I'm still not emotionally ready to write this post. The fact that we strung Whitney's (& Bryan, Christopher, Bono, & Fritz) departure out for days and days did not help matters either. Whitney and Bryan are heading to Lubbock, Texas where Bryan will be starting law school. Although we are trying to act supportive.. we're not. We're selfish and want them here. But.. Que va hacer?

We started the marathon farewell Sunday with a Texas style dinner at our house. The kids even made a bunch of Texas flags to hang around the kitchen.

It was fun having everyone together... and I just love watching other people (Neil) try to do the twin thing. It makes me realize I have learned a few pearls of wisdom along the way.. like don't ever think you are going to sit down and enjoy your own glass of water with twins on your lap!

Monday consisted of Nertz. This has always been our family game. It's great when we play it at reunions or somewhere with others, because our family always dominates! But when it's just our family (the in-laws don't even bother trying to play anymore) it's pretty cut throat. We're not going for personal bests or anything like that, although we would recommend that for poor Dad who can't seem to keep his score in the positive. We are all just going after Karen. Now to properly give Mom her credit, she is the all time champion.. but somewhere in those lonely junior high years, Karen caught up. She would probably even be that good if she didn't cheat... but we'll never know now, will we?

Then Tuesday we went to Grandma's house before Whit left for the airport. We were just delaying the inevitable. Then it happened. We said goodbye.

I know this will be tough for Bit... first baby, Bryan's law school hours, and I know how much she loves to meet new people! :) But she's amazing...and always surprises me at how grown up she really is.

I think the real person I'm sad for is me. Yes, throw the confetti, I'm having a pitty party. Everytime I think of somewhere new I want to go or something I want to try I want Whit there with me. She's the one I consult before making any kind of fashion or design (not decorate) decision. And no one appreciates a great recipe like Whit. (although she is a food snob!) She is just a great little sis... Ok.. that was theraputic. I've gotta go now... gotta call Whit!

she has a wrinkly twinkly smile

I have the best grandparents in the world. I do. My childhood memories of my Grandma Ella & Grandpa Bill are like fairy tale dreams. They lived in a palace with more rooms than I could count, winding staircases and hidden suites. They had a different room for each meal we ate. Waffles were served with at least three different types of syrups, fresh fruits and whipped cream. The grounds were like the Secret Garden, with walls covered thick with foliage and blooming flowers (all kept beautiful by Victor, the gardner, who always brought us Sees caramel suckers). Looking up from the tree swing you could barely see the branch you were gliding from. It was a fairy tale. Someday I'll write pages about it.

We were spoiled. Grandpa would take us on Donut Brigades and Grandma created an event out of anything we did. It truly was "always fun for everyone, when Grandma came". And actually, the reason I give the backstory, is to explain why my kids will be able to say they have the best grandparents in the world. My mom learned from the best.

On the first day of school Grandma Deney had an ice cream party to cool off her grandchildren's hard working brains. The kids loved to pick out colored cones and funky sprinkles. I'm sure their brains were sufficiently cooled!

An ordinary day...turned extraordinary.

Like only a Grandma can do.

k for kindergarten

I can't believe I have a kindergartner! Dallin was excited to be a Franklin Firebird and didn't seem the least bit nervous. I, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck. Would he eat his lunch? Would he remember where his classroom was? What would happen when he had to go to the bathroom for the third time in ten minutes? We even had a practice timed lunch beforehand to make sure he could open everything and eat in the time allowed....it would be a miracle.

The first week was an adjustment. All-day school was a bit long for a little guy who still took naps! The first couple days I picked him up he was on one. He was irrational in his irritations.. "Why did you park in this parking spot." "Ella is looking at me!" "Why are the babies in those seats?" all said in the most ornery tone. By Friday I was convinced I was going to have to pull Dallin out of kindergarten and he would just have to start school when he was 8 or something. But as time has passed he has adapted and is doing great. His penmanship is awesome and it is fun seeing him learn all those phonograms just like I remember doing. OUGH: "o..oo..uf..off..aw..ow"..that's always been my favorite!

making lemonade out of lemons

We got out and supported our local lemonade stand today. It was quite picturesque with the table and chairs under the shade tree, kids eating hot dogs & sno cones. (In real life it was sweat dripping down your back, give me more sno cones now...I don't care if I have to spend a dollar for shaved ice, hotter the Hades.)

Allison wanted to say prayers before we ate anything...what spiritual children I am raising! :)

create

I'm trying to ween Dallin off of naps to get ready for all-day kindergarten. It's been kind of nice having some quiet time with just the two of us. This was today's creation...they are magnet mosaics...they take a while, but the end result is pretty fun!

This summer I set up a little "candy land" type game all down the hallway. When the kids listened this first time, were especially nice, or did anything that they should pretty much be doing anyway without all these incentives...they could move their little game piece forward. When they reached special markers along the way they had special rewards... movie night, extra stories, trip to the Jr. high pool, basically all things we would be doing anyway....but because it was on the game it was even more prized! (I love the psychology of kids!) The favorite spot on the board was "Craft with Mom". Both favorite of the kids as well as of mine. We had a great afternoon painting and the house miraculously just seems more peaceful when we're sitting down creating something together.

hello?

full circle

So I think Sum & I have the best set up around. Being childhood (& now adult) friends was so convenient because we lived across the street from one another. And now our children can enjoy the same convenience. We LOVE when Brookelynn & Brynlee come for the summers and we have even more excuses to go to Grandma's house. Dallin just adores Brookelynn and announced to the entire primary during his Spotlight that he was going to marry her in the temple when they were bigger. (I'm sure it hasn't even entered his mind that she'll be a good foot taller than he!) Swimming lessons together were hilarious to watch (and apparently traumatic to go through from all the crying & screaming beforehand). And we especially loved our "girl day" when Kacy came to visit. Somewhere in between all the fun Brookelynn got a hold of my camera.. not bad shots girl!

