A JENSEN KIND OF 2009

As the year comes to a close I can hardly wrap my mind around all the things this family has done and been through in the past 12 months. It has gone by way too fast to even begin to describe.

We have had a busy year, to say the least. Travel seemed to be the main theme of 2009 for all of us. Trips to the snow seemed to be a family favorite in the beginning.

Tommy and I were lucky enough to sneak off to Las Vegas twice this year, without the little ones. As always, we celebrated our anniversary there a little early in April so we could attend a friends wedding. We also headed back for a birthday celebration where I got to spend time with my best friend from elementary, Jr high and High School. It was an awesome reunion.

I surprised Tommy with a new car in April. It was an exciting time for him. I have never in my life been able to do something like that so I was just as excited. It is his dream car (this week) so hopefully it keeps him happy for a while.

I flew back to Chicago for a dear friend of mines graduation from Law school in May. It was wonderful to watch her walk and catch up on life with her. It had been a long time since I had seen her so we spent a lot of time laughing and then shopping. Of course, when in Chicago, one must eat everything!! And that we did.

When I returned home from Chicago, Tommy surprised me with a new Escalade, which then became our worst nightmare. Four Cadillacs, one Mercedes, and five months later we finally ended up with the one we call "ours." She is a beauty!

When the school year ended we surprised the kids with a trip up to Jerome. It is the little town literally built on the side of a mountain. It was amazing to watch the kids learn about the town's history and hope for ghosts to show themselves in the haunted hospital we were staying in since it had been renovated into a hotel!

The summer seemed to fly by with trips to water parks and outings with the kids. Pudgie learned to swim and Jax seemed to eat us out of house and home as he grew and grew. The kids started school in July and the littlest Jensen started pre-school. I thought I would be lost without him home. Not even close. I love the days he is gone and the ones he is home I love even more now!!

October brought on the big whopperdoodle of a trip. We were fortunate enough to spend 8 wonderful days on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera. We went to Mazatlan, Puerta Vallarta, and Cabo. It was amazing. The kids were wonderful and loved exploring the ship. Only half of us got sea sick and the other half got land sick after the trip.

The year has been a great one for Tommy at work. He keeps busy with a squad that is the most productive in the entire department! Unfortunately, he has lost a few officers who have chosen to move on with their careers into different areas and on to new squads. While he is sad to lose them, he is excited for them to move forward! We wish them all the luck and safety in the world!

As we fell into the holiday season we took a trip to the Polar Express in Williams. Pudgie loved it while the older ones, well, they seemed to just play along for the sake of all the little kiddos. The snowball fights were really the main attraction for us!

As 2009 comes to a close, I realize how fortunate my family is. We are all healthy, we are all happy, the kids are doing awesome in school and Tommy continues to thrive at work. That is really all I can ask for without feeling greedy!

We wish you all a wonderful 2010 and hope your holidays are happy and safe!

Love,
The Jensen Family
Tommy, DeAnna, Jax, Binky, and Pudgie