Canada

A huge thank you to all the ladies who helped put together my bridal shower! It was so nice to get together and chit chat and visit and share anticipation. I am blessed to know so many good women who positively impact my life. Thank You!

OUT OF TOWN LODGING

For those of you who are traveling from out of town to attend the wedding, please contact Jeanette or Alan if interested in staying in a home rather than paying for a hotel. There is room available at this time.
Jeanette 209-474-9662
Alan 209-951-3390

29 NINE DAYS COUNT DOWN. Announcements are in the mail now. So much to think about, I'm getting nervous. I don't want too much to distract from our special time up at the temple and visiting with out of town family and friends so I am trying to keep things as low key as possible. Please, if you are reading this and are in either Valley Oaks ward or Creekside ward and would like to help contact Jeanette at 209-474-9662 or email at chanssen@sbcglobal.net
Also, I find it interesting so I will mention it; at this time in California we are going through a huge thing with Prop. 8 coming up in the Nov. elections. If you don't live here then you may not know about it. Prop. 8 states that "Only marriage between a man and a woman is legal or recognized in California." These exact words were passed back in 2002 by the 61% of the public but have since been overturned this past summer by four Superior Court Judges in San Francisco. Now it is on the ballot again to be added as an amendment to the state constitution, which will be binding. So in our wards we have been going door to door, throughout the voter precincts to check how registered voters would vote and encourage a Yes vote and share information. You can learn more about this for yourself and even donate assistance at http://www.protectmarriage.com/ . I bring this up on our blog because when Alan and I are married, our marriage license will say Party A and Party B, instead of Bride and Groom, or Husband and Wife. I feel very strongly that we are not just 'parties', but male and female/man and woman, with unique and important qualities, that if understood and exercised correctly, will bring great happiness found only in marriage the way God planned for us, the human family. I don't care who you have sex with or who inherits your money, but it is not marriage unless it consists of a man and a woman making covenants with God and/or a contract with the State. I went off on a tangent, might as well get it out. So anyway, as you can see, marriage has been on my mind in more ways than one. This is by Jeanette, I don't know how to change the little thing at the bottom that always says Alan...

Group water break. We went on a little hike after breakfast to check out the surrounding area. Rene, Remi, Triston, Julian Maddie, Jasmine and mom.

Check out the gunshow! Don't mess with this group. It looks like they really know their stuff.

Back from camping, what a Blast!

Well, we are back from our whirlwind camping trip with six kids. Three teenage girls and three little ones, what a blast. They got along pretty well considering the age differences. We went up to Calaveras Big Trees and returned to some of our favorite spots from last year. On the way up we had a flat tire on my new (old) van. I should have taken a picture. It was really bad with wires sticking out everywhere and a long gaping hole in the sidewall where it looked like it straight came undone. Anyway, the huge blessing was that it happened about 2 or 3 blocks away from a Chevron that just happened to have the right tires for the job (we got two new ones so they are even). And the name of the city anyone? That's right, Angels Camp. Truly we were watched over by Angels. Alan, (that stallion of mine) had our van packed to the roof with all our camping stuff and six kids. And then we found out that once he shut the back doors, there was no way to open them because the locking mechanism is broken and it has to be opened from the inside which is now packed tight with everything. So I climbed over all the tubs and camping gear to get to the back, literally six inches of space for me to go through and I still can't reach the handle from the inside. So Alan got me a screwdriver and I unscrewed the window latch and we were able to unlock it by reaching our arm up through the window and then down to the handle. Anyway, I'm tired. I'll get pictures up shortly and describe more later.

You know we are having fun, smoochy smoochy! Our dinner/movie date with our friends from work.

Date night! We went out to dinner with close friends from both of our works and enjoyed a movie afterwards. Fantastic evening!

You know you have kids when you come downstairs after they are all "in" bed to find this mess. A candy bar cut open and placed inside a pitcher of koolaid with no sugar and a banana half eaten. Thanks for the reminder guys, love ya, mom.

See what I mean? Most of my other flower shots did not turn out well. But this one did. Isn't it magestic? True beauty I tell you.

My three kids sitting on a wagon axle up at Daffodil Hill.

Hey you two, the camera is over here.

My three kids posing by all the daffodils. It was fun to see so many different varieties of the flower.

Alan and Remi at Daffodil Hill in Sutter Creek, Ca. Don't they look great!

Beautiful Remi up at Sutter Creek after Daffodil Hill.

We decided to have Valentines dinner the Monday after the holiday and enjoyed chinese food at a popular restaurant. This is a good one, eh?

Yup, that's my Triston in a princess dress with his sister. High school blackmail, I've got you now...:)

Check this out. We were invited to a crab feed. I had never tried crab before and agreed to try it out, bibs and all. It was ok. Not much flavor and too much work. So this is our self-taken picture.

My dad Marvin brought up a whole box of huge Idaho potatoes when he came to visit for Christmas. I was worried about using them up before they went bad. I had never bottled potatoes before but thought it should work, and it did. Some are scalloped and some are cubed. 02/08

Smoochy at the hockey game. Can you blame me? What a stud!

Such is the joy in my life! I frequently have my kids bathe together just to get the mess over with at one time. Plus they love it!

welcome

So this is a blog huh? We shall see. Come on in, check things out. Post nice things to say or questions if you please. And hope you are reminded of your own wonderful times by the time you leave. Love Jeanette and Alan, soon to be the Jensen's...