New Year

Well... This year has not started off on the best of notes, but sadly it is off to a better start than last year!  Last year Derek didn't have a job as of January 1.  He had a contract job with the church and the job ended on the last day of the year... What a way to ring in 2014.  

This year on the last day of the year we had a pipe freeze in the bathroom.  It ended up causing damage in the bedroom and bathroom and we are having the ceiling replaced tomorrow.  

Derek is working another contract job but they extended his contract so luckily he has 3 more months of work ... Sadly he has 3 more months of work... But we will get through it... We always do... Even if it is at the expense of something else...

2014 was not a horrible year.  Every year with Gunner in our lives and family having and announcing babies is a good year!   We have had a good year considering family and the togetherness of our family.  

Looking forward... I have no idea what 2015 holds but I hope we have happiness and success.

As a New Year resolution this year I want to commit to being a better me.  I want to work on reading my scriptures every night, family prayer, and teaching Gunner the importance of praying to our Heavrnly Father and start him in the right direction of being spiritually strong.  My one wish for him is that he grows up strong spiritually and mentally.  That he is able to be a leader and have more faith than I do.  I hope Gunner knows how much his dad and I love him.  I hope that one day he will forgive us of our shortcomings and forgive us for being "new parents".  I fear with the first born it seems there is a lot of trial and error and sadly more error... 

I hope in 2015 Derek and I can make choices and decisions that will help our family grow in more ways than one,  We would love for Gunner to have a sibling and hope that this is the year for growth.  We hope that we will make smart decisions about our finances and hopefully move in a better direction.

.... Here's to hoping! 

Been a While...

I'm obviously not very good at keeping up with this blog... Or any journal for that matter. 

So let me see if I can do a recap seeing as the year is nearly over...

January... Nope, can't remember. 

February ... Nope... Nothing coming to mind...but I found some pictures from a park day in February! 

March... Derek got a job! ..... Nope! They let him go, apparently he asked too many questions... Stupid people... He was new, of course he was going to ask questions. Gunner is getting so big! Little personality is definitely showing through! He is a great "cheese"er! Love this little dude so much!!

April .... Derek and I celebrated 10 years of marriage.  We still haven't had a chance to really do anything or celebrate like I had wanted but the fact that we made it to 10 years is celebration enough! Gunner has his first sit down with the Easter Bunny! He does not know what to think! McKenna didn't know what to think either! These kiddos arer so stinking cute! He enjoyed doing the Easter egg hunts and didn't realize there was candy in them which was a bonus for me! I didn't want him getting that much candy! Here are some pictures!

 

May ..... Derek gets a contract job! Contracts typically have an end but we will focus on the the fact that he has a job!

June/July ... School graduation!  

Mom came out at the end of June and first of July! We went hiking, went to the Stadium of Fire. Carrie Underwood performed - it was fabulous! Didn't care for the crowds but it was very fun!  Mom helped me work on my yard and put shutters on my house! Crazy how such a little thing like shutters makes such a big difference.  Gunner loved spending time with "Nanny"! He learned a new word, "mine" which he uses quite regularly. He played 1, 2, 3 Go with granny running from one end of the house to the other! 

Shalyn and Jaren came to visit and Gunner had fun playing with Jaren and McKenna! We also went to the park and Gunner played at the splash pad! 

My friend bought us season passes to Seven Peaks and we went a couple of times but Gunner was not a fan. He does not like wearing his life jacket but I don't feel comfortable with him not wearing it so... I guess we will try this summer... He will be older and who knows! Maybe he will love it!

August .... Dad and Darie came out for Brace and Jordan's graduation! We had a great party at which they announced they are expecting in February! So excited for them!  Tracie and Nate also made an announcement of their own! They too are expecting and due around the same time!! I am so excited that our family is growing!  Gunner loved spending time with Grandude and Grandma Darie! 

September ... Back to work... Gunner had a doozie of a time going to new baby sitters until the school daycare was open. We finally found a great young lady to watch him! He loved Abby! Here is a picture of Gunner's "first day of school" 

 Baby Mattie was born! My cousins Landon and Kristi welcomed daughter number 2! 

October... Brina and Melissa got married and I got to sign the marriage certificate!

Gunner and I went to Thanksgiving Pointe with the Garrard family! Gunner had lots of fun! 

