O.K. there will be more to come but right now I'm not even typing this from my own computer. Because of all the chaos of Chris having to move all of his worldy belongings into our apartment everything is a bit more complicated. While everything is getting moved Chris had to set up his computer with my moniter for work. I can't access wedding picutures yet because I don't know how to work Chris' picure files soooooooo it'll have to wait just a little bit longer.
I have to say that now I understand why it is that when someone gets married it seems like they have fallen off the edge of the planet. In some ways we have. Nothing is settled yet, there are boxes to be unpacked, paper work to fill out new routines to be set up etc....
When I was single I would get so annoyed when friends would get married because all of a sudden I wouldn't see them for long stretches of time. I thought that it was so wierd and kind of rude. NOW I know and I will forever have compassion on newly married folks because the reality is that there is SO MUCH adjusting and change that happens. It's good but time consuming.
Speaking of time consuming I have to go and unpack some more boxes and do a couple of loads of laundry!

Catching Up....



Goodness, I'm finally sitting down to write and I realized that it has been a while since I blogged. When I tried to post some pictures for some reason my blogger site can't finish the proccess, so I'll have to try again later.
Let's see since I last wrote I've gotten marrried, gone on a great honeymoon, found out the sex of the little bunchkin in my belly, and have done some major adjusting around my house with Chris.
First of all, the wedding was soooo much fun. When Chris and I drove away we both agreed that it was the best wedding we had ever gone to..... o.k so we're a bit biased. But really, it went so well. Every thing went smoothly, the music was spirit filled, William my brother-in-law gave a devotional on redemption, restoration and grace that was so powerful. Our photographer, a friend of Chris' took amazing pictures of everything. Hopefully by the end of today I will be able to give out the password for the ofoto account that friends and family can visit to see the pics or order what they want. I'll post a few when I get them.

Second fun event was a trip up the coast with my new husband. We stopped in Ojai for two nights and stayed at the Emerald Iguana. It was only about two hours from L.A so it was the perfect first official stop. Then we headed up to Cambria and stayed there for another two nights and then rounded out the trip with three nights at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur.
The whole time there was a threat of horrible weather but we only had one rainy day the first day in Ojai. The rest of the trip we had nice crisp sometimes moist days and the nights filled with thunder, rain, wind and hail. I would wake up in the middle of the night and hear the thunder and rain and think that it would carry over to the next day but it never did. We felt pretty blessed.

Last but not least two days after we got home I had an appointment for an ultrasound. A couple of months back I had been determined to wait it out and not find out what I was carrying until it's birthday but as time has progressed I just wanted to know who it was in there. Chris wasn't opposed to finding out either so we were excited to have this appointment. The first part of the ultrasound the tech had Chris wait in the waiting room while she checked all the measurments and did the technical stuff. I was laying here watching the screen and when she measured the thigh bones I had a pretty good view of the baby's tush. I pretty much knew right away what it was. Luckily she didn't say anything until Chris came in the room because I just didn't want to hear it without him being there.
So, proceeding on with the proccess she was able to show us pretty clearly that I wasn't carrying a girl! Chris was shocked but for some reason I had begun to feel like it was a boy a while back.
We've been letting the idea sink in and now we are scouring baby name web sites and getting some pretty good laughs at alot of the names.
The due date will be around August 10 so the count down begins!

Pictures will soon follow.

I'm on the marriage train and it's stopping for nothing!!!!

Just a quick note so that my blog won't feel too neglected. The day after tommorrow I am getting married! I have such crazy feelings right now about all of the changes in my life. Mostly there is a feeling of dis-attatchment. Like I'm doing all the motions and there is all this crazy commotion around me and it is because of me and Chris and yet I can't wrap my head around it. Very surreal.

Tonight, my wonderful cousin-in-law Heather and my cousin Ariana threw me a great bachelorette party. Actually the day started with getting nails done, running much needed errands, a tea/lunch with my mom, sisters, grandma's and Chris' mom and aunt, a quick nap (didn't sleep), dinner with the sisters, and straight on to the party. Tomorrow holds, marriage license pick-up, shoe search, ring sizing, hair appointment, laundry, packing, and last but not least the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Chris' schedule is just as hectic if not more so.
And straight on to the wedding and a much needed honeymoon! I'm sure we will crash when it's all over.

I may post some pictures for the benefit of some family members who won't be able to make it. They will really be missed!

