Zack's Senior Pics

This past weekend Zack had his Senior pictures taken.  They have turned out really great.  I cannot believe he is already a senior.  How did time fly so quickly?  It seems like just yesterday his Dad was putting him on the school bus and following the bus to the school to make sure he really made it safely.  Now here we are at the beginning of his senior year.

 

 

 To describe Zack you would include cross country, wrestling, school, fishing, hunting, trapping, eating, sleeping and being a typical teenager.  He has a great smile that he reserves exclusively for his family and occasionally a cute girl.  When he shares that smile with you, his entire face lights up and his eyes shine.

 

 

He is strong, stubborn, funny (sometimes, but that is coming from a Mom who is funny all the time), and pretty even tempered.  It takes a lot to get him riled up but when he does get riled, WATCH OUT!

 

 

It seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital after he was born.  I blinked and we were sending him off to school.  I blinked again and we were sending him off to scout camp.  Once again I have blinked and he is a senior in high school with dreams of a mission.

 

 

My warning is to all Moms out there...DON'T BLINK!!  Before you know it, your little boy will be a man.  How proud I am of you Zack and the man you are becoming.  I love you Zack!!

A Champion in the Making

 Ever since Zack was in the first grade, he has wrestled.  Each year he puts in countless hours of training, practicing, stretching, cutting weight and starving.  It is interesting to see where he is each year weight wise.  As a Freshman, he wrestled 126.  As a Sophomore, he wrestled 138.  This year, as a Junior he wrestled 145.

 

 

As a Freshman, he missed qualifying for State wrestling by his final match.  He took fourth at District and did not go to State.  As a Sophomore, he placed third at District and ended up going to State and placing sixth at State.  He was one of only two wrestlers that went to State last year that placed.  Braxton Stocking also placed at State, taking third.  The only wrestlers to beat Zack last year were Seniors.

 

 

This year Zack really turned it up.  He worked REALLY hard to cut weight to make it to 145.  He did two a day practices and would go to BYU-Idaho to work out on top of his two a day practices to cut down to weight.  After much hard work and determination, he ended up with a great season.  He started off strong.  Then, he tore his meniscus in the quad in Jackson Hole, Wyoming at the beginning of the season.  That put him out for the next quad which would be a week later at Sugar-Salem.  During that event, the coach put in a third string 138 lbs. wrestler (Cole Goody) to fill in for Zack.  The wrestler from American Falls (Cervantes)blew out Cole's arm.  He was done for the season.  Zack was furious.  I think it lit a fire under Zack that would drive him the rest of the season.

Zack really turned it up.  He wrestled really well.  He went to Pocatello and was undefeated along with 5 of his teammates.

 

Here is a photo of the boys who were undefeated, Braxton Stocking, Trayven Maupin, Bridger Hansen, Braden Hansen, Zack Jensen and Raul Navarez. 

 

Zack excelled and rose to the top. Here he is shown pinning a wrestler from Capitol.

 

 

This is the Sugar-Salem 2014-2015 Wrestling Team. Coaches are Bill Walker, Josh Norman and Brad Hansen.

 

After Pocatello, the next match was a dual at home against Teton.  Teton and Sugar have been rivals for years.  Zack wrestled Bryce Beard from Teton.  As he stepped on the mat, Coach Hill (the cross country and track coach) did the MCing.  He said that the audience was in for a real treat.  On the mat were the two toughest wrestlers in the State in the 145 lbs. weight division.  He said, "now ladies and gentlemen, some of you may be looking for a high scoring exciting match, but be aware these two warriors are battling and are both on the defense.  Because of that, they are carefully calculating each move they make and the move of their opponent.  This will be a low scoring match but will be very intense."  He then went on to narrate each point scored and in the end, Zack beat Bryce.

 

Next stop....District!!  We have a tough district.  Shelley, South Fremont, Teton and Sugar-Salem always have exceptional wrestlers and this year would be no different.  Shelley had Austin Betzer and Teton had Bryce Beard.  These would be the wrestlers to beat at District to secure a great seed at State.  We anticipated that based on the seeding for District, Zack would beat the South Fremont wrestler and that Bryce would beat Austin and Zack and Bryce would have to wrestle for the title of District Champion.  Zack pinned the wrestler from South Fremont, but in a surprise to us, Austin beat Bryce!!  Zack had to beat Austin to win District.  Only the top three wrestlers go to State.