They had several small wood playgyms with slides and Gunner was in heaven! He loves sliding! He even went down a really long/tall slide with Uncle Nate! He did look a little scared but it was REALLY tall! 

Gunner was Elmo for halloween and won the costume contest at our church trunk-or-treat! He makes one dang cute Elmo!! (Oh yes, he knows he's cute!!)

November.... Well current day... Gunner is talking more and more, mocking, and even telling me to "shhhh"!  We bought a potty for him a couple of months ago and he is finally getting interested in what to do with it and has been sitting on it... Not doing anything yet but my plan is to work on that this summer! I can't believe how fast they grow up!  It's both sad and exciting!! I absolutely love being a mom. He is the part of me that I always wanted to be.  

I am sure I missed something so if you're reading this and feel I left something out please feel free to comment below!! 

Heavy heart

As I sit here tonight my heart is heavy as if have a lot weighing on my mind.  It seems my roller coaster of a life is on the exciting yet downward spiral.  Life as a mother is wonderful! I worry I could be a better mom... More in tune to my baby's needs and how I can best help him grow and develop.  I fear I am doing him a disservice by not being the best mom ... Or the mom he needs. 

It seems Derek's employment will be one of those "challenges" of my life.  He was laid off of a really good job in May of last year.  It was a very difficult time for our family as we had a new baby and plans to travel to Georgia in a month.  We were able to make our trip, enjoy family and come back to hopefully finding a job.  In late October Derek was offered a contract job with the LDS Church but it was short lived and not renewed for the New Year.  Now it's back to applying for jobs and praying that our Father in Heaven will have our best interest at heart and lead us to a great opportunity that will help our family.  I know that Derek is working on finding a job and I pray that our prayers will be answered as quickly as possible.  

With the new year I have high hopes that our little family will have many successes.  Derek and I have decided to sit down and for the first time in 10 Years work on our budget together! I have always done things by myself and it has been a huge stress for me.  I am excited to begin a new year with a new budget and outlook on our finances.  

I'm not really one to make new year resolutions because I never seem to follow through so I am just going to stick to one principle... To become a better me.  I want to become a better wife, a better mom, a more financially secure ...or stable person, and to start to save money so Derek and I can hopefully work on buying our "upgrade home" ... In a couple of years!  Of course... A lot of this is riding on how the next months pan out.  So please keep us in your prayers that Derek will find a job soon and we will be able to get on the road to financial security.  

First family Photo shoot!

This July we took a family road trip and drove to Georgia! Gunner was fabulous and slept most of the car ride!  We had a great time visiting family and I even got to sing at Christian's baptism!  A huge thanks to Katie for jumping in to sing with me last minute! It wouldn't have been the same without her!  Of course poor Adam broke his foot, we started a fire, and Gunner got to pet a horse all in the same trip!  I miss my Georgia family but I'm finding Utah is slowly becoming "home"... 

Ugh... Not sure how I feel about that statement... Anyway!!!

A big thanks to my sister Christy Stowe for taking some pictures of us during our visit to Georgia this summer! These pictures also double as Gunners 7 month pictures!! 

Gunner's first photo shoot!

Thanks to Gunner's aunt Ruth we have some cute pictures of our little guy! These pictures were taken on January 5th so Gunner was 1 month 4 days old.

Saying goodbye to 2012

2012 has been a pretty good year for my family!
Jennifer and Tom (well end of 2011), Heather and Shane, Tracie and Nate and Brace and Jordan were all sealed together for eternity to their spouses.
Kristi and Landon Welcomed McKenna, Ruth and Cale welcomed Alice, Shalyn and Josh welcomed Jaren and Derek and I welcomed Gunner!

My sisters Heather and her family and Jennifer and her family were able to come visit! This year has been great with regards to family traveling! In fact - I was able to see them multiple times due to weddings and births and it was GREAT! I hope they come visit more often! I know Gunner will love being able to see his Georgia family as much as I will!

Gunner is one month old today and he has completely changed our lives. He is such a sweet and adorable baby - Derek and I feel very blessed.
Of course, I wish he would sleep a little longer at night but he's only a month I can't complain! Derek and I are enjoying every moment with him but look forward to the times when he can communicate with us and sleep through the night!