The assembly begins! Chris and I (thanks to his gererous folks) bought a king size bed from IKEA. The putting together part was easy because Chris is really good at reading instructions and actually following them. I'm not, so I sat there and took pictures and brought him soda and handed him nails and screw drivers. It went pretty well until it came time to put the box in the frame. After many frustrating attempts and a few dangerous moments we called it quits for the evening. I was in tears as usual and it was getting close to midnight. Chris blew up the air matteress again for me to sleep on and I ended up sleeping in the living room among piles of bedding and IKEA boxes. We finally got the issue resolved and last night my dad and Chris finished assembling the bed. This morning the mover guys that work for Ikea came and picked up the defective boxes and I was really happy to see them go! It turned out that there had been a recall on some of the boxes that were made because when they were put together instead of making a king size they were about an inch off! So frustrating.
At least it all turned out well!

I am so excited to now own an ipod Nano. Thanks to my highly evolved tech fiance I reap the benefits and keep getting set up with fun technology. It came with some of my favorite artists uploaded thanks again to Chris. I can't wait to learn how to work this thing and put some more songs on it!

I had to put a picture in of Chris and I. Yesterday we were driving to meet with one of his friends who is in charge of the music at our upcoming wedding. I was driving behind Chris and all of a sudden he pulled off the road we were driving on and there was a beautiful little look-out spot over looking the San Fernando valley. The weather was perfect and the the air was fairly clear for L.A... beautiful.


Tonight we went down to Malibu and had an AMAZING dinner at Geoffery's, an elegant out door restaurant looking out over the ocean. It's in an amazing location but the food is tasty as well. I started with the arugala and pear salad topped with a very mild creamy goat cheese and some sort of yummy dressing. Next was the chicken breast stuffed with a creamy rasberry stuffing on a bed of small blue potatoes and mushrooms. Lastly I chose the rasberry creme brule. Oh it was good.
When we had finished our meal we just sat back and took in the twinkley lights and the vast dark ocean and I have never been so happy that I live in Southern California. Good times.

Last night when I went to bed I was really bothered about Bubba having to be in such a small cage. It may seem silly but because I have so much other stuff going on in my life, but I couldn't stop fretting about what I was going to do with Bubba and if I put him back in his big cage how in the world was I going to keep it sanitary.... on and on and on my mind wouldn't stop.

I couldn't go to sleep and I finally called Chris. I knew he would be up at that late hour because of his wierd work schedule. I guess that when I finally called him in an exhausted stuper and started rambling on about how Bubba's cage was soooo dirty and I had to put him in the little cage and now I can't sleep........ he had no idea what I was talking about. Later today when I talked to him again he said that he was trying not to laugh because it sounded so crazy and desperate. I said that yes I was feeling desperate and little crazy. Luckily the morning brought some perspective.

I solved the problem today by taking the whole cage apart and scrubbing it out with bleach and then reasembling it. If I don't find a new home for Bubba before the wedding then I'll just come up with a better long term cleaning system.

I feel like such a bad pet owner. I love my chinchilla but I am sitting here at my computer and I can't help but feel guilty.

It all started when I got a new cage some months back. Bubba (the chinchilla) was outgrowing his two shelf cage and I wasn't able to get him out to play as often as I thought he needed, so I went down to PetCo and bought him a new "condo". It has six levels and plenty of room for him to run and jump to his hearts content. The only problem with this fantastic cage is that it is close to impossible to truly clean. It's tall and the cage doors are at akward places and the bottom of the cage can only be scrubbed out by taking the whole top part of the cage out. It's completely inconvienent. So every week (if I was able) I would vacume out the shelves of the cage and every couple of weeks I would scoop out the bedding from the bottom and replace it.
It probably has only gotten one good scrubbing since Bubba has moved in. Needless to say it has become a problem. In the proccess Bubba has developed a fungus and it won't go away easily. It sounds so gross and yes, it is. luckily he doesn't look any worse for the wear but as a animal lover I have to do something about it. (I also don't need to deal with skin fungus right now.)

Tonight was the time to take action and so I put Bubba in his play area and I set to work. I had to bring out his smaller but easier to clean cage and get it all ready for him to move back into.
I finally finished the ordeal and caught him to put him in his new "old" house. All he could do was hop around and try to find a way out. He has grown so much and it feels really crowded for him. I just feel awful seeing him hop around and not be able to have very much room.
*sigh*
I guess we'll see how the arrangement works out.

Hmmmm.... I have some thoughts surrounding the recent Danish cartoon debacle. First let me preface this blog with the fact that I have not seen the cartoon and really have not been interested in the debate. I have other things to think about. The discussion has been going on around me in the background, on the news, on some frequented blogs and such.
I normally don't even attempt to discuss politics or religion on this format because I have a hard time writing anything truly serious lest it come out trite. Writing is Not my forte. Neither is spelling as some may have caught on to. (apology in advance!)