 

Zack's final match against Austin ended with a pin and a District Championship for him.  This would seed him first at State!!!

 

A week later we were headed to Pocatello to watch two days of wrestling.  Sugar-Salem would take 19 qualifiers to wrestle State.  It was an intense weekend.  We would cheer for each wrestler as they would compete.  Each had worked hard to be there.

 

Zack defeated his first opponent with a pin on day one.  His second opponent would be Bryce Beard.  At the end of day one, he faced off against Bryce.  I am not going to lie, I was biting my nails.  Zack defeated Bryce with a pin.  This was a big deal as he had never pinned Bryce before.  He had always beat him but never in a pin.  Right after that, he was interviewed by the news.  State Wrestling Interview  As a mom, I couldn't have been more proud of the way Zack conducted himself during the interview.  He gave a shout-out to Bryce and even acknowledged what a great opponent he had.

 

After day one of wrestling, only three wrestlers were in for first place, Braxton Stocking (Senior), Raul Navarez (Senior), and Zack (Junior).

 

 

We came back on day two and the first opponent Zack was to face was Cervantes.  Zack had been waiting all season to meet up with this opponent and I noticed a smirk on his face as he walked onto the mat and saw that Cervantes had his elbow wrapped.  I knew it would not end well for Cervantes.  Zack went out and gave him all he had and made sure to let him know what happens when you mess with his JV.  Zack pinned him.  This left one wrestler standing between Zack and a State Championship.

Our three remaining wrestlers participated in the walk of champions.  I was pretty touched as a mother to watch Zack participate in this walk.  He had worked so hard to be able to go to State and to be seeded first and now he was one match away from actually being a State Champion.
 

He would wrestle against Spencer Ferguson from Gooding, ID.  Braxton wrestled first and ended up losing in over time.  Raul wrestled next and lost in about 45 seconds.  Zack was up next.  Sitting on the side of the arena, I turned and looked next to me to see Spencer's mom.  I told her, "no matter who wins this match I am going to cry."  "Me too," she said.

 

Round one Spencer dominated.  Round two Zack started to make a come back.  Round three Zack pinned Spencer and WON a State Championship!!!

 

 

Of all of the wrestlers from Sugar Salem High School to participate in State, only ONE brought home a State Championship.  Zack had worked hard and he finally received the recognition he deserved.  I told him prior to wrestling his final match that day that if he went out and won or lost is wasn't because of his teammates, coaches, parents or friends it was all on him.  He would either win or lose based on him and him alone.

 

After Zack won, out of the stands came Braxton Stocking, Austin Betzer and Bryce Beard.  Braxton ran down and threw his arms around Zack and hugged him and patted him on the back and congratulated him.  Austin and Bryce also came down to share their congratulations with him.  It was an awesome moment to see.

 

At the end of State, our three District qualifiers for 145 lbs. who had placed first, second and third placed at State as first, third and sixth.  We were SO proud of each of these boys.

This is a photo of the final outcome of the tournament...first place, Zachary Jensen - Sugar Salem; second place, Spencer Ferguson - Gooding; third place, Austin Betzer - Shelley; four place, Marsh Valley; fifth place, Cervantes - American Falls; sixth place, Bryce Beard - Teton.  Although winning a State Championships was AMAZING, for me, seeing my son treat other people with dignity and respect and rightfully earning the admiration and respect of his peers was the true win.  To see him and the rest of our District on the podium was an amazing feat.  He came out and won by pinning all of his opponents at State.  He really was a rockstar.

 

We sent a photo of him to the Rexburg Standard Journal and they did a write up about him.  He was so excited. 

 

Around the first of May, Zack received an invitation to attend the Standard Journal Sports Stars Athletics Awards.  They held an awards ceremony where each of the top athletes from four schools (North Fremont, South Fremont, Sugar Salem, and Madison) were honored for each sport for the year.  Zack was the only wrestler they honored who was a Junior.  From North Fremont they honored Zack Clark, from Madison they honored Chad Green, from South Fremont they honored Blaze Eckman and from Sugar Salem they honored Zack Jensen.  He was the only one was not a Senior.