2012 was definitely an interesting year as I spent the majority of it being pregnant and going through the range of emotions that brings. I learned what it feels like to be pregnant and what a blessing and miracle it is to have a life growing inside you. I look at Gunner and think... THAT is what was growing and kicking around and it's SO WEIRD! Do Derek and I want another baby? OF COURSE we would love for Gunner to have at least one sibling to grow up with... but don't expect anything for 2013!

Looking forward to 2013 I can't predict the future but I see a completely different year than any Derek and I have experienced. Gunner is now the center of our lives and everything we do will likely revolve around him. Do I have anything planned for 2013? Well - We are planning a trip back to Georgia this summer! I can't wait to see everyone again! ... other than that we are living one day at a time and enjoying every minute with our new little guy!
We took some pictures of Gunner today to celebrate his one month date and New Years - this is not the best - but shows he is not a fan of taking pictures!

Emotional...

I have had an interesting past couple of weeks. Having Gunner has been the absolute best thing that has happened in my life without a doubt. I have been thinking how amazing it is that this little spirit has chosen me and Derek as his parents. Gunner is just a precious little guy and I feel so lucky to be his mom. I know Derek feels the same way. It is so awesome seeing Derek interact with Gunner. I am seeing a whole new side of Derek... a more gentle and sweetness... a loving father. I hope that Gunner sees how much Derek and I love him and that he will always know that we are here for him 100%.
My mom has been with us for the past 2 weeks and oh what a blessing and joy it was to have her here! Mom - know that Derek and I LOVE you SOOOOOO much and that you are truly a messenger and angel of heaven here on Earth. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love and respect you. I have never known what it is like to be a "mom" and now that I do I know all the heart ache and joy you must have felt as we were growing up and taking you on a whirlwind of emotions and experiences. I PRAY I was a good enough child that I don't have any karma headed my way!
Flood Gates...
I don't think I've ever cried so much... well in a long time! I think I was warned about the flood of emotions and hormones getting back where they belong or something like that but honestly people... no one could have prepared me for THIS. I don't seem to need a reason to cry or a purpose... or an answer as to why - it just seems to happen. I have had very strong feelings of inadequacy that I can't seem to shake. I can't really describe it other than I just feel like Gunner is my responsibility, he's depending on me and to think as a spirit held for the last days he must be a very strong and valiant angel of heaven. And now...it is up to me to make sure he is raised with faith, determination, self confidence, and all the positive attributes Derek and I could possibly have to offer... It is overwhelming to know that Derek and I are all he has and I just have this rushing of emotions.
I have also had some interesting thoughts and feelings about the whole cesarean process that I want to share...
I was as I'm sure you could tell by my earlier post - a bit worried about having the c-section; however, I don't think things were as bad as I was warned about. I may have been lucky (I know I was blessed! - Thank you Derek!!!) but so far my healing process has been very "text book". I still have pain in my abdomen but my incision has healed quite nicely and did not open or start oozing (Yuck!). I don't think I was prepared for the ( OK... SKIP DOWN TO "SAFE" IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR SOME VERY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES) vaginal bleeding. I don't know - I mean I know no one really goes around talking about "this stuff" but seriously - I guess I thought I'm not having a vaginal birth - they will "suck everything out"... no one ever said - oh no - you'll have bleeding for several WEEKS after giving birth regardless of if it's vaginal or cesarean. I mean isn't that enough to make a woman have postpartum depression all in itself?! I also think it's interesting that the doctor and anesthesiologist were so concerned with my weight. I mean yes - I'm over weight and YES I want to lose weight before we have another baby but seriously - if I don't lose weight I'm not going to NOT have another baby if that's what Derek and I feel is what we're supposed to do... or if it happens... I don't know - I'm thinking 2 years till we have another I want Gunner to have at least one sibling but we had such a hard time having him I worry that maybe we shouldn't worry about the timeline and let it happen... I don't know - I am NOT in a state of mind right now to even THINK about having another. ANYWAY... it irritated me and I think it had a little to do with my blood pressure spike before delivery - but I did NOT appreciate the anesthesiologist's mind set one bit... I mean seriously - this woman who was older and didn't seem like I was her first patient... but she acted as though she'd never worked with a plus size mom... You can't seriously tell me that I'm the ONLY or FIRST plus size person she's worked with... Needless to say I was a bit taken back by her... "bedside manner". And NO - I'm not looking for "oh, I'm sorry that happened" or sympathy in any way - just an observation.
OK.... I'm done with my rant...

