Happy Birthday Hot Stuff!

Well, it is true that the love of my life has added another year and is now the magical age of 33! In honor of this, I dedicate this blog to you Travis with 33 things about Travis

1. Travis is my best friend

2. Travis is a writer and a poet.

3. Travis is a proud lifetime member of the NRA

4. Works harder than anyone I've ever known

5. Loves sushi

6. Great snow skiier

7. Helps others to be better people

8. Compassionate

9. Loves the outdoors, hiking, fishing, hunting

10. Selfless, always giving to his family

11. Still makes me laugh after more than 10 years

12. Always tries to kiss me when I'm yawning which drives me crazy!

13. My greatest defender

14. Master plumber

15. Appreciates good literature

16. Likes scary movies

17. Positive person (one of those "cup half full" people)

18. Determined and motivated to achieve his goals

19. Supportive of all I choose to undertake or choose to not undertake

20. Travis loves being active with his family rather than wathing TV

21. Electronics whizz, taking care of all my ipod, cell phone, and computer needs

22. Likes to Mountain biking

23. Travis likes to torture me with weird facial hair (when he is shaving, sometimes he keeps a ugly mustache for a few hours or some other weird looking thing on his face and I hate it!, Eventually he will shave it before going out in public.)

24. A great father, tells his kids stories every night before bed whether he is traveling or home

25. He is a runner and often takes the kids with him. They ride their bikes and he runs.

26. He can do more pull-ups than any hot shot at the gym

27. He honors his priesthood and uses it to bless our family and others

28. Makes slingshots for the boys and carries one himself when were out walking...he can hit anything with it

29. Travis can fix everything. Whenever something breaks the kids say "Dad will fix it"

30. Travis also teaches his kids how to fix everything so when he is gone, Landon and Dayton take care of stuff.

31. The boys love that he plays and teaches them sports

32. Travis is the best primary teacher (Landon submitted this one :)

33. Most of all, Travis is loved very much by his family and we couldn't live without you!

Happy Birthday!

Kaylee Ann Jensen

Last Tuesday November 11th marked the four year anniversary that I gave birth to our heaven bound little girl. Sometimes it seems like yesterday that we were holding her in our arms and at the same time we have been so blessed with many things since her passing. For the last few weeks I've been experiencing many emotions anticipating this date that marked a mortal experience that didn't just "influence" my life but rather "changed" my life. "I know that my Reedemer Lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives! He lives, he lives, who once was dead. He lives, my ever living head." In Job 14:14 we read "If a man die, shall he live again?" Job answers his own question in chapter 19:25-26 "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God". I have been taught my entire life about the Plan of Salvation and yet sometimes the only way we can truly learn is by experience. Isn't that the reason we are all here? If we turn to the scriptures we can find answers to our questions. Four years ago I needed to know, not just have faith or hope, that I would be with my daughter again. In the bible, specifically John 20 we learn about the first resurrected person, our Savior Jesus Christ. Mary Magdelene has gone to the tomb and found it empty... Verses 12-17 "And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say Master." In the Book of Mormon we have another account of people seeing the resurrected Savior. In 3 Nephi 17 we learn about Jesus visiting the Nephites who lived on the American Hemisphere. 3 Nephi 17:25 "And the multitude did see and hear and bear record; and they know that their record is true for they all of them did see and hear, every man for himself; and they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, and children." In this dispensation their have been new witnesses to the resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. In the spring of 1820 a young Joseph Smith adds his witness of seeing God the Father and his son Jesus Christ while in the Sacred Grove. Later, Joseph sees the Savior again along with Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple. D&C 110:2-4 "We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us;...His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah saying: I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father". In 3 Nephi 23:9-10 we learn about the Saviors postmortal ministry. In modern day revelation, President Joseph F. Smith gives us more knowledge about the spirit world and life after death. His Vision of the Redemption of the Dead answers the question of what happens to a person once he dies? "Gathered together in one place an innumerable company of the spirits of the just, who had been faithful in the testimony of Jesus while they lived in mortality; And had ...suffered tribulation in their Redeemer's name. All these had departed the mortal life, firm in the hope of a glorious resurrection... They were filled with joy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance was at hand. They were assembled awaiting the advent of the Son of God into the spirit world, to declare their redemption from the bands of death... While this vast multitude waited and conversed, rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of death, the Son of God appeared, declaring liberty to the captives who had been faithful; And there he preached to them the everlasting gospel, the doctrine of the resurrection and the redemption of mankind from the fall, and from the individual sins on condition of repentance... And the saints rejoiced in their redemption, and bowed the knee and acknowledged the Son of God as their Redeemer and Deliverer from death and the chains of hell. Their countenances shone, and the radiance from the presence of the Lord rested upon them, and they sang praises unto his holy name". As I was mourning the loss of our baby I studied the scriptures to find understanding. I read example after example of "life after death", the scriptures are full of stories of our resurrected Savior and "eternal life" but somehow I still struggled. One night while reading in D&C 6:23 in a revelation given to Joseph Smith, the Lord is speaking to Oliver Cowdery when The Lord answers Oliver's questioning by saying: "Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?" I knew that this was also my answer. Through prayer my Heavenly Father had already let me know that everything was "okay." This is the greatest witness we can obtain about the truth of not only life after this life but any question we might have. We do not have to rely on "experts", "scholars", or other witnesses, we only have to rely on the Lord. Christ taught, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." When our little girl was born we did not give her a name. We prayed about it and felt like we didn't need to. Over the last several months I have felt like I wanted to give her a name. Travis has shared this feeling. We have decided to name her Kaylee Ann Jensen. She shares her middle name with her little sister Sadie. We have many friends who have lost babies prematurely as we did and many who have lost children after their life was cut short for other reasons. We all have had experiences in our lives where we need to rely on the Lord, my hope is that we remember to do that. I know that we will be with our daughter as well as others who have gone before us. We love you Kaylee Ann, you are such a special part of our family and will always be with us.