We are proud of Zack for all he has been able to accomplish. Over many years of tears, training, practicing, stretching, cutting weight, starving, wins, losses, aches, pains, discouragements, and accomplishments Zack has continued to be a Champion in the making.  We are looking forward to one final year of wrestling and many more years of efforts which will prepare him for being a champion in life.  We love you Zack!!!

Home For The Holidays

Here are some photos of our new house. It is before we moved in so you don't get to see our mess, but at least you get a feel for what our place looks like.

Down Stairs Family Room. Lots of room to spread out. Unfortunately we have a fence right outside of the house so we have no yard but we love our house.

This is a photo of Zack's bathroom downstairs. It has a shower that is so large the kids could make their own room in there if they wanted to.

This is Zack's room. He now has his bed, a full desk with book shelves and a dresser. We still need to get him some carpet remnant to keep it a bit warmer and so he won't have to step onto cold floor in the morning but it is looking pretty nice now. We also need to get some blinds to keep it cooler in the summer.
This is Sydney's bathroom. She has decorated it super cute with a dolphin/ocean shower curtain. Being a bit OCD ensures that this is a good bathroom for guests to use too.

The walk-in closet in my bedroom. I love all of the shelving.

This is where I get ready each morning. The bathroom in the master bedroom. It is nice to have a nice LARGE counter with room to get ready each day. We just wish it had two sinks instead of only the one.

The master bedroom. The light you see to the right is light from the balcony. Yep, we have a balcony outside of our bedroom. It overlooks.....the back of a store and the freeway. Not a fantastic view but at least it isn't overlooking the dump.

This is the dining room. You will notice the back of the dining room has a half wall. That is where the stairs take you down to Zack's room and the spare room. Behind that is Sydney's room. She loves that it is also carpeted.

This is our spare bedroom. We have a queen size bed in there now and it is really nice to be able to accommodate people who want to visit.

This is a view of our downstairs family room. The door that is open is the door to the spare bedroom. The closed door is the laundry room. It has a ton of room and even a huge closet behind the laundry room.

This is my scrapbook room/library. Ok, it is more of a library than a scrapbook room, but all of my scrapbook supplies are stored in the closet in this room out of the way. I love this room. Who wouldn't want to have a library in their home. Also, this is where we have set up our Christmas tree this year.

This is the living room. You walk into the house (see the front door is wide open) and right into the living room. The room behind the door is our library room. We have a sectional, couch and recliner chair for Sharman in here. Also, our entertainment center with TV (thank you so much Amy). It is pretty nice.This is a view of the front of our house. No, it doesn't look that big from the front, but when you get inside, wow it is big. Our place ends at the shrubs.

Here is a view of our kitchen with our pantry, and in the back right you can see the door that leads to Sydney's bathroom. Right next to that is our bedroom.

We are very happy to have a home for the holidays this year. We feel blessed to FINALLY be able to set down some roots.

Holy #$%@@

Yes we all say some things we are not quite proud of when we get scared or when we are in trouble or nearly avoid an accident. Sydney has a new catch phrase she uses when things are not exactly going her way or if she is frustrated.

Barnacles.

Yep, my kiddo could have picked any catch phrase but hers is barnacles. I think she may have picked that one up at school.

On another note, for those of you who are not aware, I am now working in the Financial Aid Office of Dixie State College of Utah. I have been here since June 1st and am loving the warm weather. There is so much to love about southern Utah that I could seriously write pages about the things I love about it here.

One thing I HATE about southern Utah I discovered this weekend as I was pulling into the driveway and my headlights hit an object that cast a HUGE shadow. At first I thought it was a small horse or at least a large dog. I had to get out of the car and walk over to take a better look. There standing in the driveway with no intention of moving was a.....tarantula. GAG!! Sydney was in the car with me and I once I could hear myself over her terrified girl screams (ok so maybe it was my own terrified girl screams), I put the car in reverse, backed up a bit, put the car in drive and gunned it over the top of that hairy beast to end its horrible existence. Yep, I used a deadly weapon to kill that horrific creature. Sharman wanted me to just step on it. Yeah, right!! That thing was so big the crunch was felt through the entire car. There was NO way I was going to step on it in flip flops.