******SAFE******

The emotional state of having a baby has got to be one of the things that prepares us for something later... I just can't quite put my finger on it at the moment...
It's something I'll have to ponder... I'm a pretty deep thinker on my better days so maybe it will come to me when my head clears!
For now - I just pray that as Gunner is getting over his bout with Thrush he is able to sleep a little more comfortably... and longer would be nice! I know it's been hard for him to sleep and I'm sure he can't be feeling well. I mean HOLY COW the one time I had a yeast infection I thought I was going to DIE!! I can only imagine how this little baby must be feeling... I just hope it's not nearly as painful as mine was. I read that for babies sometimes it's painful and sometimes they don't even act like they have something wrong. For the first little while Gunner wasn't crying or fussy and we weren't even sure if it was Thrush but now the poor little guy will stick his tongue out when he cries or when he's a little fussy and I know it's bothering him. I picked up meds today and he's had two doses so far and when I looked at his mouth earlier it's already looking better. I hope it helps with his sleeping and makes him feel better. Heaven knows I could sure use the sleep! I know he can too!
Christmas is coming soon and we had hopes of getting Gunner's picture taken and sending out christmas cards but it's not really been a top priority! I hope everyone will forgive us - although we've never been good at sending out Christmas cards so nothing new right?!
Well it looks like Gunner is waking from his nap - gotta go! I will definitely give him a hug and kiss for everyone! Love you all!

Gunner David Wayne Jensen

Gunner was born December 1st via cesarean at 10:01am. He was just under 9 pounds and 21" long. He is healthy and did not have any complications! I am so glad that everything went as smoothly as it did. I know my Heavenly Father was watching over both of us and I pray that he continues to protect us.

My healing process has gone text book so far. I am still a little sore but every day I am able to go longer without taking my pain meds. Last night was even the first night that as I tossed and turned in bed I didn't feel the sharp pains that I had been feeling. I know I'm still healing and I'm not able to walk for long periods of time - and by long periods of time I just mean walking in the grocery store! Again - I am SO thankful for answered prayers and that I have been able to heal with no complications thus far...

Here are some pictures of Gunner at the Hospital. I'll try and post more as soon as I get them from Jenner!

Gunner is HERE!!

We are SO very blessed to have baby Gunner in our lives. We are so in love and love every minute with him.
So I'll try to tell you the process and what happened on December 1st as Derek and I went to the hospital to have Gunner. Keep in mind... after the surgery I was apparently quite out of it so my account may not be the most accurate.

I took Friday the 30th off of work because my mom and sister Jennifer were flying in from Georgia. As soon as they got in we went shopping! It was great to have a day to spend time with them. Admittedly - I was a bit stressed about the upcoming events but we had a great day!

The morning of December 1st Derek and I woke up at 4 am and got ready to head to the hospital. My mom stayed with us that night and really wanted to go to the hospital with us but she got sick on the way out and was unable to come the day of the cesarean. As we arrived at the hospital everything went quite smoothly. We were taken right to our room and I was instructed to get into the hospital gown. As soon as I was dressed they came in and started the poking and prodding... they were trying to draw blood and put in the IV. I believe I counted when I was in the hospital and they tried 10 different places to place the IV until finally placing it in the crook of my left arm. We were supposed to go into the operating room at 7:30 but because of the delay in getting the IV in that delayed the spinal block. The anesthesiologist was concerned by the fact that the nurses were having a hard time putting in the IV and of course by that point my blood pressure had risen so that was an added concern. The anesthesiologist called in an additional anesthesiologist to assist. She was concerned that because of the complications adding an IV that we might have similar problems putting in the spinal block. She also talked to us about the possibility of being put under full anesthesia if the spinal block was unsuccessful. I was concerned about that because of course that means that Gunner would have been affected as well. During the complications and waiting time Jennifer made her way to the hospital and was able to stay with us until they took me back to the operating room. I had Derek give me a blessing right before going into the operating room so that hopefully everything would go well and we would not have to worry about me being put under.
Derek and I went into the operating room and everything went according to plan. Derek did NOT want to watch any part of the surgery which I admit - I would have been a little curious to watch but kinda glad I couldn't see because that might have freaked me out even more.
I remember as they were cutting Derek said, "Do you smell that" of course I couldn't smell anything but he could smell my burning flesh as they cauterize the skin as they cut to help with bleeding.
Shortly after we heard Gunner's first SCREAM! He sounded like a baby dinosaur! Which we laughed at seeing as we decorated his nursery with a dinosaur theme in mind! The doctor even commented and said, "wow! He is Mad!" As they shuffled him over to the area where they clean him Derek was able to stand over there and help clean and take pictures. I remember looking over and thinking he has some huge hands! I even counted his fingers making sure he only had 5 fingers! As soon as they cleaned him up and fixed me up they wheeled us back to the room where Jennifer and now Brina were waiting for us. They were shocked to see that Gunner was in my arms and they could see him right away! We took pictures and I know people were calling and I tried to talk but I was quite out of it. There were a couple of times where I was to out of it to talk.
I stayed in the hospital for 4 days. Thank you to everyone who brought Derek a meal while he stayed with me for those 4 days with basically no food other than the food that was brought to him and the few times he went to the cafeteria with my mom. Mom and Derek stayed with me most of the time and Derek was quite the trooper staying with me the entire time sleeping on the futon in the room. What a guy!
Mom stayed with Tracie and luckily the hospital was on Tracie's way to work and she dropped mom off every morning before heading on to work.
Being home has been a whole different world. My mom has been a great help and I honestly don't know what I'm going to do when she leaves. I will probably cry all day. I have come to rely on her probably a bit to heavily.
So - that's the story! We're home and just learning and getting to know our little guy. We look forward to being able to see his little personality and learn more about him. Right now we are loving our Little Piece of Heaven!

