  It probably took an hour to get through everyone, but it was SO enjoyable to hear what everyone shared (all these stories that were unknown to most of us).  I loved watching everyone's faces who were getting talked about, too. It was a good time.  After dinner and also on Friday night, we played a lot of volleyball in the gym.  With so many older cousins, it was fun!  We did boys v girls one night best out of 3 and it got heated. (jack, beck, bircky, jack, blake, lucas, henny, tyler) and (dad, Aubrie, EJ, Hallie, Clara, Anna and me)

For the first time ever Thanksgiving night at 7:45 we went to see the second Wicked all of us.  And no one loved it very much and we spent an hour dissecting everything about the movie and crying laughing afterward in the kitchen (WEs was in prime form).  Elliott always comes by whenever Wes is around. He just loves him. 

We ALL did baptisms or an endowment session at the temple on Friday morning.  Walking in (Lucas, Clara and Henny sat in the waiting room) we were talking about that in one month, Clara and Henny will join the temple-going ranks.  They both squealed.  What a privilege to be able to go into the Lord's house.  WE went to Taylorsville. 

Saturday we all watched the BYU v UCF game (either at our house or at the stadium), and BYU squeaked out a win...kind of...then everyone went home and Dad, Clara Aub and I decided to go to a Christmas concert at the Tabernacle.  It was EXCELLENT.  8 local performing groups did different carols or hymns.  One of them was Marshall MacDonald (you know the composer who did the hymns you always play).  I loved his arrangement in particular. 

Dad is cooked.  Today he was at the church from 7:30-2:30 (and ran with us to go see G&G Haynie speak at their ward and left before it was over to go back for tithing declaration--I think he was there for their talks, and that was it) and had a full afternoon of interviews.  After long weeks and then long weekends, he almost every Sunday falls asleep on the couch when he sits down. 

Cafe Rio one of the nights.#fanfave

Turkey Bowl was epic this year.  Enough people came for 2 games. 

Lots of watching football (Texas x Texas AM) and BYU and LSU v Oregon?

Black Friday shopping altogether.  You can imagine that chaos.  Dad and Grandpa went home to put up Christmas lights. Some of us only lasted a few stores, and then some even went so far as to go to the mall. It was SO busy at Fashion Place.  

Lucas has been coloring up a storm to send you some drawings.  Aubrie cut bangs.  Marko (I think reluctantly) got the full cousin experience one of the nights everyone was here.  Hallie was a little nervous about bringing him. Eventually he jumped into playing Nertz and actually liked the game.  Elliott, Jack, Bricky, Beck, Tyler, EJ, Aubrie, etc can all be a little intimidating. Ask Blake about Claire. And Clara's favorite time of year is coming up....Nutcracker.  Performances start next weekend. 

I made the family go on a cleaning rampage yesterday afternoon, and all the house surfaces were vacuumed or mopped or dusted.  Everyone loves these moments together so much ;)

Love you Robbie!  Can't wait to talk to you and hear about your week.

Remind me what Christmas renditions you want so I can mail them tomorrow. 

Mama