I Know

Yes it has been a LONG time since I last blogged. I know, I know. I just didn't think anyone was really reading it until I got a few comments from "followers" telling me that it had been a while.

For those of you who do not know, I have relocated to work at Dixie State College of Utah. I work in Financial Aid still but in warm weather!! It is great. The people are fantastic and I love working in a warmer climate (FINALLY). The only down side is that I miss my association with my friends and family still in Idaho.

I don't have much time to do an update so I will post more later.

Whit

This last weekend I went to Utah to visit my family. I spent one night with Laurie and one night with Amy. When I got ready to leave to head to Amy's place I hugged the kiddos and told them to stand on the porch and wave to me. Only Whitney waved. After I left she went in and told Laurie, "Mom, I just love her so much I could kiss her right on the lips." I am still laughing hysterically about that one. Love you too sister.

Lucky

This post is specifically for Jayden, Whitney and Tyler. I know you guys REALLY wanted to see my new puppy dog. Here he is. This is Lucky. We got him at HART (Helping Animals Rescue Team) in Idaho Falls. He is a Pomeranian. When I went to get him they had named him Cookie. Well I was getting ready to sign the papers for him and a lady walked in and said, "Oh what a lucky dog." The girls who worked there told me no one wanted him and and that he would be headed to a rescue soon. I thought it was a great name so we renamed him Lucky. He always looks like he is smiling. Even Lisa (who totally hates dogs) said he was cute.

Hopefully you guys can come up soon and play with our new dog. Love you guys.

Benefit Dinner

This is the Brown family. This past week they lost their home in a fire. http://www.rexburgstandardjournal.com/news/fire-destroys-salem-home/article_21030618-5ced-11e0-8643-001cc4c03286.html

Many of you may have read about it and wondered how you can help. Here is your chance. We will be having a Dinner and Raffle on April 15th from 5-8pm to benefit the Brown family. The dinner will consist of a potato bar, rolls, and desserts. The potatoes have been donated, and we will be looking for donations for all the toppings, i.e. sour cream, chives, cheese, chili, stroganoff, broccoli cheese soup, bacon bits, cheese sauce, etc. We are also asking for items for the raffle. We will have a general raffle and maybe a silent auction for some of the larger items. Anything you can make or buy or nice things lying around, let me know. You can bring them to Bev Ball or call her and she will pick them up. Her number is 403-3083. Thank you in advance for all you can do. Also anyone who would like to donate any kind of dessert, let me know. Thanks.

Been a While

Yes, I know it has been a while since I have blogged. I have been so busy and well, lets face it....lazy. I will try to do better about getting this updated. For now I will just do a recap of my AMAZING Hawaiian vacation.

We went to so many different places while we were in Hawaii. We spent a month there so it was easy to do lots. We went to:

USS Arizona - It was so touching to watch the video about the attack on Pearl Harbor and then ride out to the Memorial. The kids were fascinated.

Manoa Falls - After some coaxing we hiked to Manoa Falls beneath the canopy of the tropical rainforest. It was like stepping back into the Land that Time Forgot.

Honolulu Zoo - Syd and I got to visit the Zoo on Christmas Eve with Grandma and Grandpa. The Zoo is 42 acres and home to 995 different animals from the tropics. Komodo Dragons, orang-utans, elephants, primates, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and a variety of African animals.

Bishop Museum - We could have spent the entire day there. Unfortunately our feet would not cooperate and we had to give up the museum before we really wanted too because we were exhausted from walking around.

Sea Life Park - We saw dolphins, sea lions, and penguins perform by the sea. The Sea Life Park offers Hawaii's most diverse array of close-up marine animal encounters. We were able to see rays, turtles and sharks in the 300,000 gallon Reef Tank.