1 Week and Counting

Well... a week from today... by this time I will be holding Gunner in my arms! What an amazing feeling to know that he will finally be here.
I of course have things I'm worried about and all I can do is pray that my Father in Heaven will be watching over and keep both of us safe.  I know the recovery for a c-section is not easy and I am not looking forward to the possibility of having complications.  I know with my weight the possibilities are greater and it worries me.

I am trying to not get worked up yet it seems since I found out I'm having a c-section I have had a rush of emotions. I find I cry a lot easier and my gag reflexes are back in full swing.  I worry about Gunner. I hope that even though he will be a big baby that he will not have any complications, that he will be tall like his daddy and that he will be the best of me and the best of Derek.   If at all possible I would love for him to come on his own this week but if not at least I know Saturday at the latest. 

As you can tell I am a bit jumbled when it comes to my thoughts.  I can't seem to keep my thoughts straight.  There's a lot going on and a lot to think about...  I'm trying not to stress but it seems that's what I'm best at...

Gunner has a Birth Day!

I had my 37 week appointment today.  Gunner is still measuring to big so we went ahead and scheduled a C-section.  It was either schedule a c-section or wait to be induced at 41 weeks...assuming he didn't come on time.
After chatting with the doctor it sounded as though because of his size we might end up in an emergency C-section anyway and I just feel more comfortable knowing he will be OK and have a delivery that will hopefully be less stressful for us both.
The date is set for December 1st at 7:30 am.  We will need to be there by 5:30 apparently so it's going to be a long day. 
After leaving the hospital I called my mom and dad then when I got home looked up flights for my mom to be here when Gunner is born. 
I found a really good deal on flights and my wonderful step-dad, Jimmy-Mack, paid so my mom will be here from November 30th to December 17th! I'm so excited to have here!
Derek is planning on taking some time off of work and between mom and Derek I know I will be in good hands! I consider myself to be very lucky to have such a great support system.
..... of course there are concerns that I have but I'm prayerful Heavenly Father will watch over the both of us.

Oops!!