Small Town Living

Since we moved to Erie a little more than a year ago I've complained (a little) about how small it is here. I didn't realize I was more of a "city" girl. As I was reading our newspaper tonight I was reading the part about the recent "police activity" and this is what it said:

On Sunday November 2, an Erie police officer responded to a 911 hang-up call from the 1800 block of Alpine Drive, The officer contacted a 5-year-old male who was playing with the telephone.

HA HA HA...I had to laugh because that was the only thing listed in the paper....too funny. Plus I know a bunch of people on Alpine Drive so fess up if it was your 5-year-old male!

Date Day with Reece at the Children's Museum

Reece, Sadie and I had a day date together at the Children's Museum in Denver. It is super fun for toddlers and younger children. If your in the Denver area and have toddlers I would recommend going if you haven't already. It was about $15 dollars for both Reece and myself and Sadie was free. They have a little cafeteria but I will pack a lunch next time because it's a rip off-- $2.50 for 1/2 a pb & J? Lamo! Here are some things we did.

They have a miniature basketball court complete with jerseys. Reece being a sport nut loved it.

In one area of the museum they have these miniature houses with all the miniature stuff to go along with it. This is in the "house" where kids can "play house" and put dolls in this little bed. I couldn't help myself, I put Sadie in the bed and took a picture. There was a little girl there that was really annoyed that I moved her doll. (Too bad kid, this is a photo op) I quickly put her doll back and restored order when I was done.

Reece thought I needed a picture of him in the bed too. (Yes, the little girl was annoyed by this as well, I told her "we need to share" I guess that's better than pushing her out of the way right? Ha ha, totally kidding...a little)

Here is Reecer dressed up as a bunny exploring the underground animal exhibit. Kids could dress up as bunnies, a mouse, a worm, and a few other animals that head underground.

Next was a trip to the grocery store. The plastic fruit doesn't taste that good. (I wonder how many kids have done what Reece is doing--can we say germarrific?)

Picasso at work!

Reece hopping on the giant foot in the Lily Pad area!

One boppy wasn't enough to help Sadie sit up so we used two. I have to comment on her hat..my neighbor Michelle made about 10 hats for Sadie, all different sizes and designs...she is so nice!

I think Reece's favorite part of the museum is the full sized fire engine that they can climb in and push buttons to turn on the lights and pretend to drive and rescue people. He was so excited when he saw this he started running around saying "I need my hat, I need my hat" and ran right by the hats about 4 times til I finally grabbed him and helped him get his fire hat and jacket on. He had a blast. We spent about 4 HOURS there, which any mom with a toddler knows is a super long time. It was great and I need to do things like that for him more often.

Ra Ra ra ra ra Ra Ra ra ra ra Gooooo Cougars!

Our family was fortunate to be some of the recipients of "free tickets" to the BYU/CSU game. Our good friends Bishop Mike Alletto and Ann have a son who is a lineman for the Cougars and he was able to get us some great seats to the Saturday game out here in Colorado. It was so fun to watch the Cougars play and WIN! We were on row six in the BYU section and you could see everything. I remember thinking...Wow those college kids seem so young (a true sign that I am getting old). I remember when Nick was leaving for his mission and now he is a married man playing ball for the Y. His younger brother Terry use to babysit for us when we lived in Parker. The boys loved him because he would wrestle and play pass and all that stuff. He is now a senior in highschool and will be heading to the Y to join his two older brothers on the football team, Nick and Dan who will return from his mission in time for the fall season. The Alletto's also have two daughters at BYU Jean and Amy. Amy has played Basketball for the Y the last couple of years but will be leaving on her mission to the Ukraine in January! What an amazing family! As a mom with young children I look to families in the different wards we have been in for "advice" of things that have or haven't worked for them. The Alletto's have been and still are great friends and we miss seeing them on a daily basis...it was so fun to visit! Thanks Ann!

Ann, Adrienne and Sadie in her "bear jacket". Sadie was a little freaked out by the noise at first but she settled down and was great.

Travis and Reece

Dayton celebrating after the Cougs pulled it out at the last minute (literally)!