Polynesian Culture Center - The Polynesian Cultural Center is Hawaii’s #1 visitor attraction, with villages and exhibits representing the 8 cultures of Aotearoa, Fiji, Hawaii, Marquesas, Samoa, Tahiti and Tonga, and Easter Island. It is set on 42 acres and has a lagoon that hosts canoe tours during the day. Wrapped up the day by watching the show "Ha Breath of Life," which features over 100 performers and the thrill of Samoan fireknife dancing.

Dole Plantation - We sent Syd and Buck through the "World's Largest Maze." She was so cute trying to find her way through.

Pacific Aviation Museum - The Museum occupies WWII hangars that bear the scars of the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack. It is located on Ford Island at Pearl Harbor, the nation's first battlefield, which is dedicated to showing the patriotism and valor of the American aviators in the Pacific. We were able to view an F-14, F-15; a 1942 Japanese Zero and its opponent, the Wildcat, all in full diorama exhibits. The kids even got to do a flight simulator while we were there. It was fun watching them enjoy this.

Pearl Harbor - The kids got photos taken with Veterans. It was an emotional experience for me. One that I would classify as Sacred.

Waikiki Aquarium - Syd and I went with Grandma, Grandpa and Buck. Founded in 1904 and administered by the University of Hawaii since 1919, the Waikiki Aquarium is located on the shoreline of Waikiki Beach next to a living reef and across from Kapiolani Park. The Aquarium – third oldest in the U.S. – showcases more than 500 marine species, and maintains more than 3,000 marine specimens. The Aquarium is also home to two endangered Hawaii Monk Seals.

Diamond Head - The kids and Sharman hiked with Sharman's parents and brother to the top!The silhouette of Diamond Head State Monument sits along the Honolulu skyline just beyond Waikiki. This 760-foot tuff crater is one of Hawaii's most famous landmarks. The crater was named Diamond Head by 19th century British sailors who thought they discovered diamonds on the crater's slopes. These "diamonds" were actually shiny calcite crystals that had no value.

Valley of the Temples - The temples were beautiful lined with a cloud mist. It was serene and mystical looking. A site I will not soon forget.

Chinatown - Both Sharman and Zack got their hair cut from a little hole in the wall place in Chinatown. They looked so much better after the hair cuts.

Iolani Palace - The only royal palace on American soil and Queen Emma's summer palace. The kids thought it was pretty interesting. We had a great time especially on a rainy day we were able to stay dry.

King Kamehameha Statue - Hawaii isn't Hawaii without a stop to see this statue.

International Marketplace - We were able to take a stroll through International Marketplace, a bazaar of clothes, jewelry and souvenirs from the island's colorful merchants set under the shade of a large banyan tree. Towards the end of our trip we were even able to take Kurt and Amy there with us.

Aloha Tower - This was not exactly what we thought it would be. But the fish in the ocean along the boardwalk were amazing. It was fun watching everyone feed the fish.

Hanauma Bay - Although Zack still wasn't feeling well we snorkeled among the bright colored reef fish and played in the sand.

Nuuanu Pali Lookout - Better bring an umbrella and a windbreaker. Syd fed the wild chickens and had a blast. The view from the top was breathtaking.

North Shore - The surf competitions there were lots of fun to watch. Grandpa even won a really nice water bottle while attending a surf competition.

Waimea Bay - There was a shark warning while we were there and the waves were so strong and dangerous the kiddos couldn't play in the water. Of course, once a shark warning was issued everyone headed right towards where it had been spotted. Really?! Some people need to think.

Battleship Missouri Memorial - This was one of my favorite stops. It had so much information and it was truly a spectacular opportunity to walk along a real battleship. It really gave me a strong sense of patriotism.

USS Bowfin Submarine Museum - Of all of the places we went with Grandma and Grandpa, this was a true gem. It was fun to see the gleam in Grandpa's eyes as he was able to walk through and touch all of the history this submarine contained.

USS Oklahoma Memorial - What a humbling experience. They only have markers lined up to signify the men who served. It is a very reverent experience to see all who have sacrificed for me.

Children's Discovery Center - You would think this would be a hit. Actually, it was a bomb. It was designed more for small children and my kids are just past the stage where this was something amazing. Well it did keep us busy for an afternoon I guess.