Apparently I haven't posted in quite a while.  Well the big news is we are pregnant!  Due next month! We are having a little boy and naming him Gunner David Wayne Jensen.  It took us quite some time to figure out a name but we are really excited about our choice.  Gunner is a name that both Derek and I agreed upon from a list of what seemed like hundreds of names.  David is Derek's middle name, Wayne is my dad's middle name and we couldn't choose between the two and really liked the way they sound together so... yes he will have two middle names!
So far my doctor visits measure him as a really big baby but I tested negative for gestational diabetes.  So far its been a pretty normal pregnancy. 
Things I've noticed...
1. I have been able to feel movement pretty much in the normal weeks. I guess considering my weight there was some question regarding being able to feel movement... no problem.
2. Derek has been able to feel movement although Gunner seems to settle right when Derek puts his hand on my stomach!
3. I don't think people can tell I'm pregnant unless they know that I'm pregnant.  People don't wanna say "wow you've gained weight" or assume that an overweight person is in fact pregnant so I don't take offense.
4. I have been feeling a lot of pressure since about 20 weeks or so. It's been quite painful and makes it hard to walk or sit or get up on the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.
5. Don't get me started on the bathroom visits! It seems I get up on average 3-5 times a night. And at work I am stuck behind my desk so much that by the time I finally am able to get up I feel like I have to go so badly that my bladder is going to explode.
6. The baby room never seems to be where I am ready to put a baby in it! I finally got it clean and then we had our baby shower and not that I'm complaining about the shower but I just need to put things away and find room for things all over again.  Good problem!
7. Derek has been amazing! He has been rubbing my feet and back and very understanding and supportive of my mood shifts.  I know I haven't been myself and get cranky often...  but he's been amazing!
8. We are still excited and nervous about being parents!  We have 5 weeks left so he'll be here soon!  We can't wait to see him but know life as we know it will never be the same!
.... I'm sure there are many more things I could list but what it comes down to is that we are so excited that our Heavenly Father has given us the opportunity to be parents and share our talents and passion with a choice spirit.  I pray daily that he will be healthy and not have complications.  I know that would be really hard on both of us. I don't want to stress about all the things that could go wrong... I just want him to be happy and healthy!

write a book...

wonder if i have it in me to write a book... i have thought a couple of times about writing so maybe this summer when i have some free time on my hands i will sit down and try to write. i have started stories before and at the thought of other people reading them just deleted the entire thing. it seems like no matter how fictional i always fear people reading into things... or if it is a non fiction that i decide to go with is it too much for people to grasp? ... so my few followers... what are your thoughts????

Answered Prayers

I just wanted to sit and write a little bit about the power of prayer.

About a month ago we were finding out that my mom was very sick. Doctors seemed to have no answers and the possible ailments were a bit on the scary side. Possible diagnoses were cancer, leukemia, lupus, TB, an allergic reaction, and I'm sure the list goes on but those are the ones that come to mind.
I could not imagine losing my mom. She has been such a source of strength and love in my life and it was hard for me to think that she could be coming down with some sort of terminal disease.
I would call my mom and she was not her usual, chipper self. In fact she would say things like, "I'm tired hon, I'm going to go lay down. I'll call you later." Now, my mom is the mom that you have to say "Ok! Mom! I really have to go this time!!" She doesn't get off the phone easily so I knew she was depressed and worried about her health as well.
I called the Salt Lake Temple and put her on the prayer list and said my own prayers almost hourly it seemed. I just prayed that a person who does so much good for other people would not be taken form this work by suffering. She had suffered enough in her past and I could not see her suffering in her last days.
Heavenly Father answered my prayers. Turns out the likely culprit for her sickness was a cortisone shot given to her by her family doctor that ended up spreading an inflammation in her knees throughout her body. It took between 6-8 weeks for her to come to a full recovery and finally have normal blood and energy levels.
I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers and I am so thankful that I have the faith to call upon Him in my deepest hours of need.

New Beginning

For the past 3 years I have changed jobs every year - which is quite new for me. I am the kind of person who will stay in a job I hate, simply because I hate interviewing and looking for a new job more than any dissatisfaction on the job could possibly bring... so when I say I have had a different job 3 years in a row... it's a big deal.
After getting my Master's I thought that landing the "Dream Job" would either be impossible or happen very quickly... no middle grounds. I knew this was the career path I was supposed to take and so I guess I figured things would fall into place.
They have.
(Year #1) My Internship year I was able to work at an amazing school under the direction of two really great counselors and gain a lot of very valuable information. Because I was working a full time - half pay internship I decided to keep my Zions Bank job and work in the evenings to make up the difference... as many of you know with the economic crunch Derek was laid off and we had quite the interesting year.
(Year #2) My first year as a counselor I was lucky enough to have a friend of mine recommend me for a job as a full time counselor at an amazing charter school in Draper. Though I loved my experience there I felt like something was missing.
Which brings me to Year # 3! I am moving to a High School in the Jordan School District in Utah and I am so very excited! Even though I hate changing jobs I feel that each move has prepared me for the next chapter in my life.

So - Derek and I have been through a lot. We have both changed jobs more often than we would like, some wanted and needed moves and others not so wanted and needed but necessary to bring us to our current place.