Anyways, I made an observation this morning while listening to a local radio station. They were discussing the issue at length and had some pretty emotional calls regarding the subject. One girl compared the anti-Muslamic cartoon to the Holocaust.... hmmm. Another more reasonable girl had some very good points but the reality came out when she said (not quoting word for word) that because reverence for the prophet Muhammed is what the Muslim religion is centered around NO ONE had the right to make fun of or mock the Prophet and if they did they needed to be held accountable.
The hosts of the show pointed out that Jesus, the Pope, and other religious figures are mocked on a daily basis on a universal scale and there really is no outcry for retribution.
They were making light of it and yet it struck a cord in me. I saw something interesting in her outlook and world view and I saw the reverse of that in the opposite view.
What I saw was FREEDOM. Not on her part because when it all came down to it as reasonable and western as she was, there was a militant spirit that demanded either alligance or retribution. On the other side I saw a freedom to let truth be truth. The freedom for people to come to that truth on there own with no violence or force.

I feel that that is the spirit that Jesus brought.....Freedom. We are free to choose, free to mock, free to turn to him and cry for help, free to enjoy him, free to let others learn the same lessons we learned by being free or to let them turn away, and mostly, free to experience the consequences of those choices. We can't force or coerce or find vengence if someone doesn't believe the way we do. Because they are free. Even though the United States is really not a Christian place there are some values that have splashed over and made their mark. And one of those values is freedom. As a nation we really value and have come to expect it as right.

I am so thankful beyond expression for a God that gives me choice. I'm thankful for a country that values freedom (even if it's not perfect). I'm thankful for the grace of freedom and that I actually get to experience it.

I have to say that my new favorite documentery is "Mad hot ballroom". My other favorite is "Spellbound". If you havn't gotten a chance to see either they are both completely heartwarming and insperational.

Today is day #3 of cold watch 2006. I've officially gone through 4 boxes of kleenex and one half roll of toilet paper. My nose is about to fall off and I have NO idea where the snot is coming from! I must truly be dehydrated by now!! This morning I ventured out to the bank and then to Drug Emporium to get some new Kleenex boxes and some saline drops........ all of these "non-medicated" cold remedies REALLY do nothing accept make you think that you are doing something. I mean I'm glad that I can placate my self by sqirting saline water up my nose and I have to say that those "Shower Soothers" really smell good and cut through the congestion. But when all is said and done nothing has made me feel better and now all I want is a FULL dose of heavy medication not only to knock me out but to make my nose STOP RUNNING. Thank goodness no one is living with me at the moment and I can spread out in the living room and read while making piles and piles of kleenex. It's very freeing. Actually at this very moment I am looking over a pile of kleenex on my desk that if I let it will be obscuring the screen by the time this blog is written. *sigh*

Anyways, I'm done complaining. If anyone has some ideas of good movies or books I'm open for suggestions. Right now I'm reading "The Voyage of The Dawn Treader" for the 10th time and love it, but that will be finished by this evening and I have a feeling I may need more time to make this cold go away.

Blechhh... I'm home sick with a yucky cold. It's kind of been coming on slowly looking like allergies and it just hit me full force this morning. Because I can't actually take anything I promptly went down to the local Save-On and stocked up on a humidifier, vics vopo rub, vics humidifier add-in, and last but not least the frivolous yet desperate purchase of Vics shower pellets. You put one on the floor of the shower and while the hot water is running it's supposed to open up your airways. I'm a bit of a sucker but what else was I gonna do? I'm desperate! As soon as I'm done writing this I'm going to curl up on the couch with my box of kleenex and watch "Mad hot ballroom" on pay-per-view. It's supposed to be really fun. I'll report back on it at some point.

O.K. So I've been slacking off a bit on the blog front. My creative energy level has been pretty low lately. There is sooo much going on and when that happens I kind of get passive. Eventually something kicks in and I fly into action and work myself sick. The wedding is coming very quickly and I have most of the details on my side under control thanks to my wonderful mom... (thanks mom!).
Chris has been working very hard lately on a job that requires alot of hours and creativity. Along with the hour+ commute, wedding plans and our busy schedules we have to work at having quality time together. I mean this is what it's all about isn't it?? Goodness gracious! The busyness of life has a way of crowding out the important stuff.

Today I woke up and when I looked in the mirror on the way to my moring shower I noticed my tummy was taking on a different shape. The baby and it's surroundings are beginning to push everything up and I'm losing the little bit of waist that I had. I freaked out because I didn't know that's what it was supposed to look like and I thought that something must be drastically wrong! So when I got to work I told the girls about it and they all laughed and assured me that was normal and that I probably was carrying "high". I guess I just didn't expect anything show for a while yet.... It's all very new. I'm thankful that I work in the environment that I do. All my co-workers have had children and one of them is pregnant with me. The conversation always gets a bit interesting and extremely graphic when it comes to childbearing. I feels sorry for the guys that happen to get caught in salon while everyone is chatting away freely.