Ala Moana Shopping Center - If you need a good place to find food and shop, this is the place. We were able to eat at Bubba Gump's while we were there and that is one of my favorite restaurants!!

Duke Kahanamoku Statue - On the way to the Zoo, we stopped and took a photo of the Duke Statue with Grandma, Grandpa and Syd.

Farmer's Market - Each week we would go to this little farmer's market and get fresh pineapple, pork plates and avocados. It was really great to have fresh produce so accessible and inexpensive.

Hilo Hattie's - We enjoyed free juice, entertainment, food samples and craft demonstrations. We purchased a dress for Syd and one for me and a new shirt for Zack. It was great to get TRUE Hawaiian wear.

Fort DeRussy Military Museum - This was a great exhibit. It was free and truly covered so may different aspects of the military. It had something for everyone. The kids were tired after walking through and I have to say my feet hurt too, but that was because this was the very beginning of our trip and we were still soft.

Oceanarium Restaurant at the Pacific Beach Hotel - On New Year's Eve we ate dinner at the Oceanarium Restaurant at Pacific Beach Hotel, where an incredible three-story, 280,000-gallon saltwater fish tank holds hundreds of Hawaii's tropical fish. It was truly amazing!!

Turtle Bay Resort - What a beautiful cove. Sure wish we would have seen turtles and had a clear day to explore the tide pools. Doesn't matter...a bad day in Hawaii sure beats a great day anywhere else.

Surf Competitions - There were plenty of competitions to watch and lots of people who were just there to try out their skills. Sharman and Zack even took surf lessons and did VERY well. Zack rode his first wave all the way in. WAY TO GO BUD!!

Halona Blow Hole - Best time to visit this site is on a rainy day. The weather pushes the waves even more powerfully through the blow hole thereby producing a much more dramatic effect. It was so beautiful.

Sandy Beach - The only beach that has emergency personnel on site at all times. This is the most dangerous of all of the beaches on Oahu. We even saw a helicopter take off one day as we passed the beach.

Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort wildlife exhibits - The kids love the outdoor exhibits which included the hotel's very own penguins and flamingos. It was incredible.

Fireworks each Friday night from the balcony of my in-laws condo. The Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa hosted fireworks on Friday evenings in remembrance and celebration of King Kalakaua's Jubilee.

Yep this is a taste of our amazing trip. I will try to include some photos when I find my cord for my camera. Sorry it has taken so long, but finally I am back.

ABC's

Age: 38
Bed size: California King
Chore I hate: Cooking
Dog's name: Cooper
Essential to start my day: Shower
Favorite color: Blue
Gold or silver: Silver
Hair: Getting it done tomorrow
I am: Looking forward to vacation
Job: Financial Aid Advisor
Kids: 2....one boy (Zachary), one girl (Sydney)
Living arrangements: Self sufficient home
Most likely: Won't get to sleep in this weekend
Nickname: Stacey Jo
Overnight hospital stay: Too many
Pet peeve: People who talk about things they don't know
Quote from a movie: It's so fluffy
Right or left handed: Right
Siblings: Chris, Amy, Ben, Laurie, Tammie
Time I wake up: 6:45 a.m. or later if I can manage it
Unique thing about my car: I have owned it for 11 years
Vegetable I hate: Cauliflower
Ways I run late: Oversleeping (accidentally of course)
X-rays I've had: Foot only
Yummy food I make: I totally don't cook if at all possible
Zoo favorite: Monkeys...they totally crack me up

Thanks Heather for the post. I just love stealing your amazing ideas.

Vote for the CUTEST Baby EVER

VOTE KYA - #152123

Hey everybody Kya is in the running to become the next Gerber Generation Star please help us out and vote! You can vote everyday throughout the month of November!

Go here to vote:
http://www.gerber.com/photo/?source=10086655&utm_source=Gerber&utm_medium=email&utm_content=VotingReminder&utm_campaign=GerberGeneration&#/vote/

Thanks everybody and feel free to tell neighbors, friends, family, and strangers. haha

Just to Remember

This post is just so I remember the details when asked again.

Yesterday, I got a call from the Junior High. They thought Zack had experienced a minor seizure. I found from Lisa's blog she took Sirri to Dr. Sena so I got an appointment immediately and took Zack in.

