We Love Visitors!

We have had visits from so many awesome people the last 3 weeks or so, which is one reason why my Google Reader got up into the 90's for unread posts this last week. But we've been having tons of fun, which is what summer is for! Here's a look at some of our visitors and some of what we've been doing with them.

My Mom was my savior as she came to help me when Avery was born and was here for over 2 weeks. She cleaned, cooked, did laundry, entertained Sophie, and was truly an angel sent from heaven to get me through those first few weeks when I couldn't sit down. (I bruised my tailbone pretty good in the delivery and can only now sit without too much pain. I don't recommend it.)

Julie also came for the last few days and it was very fun to hang out with just the girls while Joseph was at a training in Charlotte, NC.

This last Sunday we got to spend dinner with Kenny and Bobbie Newton who had come down to go on a cruise with his family (which is why they were sans kids). Kenny and Joseph were best friends in high school and it was very fun catching up with them.

Joseph's brothers Hyrum and Erik also came down to stay with us last week for a few days and we had a ton of fun with them here. We walked the Universal City Walk and took a picture in front of the Universal Studios sign.

Erik and Hyrum played a little football on that walk as well. They had some foreigners giggling a ton during their photo shoot with all their crazy poses.

Joseph took a day off work and the boys all went to Six Flags Magic Mountain together. They rode all the big rides and only got a little sick on some of them.

They also went to the beach and tried out Joseph's new body board. (Neither Hyrum nor Erik had ever been to a beach, so this was really fun for Joseph to take them to one!) Here's Hyrum laid out perfectly parallel to the sand as he dives for a frisbee.

They also went in the pool almost every evening and did crazy stunts and contests, because Jensen guys are so darn competitive! :)

And no trip to California would be complete without eating at In 'N Out. This was Erik's first time in California and so his first time eating here, and he thought it was just okay.

Erik was pretty disappointed that they flew home the day before the earthquake here so he missed that, but otherwise I'd say they had a pretty authentic taste of Southern California, and we loved having them here.

Missing You/Memory Tag

Joseph is gone today with his brothers who are visiting from Utah to Six Flags. So I am here with the girls all day long, and it's made me realize more than ever since we moved to California how much I miss my girl friends. I've never before lived away from everyone, all my friends and family (other than my mission, but that doesn't count for so many reasons), and I miss having people around to visit and do things with. Our ward has been great, but I feel like I haven't seen anyone from it in so long since I've been MIA for a little while during this (too long) recovery process after having Avery. And don't get me wrong, I love being a mom and spending my day with my girls, but I was spoiled living in Utah near my family as well as friends from my undergrad BYU days, my Salt Lake days, and the many we made while back in Provo for graduate school, and getting to see so many of you so often. I want to go to a Baby/Bridal Shower again, attend an MBASA Book Club or activity, or just have a girls night out with friends.

In short, I miss all of you dear, wonderful women in my life who have been such great friends to me. I wish I could call each of you individually to chat and thank you for being my friend, but since I can't reach everyone, I thought this might be the next best thing. Thank you for being a part of my life, for continuing to enrich it and share your lives and stories with me through your blogs. I will make new friends here, but I truly believe in that old adage "Make new friends, and keep the old. One is silver and the other is gold." You're all gold in my book. I love you all!

So in this vein of recognizing how blessed I've been in my friendships throughout my life, I'm going to do this Memory Tag. (I first saw it on Erin's blog and I modeled the directions after her--thanks, Erin!) Here's how it works:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you have of me or Joseph or Sophie (or Avery if you have one!) Some of you I've known a long time, others just a short while, but it doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, just write something you remember! If we're only blogging friends, write about a post that is the most memorable for you.

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Obsessed

...with a deer.Sophie has truly become obsessed with the movie "Bambi". I guess if you're going to ask to watch a movie a million times a day, this is at least a good and innocent one for it to be, but it's getting ridiculous. Without fail, the first thing each morning that I hear out of Sophie's lips are "Watch a little bit o' Bambi?" (Here she is doing just that.) And if I'm not letting her, she'll rephrase to "Watch 10 minutes of Bambi?" (which never ends after 10 minutes. 10 minutes to her is the entire film.) She thinks if she eats any food that it should be immediately rewarded with watching some of her favorite deer and rabbit. (She's also obviously having a hard time eating lately.) So I've been trying really hard to come up with alternate activities that she'll enjoy to get her mind off of Bambi.
When my Mom and Julie were still here this week, Mom made playdough that they made into our family.Notice how Bambi even had to join the playdough family?
My Mom also made the most adorable little playhouse for Sophie. She has loved spending time in there and often drags her daddy in with her. He's such a great sport and indulges her quite often.
We really hope this Bambi obsession will end as quickly as it started, but that just might be wishful thinking. Wish us luck!

Wordless Wednesday: Avery Jane

My Day Old Child

Day Old Child

My day old child lay in my arms,
With my lips against her ear.
I whispered strongly, "How I wish--
I wish that you could hear,

"I've a hundred wonderful things to say,
(a tiny cough and a nod),
hurry, hurry, hurry and grow
So I can tell you about God."

My day-old baby's mouth was still
And my words only tickled her ear,
But a kind of light passed through her eyes,
And I saw this thought appear:

"How I wish I had a voice and words,
I've a hundred things to say.
Before I forget, I'd tell you of God --
I left Him yesterday."
--Carol Lynn Pearson

I'm a little slow on posting this since Avery is now 4 days old, not one, but I wanted to still share this wonderful poem that I memorized once upon a time as a very little girl. It has always meant a lot to me. I love you, sweet Avery!

"Born on the Fourth of July!"

Introducing our Yankee Doodle Sweetheart, Miss Avery Jane Jensen!

She was born on the Fourth of July, weighing in at 7 lbs. 3 oz. and measuring 20 inches long.

Labor and delivery went well and quick, a full four hours from start to finish! I wish recovery would go as well, but we'll take it anyway.

Our little firecracker has brown hair and is such a good baby so far! She sleeps a ton and eats really well. Sophie wasn't so sure what to think of her crying, but she sure loved to look at her new baby sister. (We hope this picture isn't a foreshadowing of their future relationship!)

Our hospital visitors before they headed off to watch fireworks. Grandma Lamb is loving being here with her THREE (almost 4) grandbabies!

Joseph agreed to name her Avery Jane as long as he could call her AJ. That's totally fine with me, so here's the proud dad with his little AJ.

We Made It!

Our baby can safely come now that it's July. We are officially insured as of today and I can stop worrying that I'm going to go into premature labor and that we'll have a $7000 baby. Silly, I know, but I've been counting down the months, then weeks, then days, and yesterday I even counted down the hours until it was safe for me to go into labor. Not that I'm doing that, but now I could and it would be okay. :)

Here is a picture we took a few weeks ago on Father's Day before church. Sophie's finally allowing me to put her hair in pigtails, not that it stays that way very long (like they come out on the ride to church--dang fine hair!) but at least she looks more presentable for a minute or two each day.