Right now things are going really well for us on the job front. I start work in a couple of days, and Derek is working for a company that allows him to work from home 3 days of the week. For him, that is the best deal possible seeing as he has worse road rage than me! :)
I pray that the good moments in our life continue to happen and that we are able to continue to move forward in our new beginnings.

Been a while...

It's been a while since I've posted. I don't even know if anyone is reading this or checking it but I guess sometimes it's just nice to be able to write some of my thoughts down. Of course, I don't write half of what I'm thinking because well let's face it - no one has that much time! So to address my last post - the school year has been interesting to say the least. I have learned a lot and fear I still don't know everything I should. But - I have to say I am really - REALLY looking forward to the summer break! Derek and I are doing well. Every day I learn something new about "being married". The other day I learned - mind you after 7 years of marriage - that Derek does not like dishes on the disposal side of the sink. I wanted to say - you've felt this way for 7 years and are JUST NOW telling me this?! But - hey - better late than never! Never a boring day :) I know everyone is wondering when Derek and I are going to have kids... and all I can say is... SO ARE WE!! Side Note - My brother comes home from his LDS Mission on Friday! He won't be here in Utah until the 23rd though. We are looking forward to seeing him! I can't believe it's been two years already! Of course - like my dad said looking back things always seem to go fast. Well - I guess I've done my rambeling for another year! I will try to be better at posting. Until then... TahTah!

Something New...

Well - I guess it's time for me to add something new to this blog. I am pretty bad about keeping up with this.

So - what's new?

Derek has a job!
I have a job!
Tracie got a job!

Everyone is employed and seems to be doing well. I finally got my spare bedroom/office complete. Well, as complete as it's going to be. Thanks to Mom Jensen coming to stay with us it kicked me in high gear so that was an awesome added bonus! :)

Tomorrow Tracie and I are planning on taking on the bathroom and hopefully doing some paint and finally hanging the mirror Derek and I bought several months back. I'm excited to finally be adding color to the walls and making my house a home!
I feel like there is a lot to do around the house to make it look the way I want it to look and hopefully - after 3 years I'll be able to get it to that point. My main goal is to do the paint on the inside. Then outside hopefully during the summer cool down (not really a fall here - goes from summer to winter then back to summer) I'll be able to add some shutters to the front of the house and then come the winter warm up I'll plant a few things in the yard to give it that "curb appeal".
We'll see. I've wanted to paint for a long time and I'm just now getting to it, so those other things may not happen for a while either, but it's all good. At least now I have summers off and I'll be able to take on projects like that! :)

Speaking of having summers off. I finally quit my job at Zions after more than 8.5 years. I almost had 9 years in. Kind of sad to say goodbye, but I am really enjoying my time off. I feel like I'm getting things done that I should have done years ago. So, for my first "summer off" I'm not really getting the "full effect" but I am getting about 2.5 weeks and Brina, Shalyn, Tracie and I are headed to Vegas for 4 days and 3 nights next week! I can't stand the wait! I hope we have a blast! I plan on just enjoying myself and not doing a whole lot. I just want to RELAX! Maybe sit by the pool ... or in the cool hotel room and read a book or two. I haven't had a chance to sit down and just read a book in a VERY LONG TIME... well at least not one that I CHOSE to read.
So, my new job is waiting around the corner and I'm very excited to be moving on and getting into a career that will hopefully lead me down a very happy and satisfying life journey.

Well, I guess that's all for now.

GRADUATION!!

Tracie and I finally graduated with our MASTERS! We are now School Counselors! How awesome! Of course the fun part now is finding jobs, but we are confident everything will work out. Our graduation was on May 1st at the "E" Center in West Valley City Utah. We are SO glad to be done and are now thinking ahead to what's next. Tracie has talked about doing more schooling to be certified as a school psychologist and I am thinking ... well as soon as Derek gets a job... that we are ready to FINALLY add to our family. BUT - FAMILY... We have a lot of "kinks" to iron out so don't get too excited! Anyway! Here are some pictures that I thought you might like to see of our graduation.

View

Though I am excited to be moving on with my career and I will likely stay with the bank as long as they will allow, I will definitely miss the views...

Here are some pictures taken from my office.

New Job

I was offered a job for next school year! I will be the middle school counselor for Summit Academy in Draper Utah. I'm very excited! Now we just have to work on getting Derek a job!