The principal reported that Zack had gotten up and walked to the counter in the classroom and was looking at something. This was okay because he was suppose to be doing that. Mr. Harrison then saw Zack kind of zone out and slump. He said that it looked like Zack had lost his equilibrium. He went and got Zack back to his seat and asked him if he was alright. When I asked Zack what he remembered, he said he remembered standing at the counter and then being in his seat and having Mr. Harrison ask him if he was alright. He said that it was like a dream and everything went really white.

The principal took Zack to the gym and had him walk briskly from one side of the gym to the other and said Zack's coloring and equilibrium looked fine. They called me and let me know. Mr. Harrison was pretty concerned and felt that although Zack has acted out in class for attention before he really did not feel that this was an attempt to get attention or something he could have conjured on his own.

The doctor said he felt that there was something wrong but that they want to do an EEG before they take any further steps. His EEG is scheduled for the 5th of October. If he has another episode before then we will call and get his date moved up. The doctor did think it was a one time occurrence as we do not have a family history of this nor has Zack ever had anything like this in his history.

He also said that he felt we have time on our side as it was unlikely, in his opinion, that it would occur again.

No changes in medications, activities, daily routine, foods, interactions, etc. prior to this. Also, the night before he did have a football game but there were no hits that put him down or out. There have been no accidents or injuries recently either.

Now when I go to the next doctor I will at least be able to remember what Dr. Sena told me.

45 Lessons of Life

My mother-in-law sent me an email and it was so good I had to share it. I have tweeked a few of the things on the list but I think it is a great list of lessons.

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month. Better yet, don't have credit cards.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. Whether you think you can or think you can’t you are right.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words…"In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you doesn't matter.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

31. However good or bad a situation is it will change.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.

37. Your children only get one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

So Cool!!

I just discovered this AMAZING blog for Moms in the Rexburg area. Check it out.....

http://www.rexburg-mom.blogspot.com/

You can find all types of cool things.

I Wonder

Do you ever wonder what your life would be like if you had made the decision to do one thing instead of another? Sometime I wonder what my life would have turned out like if I had served the mission I had been called to rather than getting married.

Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I would enjoy life more and worry less.

Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I had taken school more seriously sooner rather than later.

Sometimes I wonder if Dr. Pepper, cake and ice cream are the answers to life's problems rather than eating healthy, diet and exercise.

What is it that you wonder about?

Jade Sua Jensen

I am an Aunt!!! Well yeah, I know you knew that, but I am an Aunt AGAIN!! Congrats to the proud parents of our latest niece!! We love you guys.

As a side note, this is the first time Kelly is seeing his daughter. He is stationed in Iraq so these are the first images he is seeing of her. Pray for his safety and quick return. He is scheduled to return to the states from deployment around the middle of July.

Update Finally

June 1st. Ok so far so good. Made the first post on the first day of the month. Likely this will not happen again, but the attempt was made so wish me luck on keeping things updated.

This past weekend was my birthday (Ugh). Another year older. I sluffed church (Mom don't die of embarrassment) to go to West Yellowstone. Each time I go I mentally check off what I still have to see in the wild. You know the list: elk, deer, bison, mountain goat, bear, wolf, coyote, etc. This year I FINALLY saw one of the more elusive animals on my list. I saw TWO wolves as we were leaving the park!! I could hardly believe it. I have to say they are huge. I took a few pictures but left my camera home today. Oh good excuse to post again tomorrow. So watch for photos of the grand adventure coming soon.

On another note, school is out for the summer and the kids are running around enjoying this new freedom. It will not last for long as I am putting them both in summer school this year to help keep them out of trouble (wish me luck with that one) and on track.
Finally, Laurie and her family came to visit a few weeks ago and we had a BLAST! Love when they come. It is always fun to sit around the campfire and enjoy laughing and talking together. We even made it to Green Canyon to go swimming. Baby Tyler absolutely LOVED being in the water and wasn't fussy a bit. He loved climbing up and down the steps to the pool much to the dismay of Laurie and I. We could only shake our heads and chuckle at him. He was so proud of himself.