Time Keeps on Slippin'

Time keeps slipping by me all too often these days. I feel like I have a million things I want and need to do and not enough time to get them all done before the baby comes. I keep meaning to blog about things, but I have been so horrible at picture taking lately that I don't really have any pictures to post. Our lives lately...

Dax: Still plugging away on his thesis. He is into the last two chapters and his professor thinks the first 4 look pretty good. We are excited that he is nearing the end of his formal education. His plan is to graduate in December, which means he will earn his master's degree in Mechanical Engineering in only 16 months. Way to go Dax! He is on the job hunt, so hopefully we can get something pinned down in the next several months and we'll have a place to go when he graduates. He is also working on a car called a streamliner, which is set to race for a new land speed record in the middle of August.

Jen: I CHOPPED my hair last week. We're talking I got 10 inches off of it. It feels so good to have it off, the last 3 inches were just plain breaks and splits. The only down side is that now that it is so short I feel like I have to have it done all the time because I can't just pull it back into a ponytail. I do like the cut though, I haven't had my hair around my chin in over a decade.

I am also nearly 35 weeks along, and definitely getting more ready to have this baby all the time. I am sleeping HORRIBLY, and that is assuming I am sleeping. I can't stay asleep, I wake up uncomfortable, because the baby is kicking, or because I am sweating (and I keep our house plenty cool and sleep in as little as is possible). At least when the baby is born my sleep will be plenty deep and I will be much more comfortable when I do sleep. I'm due the first week of school, and it just so happens we are moving that week. Things could be really interesting for us the end of August/beginning of September.

Hayden: As active as ever. Except now he has such a teasing personality. If he knows he'll get a reaction out of someone he pushes their buttons. A little girl in our ward has a meltdown if he runs off with something of hers, and so he does it just to be funny. He knows exactly what he is doing...he only runs of with people's things when he knows they will react to it. He is into testing limits right now, and loves to do exactly what mom and dad say NOT to do. He can unlock the front door and loves to "escape" outside. We definitely need a chain lock at the top of the door for my sanity. I think he is going through a growth spurt because he sleeps for around 11 hours at night (before 10 was his max) and takes about a 3 hour nap during the day, and he eats like crazy. He ate as much as Dax at a meal the other day and we just looked at each other in disbelief. He is still in love with tractors, trucks, balls, and the great outdoors. Unfortunately our park visits don't happen as often as he'd like because I'm getting too tired to run around, or just plain walk to the park for that matter.

He is saying lots of 2 and 3 words phrases, which is getting to be so fun. He is starting to get the hang of a few letters and sometimes colors. He will sit through a little longer books which is so nice. He has always loved books, but loses interest in each page quickly. He is a great eater as well.

Today we were at his friend Anna's house playing in the front yard. Anna and Hayden ran around to the back of the house and Anna's mother Catherine and I waited a few minutes to go check on them (they don't usually do too much). When we went to get them they had jumped into the kid pool and were swimming around. Luckily Anna only had a diaper on, but Hayden was FULLY clothed. He also had his brand new tennis shoes on, purchased only yesterday. I'm hoping our little girl won't be quite as rambunctious. He is a whole lot of fun though, and his laugh melts my heart.

Washington Trip

On Monday the 28th we left for Washington. My family had a family reunion the 4th of July weekend, and we were able to spend time with Dax's family as well.

Before the reunion Hayden loved spending LOTS of time at the park. If you walk out my parents back gate you step right into a huge park. Hayden woke up many days and began chanting, "park, outside," LITERALLY. Hayden also helped Grandma Jensen pull some weeds from her flower beds. Hayden discovered his love of dirt in the flower beds, probably to Grandpa Jensen's dismay.

Hayden helping Grandma Jensen


Activities of the reunion included good food, relay games, the Basin City parade, a temple session, fireworks, making homemade ice cream, family feud, family pictures, bingo, and other fun things I can't even think of right now. Unfortunately I was horrible when it came to taking pictures this year, so I don't have many of everyone. Lucky for me other people had their cameras.

In total there were my parents, their 10 kids, 7 spouses, 18 grandchildren,and 3 "buns in the oven."

At the temple


Hayden waiting with his bag to collect candy at the parade. You can't see the shirts well, but my mom bought matching shirts in red, white, and blue with the American flag on them.


Just sitting there is pure heaven for his boy; he doesn't even care if it is moving or not. Just look at his face.


A picture I snapped while we were waiting for formal family pictures.


Our family pictures turned out well I think. To take a peek go to: http://briannehuwephotography.blogspot.com/ . Scroll down to Jensen Family Reunion. Our individual family is the 2nd picture down, and if you scroll down farther there is a really cute one of Dax and Hayden. The first picture is my whole family, minus Ben, his wife Rachel, and their baby Hyrum.


We got to spend more time than we anticipated with Dax's family, and unfortunately most of it was because Hayden was sick all week, and still has a cold. He had a fever of 102.5 for 3 days straight. Nothing I did could bring it down. After that went away he had diarrhea, a hoarse voice, and a cold. Poor boy, he definitely has taken the lion's share of sicknesses (he and I both threw up and were sick before he left for Washington as well). He better never get sick when he is older!

We did get to have some fun while we were at Dax's parents though. Tractor rides, 4 wheeler rides, jumping on the trampoline, lots of movies, picking raspberries (I made 28 cups of jam and froze 2 gallons of berries), lots of Popsicles, and we got to see Makala's family the last day there for a BBQ.

Hayden was in love with the 4 wheeler and asked for rides constantly


Spike has been at the Wells' residence for a few years now, just showing up as a stray. He has been the BEST kid dog you could ask for. He puts up with pokes in the eye, tail pulling, and didn't even get too disgruntled when Hayden climbed on his back and said, "ride."


Hayden loves playing with water, and was excited to make his own puddle to jump around in


Yep, he has farmer instincts. My first indication that Hayden was getting better was walking in to find this. Note the tractor filled with dirt. He had been "driving" it around and laying dirt out for it.

Need a Hand

The Thursday before our trip to Washington I fell on the stairs at our apartment complex. I was looking back at Hayden to make sure that he went down the stairs all right and obviously wasn't watching my own steps. We went to the doctor for x-rays only to be told that I had a probable fracture in my wrist, but that I needed to go see a specialist. We were in Washington for 2 weeks so I barely went back yesterday for them to put me in one of these:



Same story, they think there might be a tiny fracture and think it is better to get it healed quickly with a hard cast and be done with it. I agree. However, losing mobility of your dominant hand definitely throws a kink into everything, from trying to wash your face, do your hair, brush your teeth, to changing a baby's diaper. Hopefully I get it off in 2 weeks.