Sergei Rachmaninoff & Ludwig Van Beethoven

in the making.

4th of July

We started off the morning with flag ceremony where Dallin led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. He didn't even ask who "Richard Stands" was! (When Whitney was little she asked Mom that question in reference to ..."& to the republic for "richard stands", one nation, under God....") And as all good summer holidays end.. swimming & a barbecue at Mom & Dad's!

We're lame about bedtimes and staying out too late with the kids... so we forgo the live

show and "spoil" the kids by letting them stay up a few minutes to watch the good fireworks on t.v. I mean how is Tempe Towne Lake supposed to compete with Boston Harbor?

Christopher Maughan Jensen

Is he not the cutest baby ever? For some odd reason, I think I have anticipated this baby almost more than my own! I have just been so excited for Whit to enter the motherhood realm. (Maybe now she'll understand why I call her all the time because I have nothing better to do, and always have to hang up because I'm too busy to talk.)

His car seat turned out so cute.. I did work extra hard on it for my newest nephew!

I thought I could get some tender picture of my kids with Christopher.. whatever. But just as I was about to delete this picture it struck me as kind of cool.. I love that all the noise, the distractions around are just blurry compared to the quiet, peaceful clarity surrounding the baby. Hmmmm.. very reflective, let's ponder on that for a moment. :)

gourmet

I don't claim to be gourmet.. but every once in awhile I bust out something delish. This pizza was a concoction of whatever I had in the fridge. (Although the picture does not do it justice.) Luckily I had some great stuff hiding in there... homemade pizza dough, fresh basil pesto, tomatoes from Mom & Dad's garden, and goat cheese. OK.. now I'm salivating.

bitty's shower

Whitney's shower was actually a lot of fun to do. She was mortified at the thought of having so much attention (seriously, are we related!). But everyone came and the food was delish! We had a Curry Chicken Salad, Pesto Pasta Salad, a Goat Cheese Tart, Quiche, Citrus Slush, Beasties, and Judy's most devilish Orange Rolls. My mouth is watering just remembering it!

Wow Whit.. this better be a big baby! :)

Amanda & Rachel are always so good about coming to these things. You know they're just thinking, "These old ladies are just crazy!"

The dozens of lilies finally opened the day after the shower!

domestic divinity

I wish I felt like this every time I did dishes...

Queen of my Castle.

I think tonight I'm going to borrow Ella's crown.

Instead I usually feel more like this!

memorial day

I've always loved going to Marty & Marci's house for Memorial Day. Marci always has such a great spread and the kids all have a ball. A pretty fierce game of water volleyball usually takes all the adults attention while the kids are left to find their own trouble. This year it was soap on the trampoline. Dallin & Carter were in heaven!

Auburn & Allison hate the feel of grass. We were trying to get dinner on and it was driving me nuts going back and forth between the two making sure they weren't crawling into danger (the pool has no fence). So I found a temporary solution. I put them both on a grass surrounded step. It was so funny (ok, maybe just a little mean) to watch them stuck on the little stone not able, or willing, rather, to touch the grass to get off. Eventually Auburn got pretty mad and Allison thought it was funny. After a hug from Sis they made it work...at least till the hamburgers were off the grill!

dallin's preschool graduation

Dallin just loved Miss Christi's Preschool. It was sad to see the two years end. (Although with all the boys in that class I'm not sure she was all that sad!)

He became part of a group she called,

"The Three Musketeers".

I loved picking Dallin up each day to hear all about Tate & Tommy. (Some days I dreaded it...depending on what kind of stories he was reporting!) Dallin didn't know a soul when he went to school, so it was fun to watch him make his own friends... and he stuck with them like glue. From the reports I got, you'd never know there were any other kids in the class aside from those three boys!

Carter & Ella came along to support Dallin in the grand accomplishment!

one

Happy birthday Allison Gable & Auburn Harrison. I can't believe a year has gone by. And wow, what a year! I'm still catching my breath. Everyone always told me, "The first year with twins is all a blur." And now that it has come and gone so quickly I can see what they are talking about.. but yet in that blur I have some vibrant, clear memories and images that I hope will not go hazy.

*Remembering the color codes for who eats on what side on what day. (I would switch off who wore pink every other day. Whoever wore pink ate on the right.)

*Stacking my swaddled babies one on top of the other to carry them around in the middle of the night.

*The giant pink nursing pillow that we thought would plague our family room forever.

*The attention we got every time we carried around their pink and brown carriers.

*Having to explain to everyone "No, it's not a boy and a girl" even with pink dresses and bows.

*Clogging the halls at church with all the women that had to get a peak at the twins.

*Their blinged out Converse shoes.

*No matter how far away from each other I put them, they always woke up with their heads together.

Now that I actually try to go back and think of things, it is more of a blur than I remember... It has been a lot of work, so most of the memories are of trying to smile and laugh at the challenges that two babies pose (not always successfully). But coming into this next year I'm already dying laughing at how fun and silly these two are going to be and what a different dynamic it will be going through it with the both of them together.

We didn't do much for Allison & Auburn's birthday. (Dallin & Ella were both sick for their first birthdays.... so why mess with tradition, right?) But, since they share a birthday with Sydney.. we couldn't pass up a little cake mess! Karen gave them puppies that bark and flip.. a huge hit of course!

...and yes boys, you've been caught!