Tuesday, December 7, 2010

We are almost ready to ring in 2011! 2010 is slipping away fast and feverishly. I hope your 2010 was better than expected. We had an action packed year. Month to month update… When I was writing this letter last year, we were anticipating Christmas 2009. The Jensen crew must have been well behaved because Santa was good to us all. My mom arrived home from Florida just after Christmas last year. She stayed in our new “suite” in the basement. Eric finished our basement bathroom and spare room (craft room when not occupied by a guest) just in time for mom’s arrival. We are happy with the outcome and it serves a definite need. Mom stayed through early January, and then headed back to sunny FL. We enjoyed her here and missed her when she was gone. Later in January, Eric and I headed to our first adult vacation since I was pregnant with Greer. It was overdue but the wait was worth it. Mexico was fabulous and WARM! Boy did we need that. THANKS to Lowie and Papa Dave and Mamu Deb and Papa Jim for caring for the Jensen trio while we were away on vacation.
February is always busy because both girls have birthdays in February. As promised, we had a combined Chucky Cheese birthday party. They partied down with the mouse. March and April always seem to slow down for us. Eric celebrated #39 so he is closing in on the big 40 this March!
Jenny was able to slip away from her base in Japan for some schooling in California this last April. She wanted to come a little later, but the military dictates when you come and go. I was thankful because she was able to make a Michigan pit-stop! We got to spend some quality time together here and then again in Chicago. I drove down to Chicago the day before she flew out and we got to wander around the Windy City together. We both vowed to do it again-only longer!
April and May brought spring and with it, spring soccer for Allie and spring softball for Emme. This was Emme’s first time playing softball and she seemed to like it. She will probably play again this spring. Allie continues to play on Team Tryska for soccer. She does well and seems to really like it. (She likes the trophy that she gets at the end of the season best of all.) Another home improvement project came in May. Eric got a deal on some hardwood flooring. We earmarked the wood for the master suite, but before that could be installed, Eric completed floor to ceiling built-in shelves complete with a window seat. He does beautiful work.
I don’t care what anybody says about this last summer. It was wonderful for a working parent. Almost every single weekend was picturesque and super busy (as it is for most families). Why is it that we try to pack every fun event into three short months? As tradition we went to the Bramer cottage the first weekend of August and had the best year ever! Now that the kids are a little bigger, they can really dig in and have fun swimming, ladder balling, tubing, kayaking, playing at the beach, riding quads, shopping in Pentwater and riding on the pontoon boat (yes, these are all things that Todd has for them to do at the cottage)! We are so thankful that they open the cottage to the Jensen families for this weekend every year.
Our family took a “staycation” to Petoskey during the 4th of July week this year. We stayed at a co-worker’s cottage in Alanson, MI. They had a giant pool (that is all the kids cared about). I went on my annual summer concert kick to D-town with my girlfriends. Kid Rock is our annual summer destination for the last 3 years and we will continue to try to go every year as long as he is touring. We get a little crazy, but noting that they can send us to lock-up for!
September means back to school and fall soccer. All 3 kids played fall soccer this year. Greer hadn’t played for a few seasons, but found that the absence didn’t harm him at all. He played on the U8 (under 8 but older than 6) league this year and played well. Allie played on her regular team and Emme joined the ranks of all girl soccer. She liked this much better than U8 (last year). Greer entered first grade this fall, he loves school and continues to excel. He is a great reader although his favorite past time continues to be his Nintendo DSi XL. When you ask him, he says the whole thing, just like I typed. What a ham! Emme entered third grade this year. She got Mr. B which she feels a connection to because he is related to Papa Pat (Papa Pat’s brother’s son-in-law). She also loves school and is a good student who is getting good grades. Allie sadly bid ado to Jodi’s this year to enter the ranks of a full-time preschooler. She is all day, every day at WinterSun Schoolhouse. Many of her friends from Jodi’s are there with her so it is even more fun. At school, she is a mixture of a shy showgirl. She likes to be the center of attention, only when she commands it. Eric started APICS classes for work this fall. He passed the first module and has four to go! I started my masters’ courses through University of Nebraska late this summer. I am officially a cornhusker!
Fall brought cooler weather, leaves with color, a work trip to beautiful Boise Idaho for me and Halloween for all. I welcome the change of scenery, but wish fall was longer and winter was a little shorter. We are looking forward to the big family vacation to Disney in 2011. We are planning to go to see mom and Pat’s place in Sebring then head North to Orlando to visit with Mickey Mouse and his friends. This is happening in February, so the girls will be spoiled for their birthdays. Greer won’t be left out in the cold… what kid wouldn’t want to go to Disney?