On a different note...

A couple of high lights from this extremely eventful week.

- Reading sister Erin's blog about Gpa and Gma visiting her and Jim in Texas
- Having lunch with friend Rachel today (turkey, cranberry, and cream cheese sandwiches on sourdough) yum!- Feeding my chincilla his favorite treats when I get home from work.
- Taking a super hero quiz compliments of cousin Luke's blog. Apparantly I'm Super Man!
- Getting off early from work today as is my usual Thursday custom.
- Buying yet another book about pregnancy as well as a Patsy Cline CD which I'm listening to right now (very good).
- Taking a long nap today..... the topper of an exciting and eventful week!!
- Oh! I almost forgot the one truly exciting event which was seeing my tummy change! Creepy but exciting.

My brother-in-law Will, wrote an interesting blog today about the spirit versus theology. I guess that's how to explain it (you'll have to go look).
Growing up near a popular Christian seminary and going to a church that had very good theology and was and still is a very loving and condusive environment to learning, I was faced with some of the same questions that Will is discussing on his sight. I have been a bystander while he and cousin "Tech" comment and have some interesting discussions.

Tonight, (before I took the neices to see "Nanny McFee"), I had a chat with Will about the problem of thinking that if you are well learned in Christianity or any religion for that matter, go to the right schools/seminary, the right church, have the right discussions, grasp the right concepts, then we will be close to God and know Him better. The hunger for God can only truly be satisfied by sitting with God, being humbled in His presence, calling out to Him and communing with Him. I am understaning that more and it's wonderful.
Yes, good understanding of the Bible is essential to knowing better about our Lord, but actually knowing Him as a friend and a saviour requires something different.
It's good life changing stuff when that happens. It softens and strengthens, it humbles and lifts up, it fills the spirit with satisfaction and joy. It's good and I want more of that!

This is what satisfaction looks like.

Every Saturday a couple of guys come to our salon and sell fresh fruit. They get it from the L.A fruit market early in the morning and then go around and sell it throughout the day. I was SO glad when they came today because I REALLY wanted some cherries. I don't know why but I have always loved cherries and now that I'm pregnant I can't get enough. Chocolate is not appealing one bit. Sweets in general kind of gross me out (except for starburst). Everyone says that because I'm not craving sweets it's probably going to be a boy. We'll see.

There are a couple of subjects that I would and could write about and I'm not sure which one to tackle at the moment.
It takes alot of intellect from my foggy brain to sit down and put down on words what flits around beween my ears.
I've never really liked to write. It's hard for me to compose ideas in a logical format.
The thing that I DO like about writing especially in the blog format, is that people can read it and maybe be amused for a second. It has always brought me a great amount of pleasure to make people laugh. My blogs haven't always been written for that purpose, I don't have a comidy blog....... Oh my goodness "comidy" is that a word?? I just had a "wierdchickenstove" moment. That's when you write or say a word and it doesn't make sense as a word. It's just a sound. (I just googled the word "comidy" and it said "did you mean comedy?" That explains my problem with that word.
Anyways, for me that's why I like to write. If no one were to read something I wrote there would be no joy in it for me. Well, maybe. I journal sometimes and it wouldn't bring me joy to have someone read that.
O.K, different thread.....

Here is a short list of my favorite work songs(Kost 103.5 easy listening) We listen to this station at the salon because it's the ONLY station everyone slightly agrees on.

Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton - Islands in the stream
James Blunt - You are beautiful (totally overplayed but what women doesn't love that song??)
Anything by ABBA

I may add to my list if I hear anything else that makes me happy. If you live around the L.A. area and you have to listen to the Kost or if you have an "easy listening" station that is forced on you during working hours, what are your favorites?

Hurray for the the new season of 24! Tonight was the two hour season opener and there will be one more two hour special tomorrow night..... The suspense killed me last season and I am looking forward to future heart palpatations this season!

Today my roomie of over a year moved out. Everything was amiable but she wanted to start saving money for her wedding in May. She moved home to live (for free) with the folks. I have to say that she was probably one of my favorite roommates that I've had over the years.
The fun part of this situation is that now I get the whole house to myself until March. So between now and then I will be attacking every corner and making it ready for Chris to move in.
My biggest project will be my room. I have been pretty spoiled over the years because I havn't had to share a room with anybody, so it has kind of gotten out of control. The rest of my house is kept fairly neat, besides a couple of piles of important papers and the chinchilla dust that somehow keeps flying out of the cage, I live in a comfortable environment.
The thing that really made me take stock of my out-of-control bedroom was when my mom came over a couple of weeks ago to nurse me back to health from a very bad case of food poisening.
I was lying on my bed (which happens to be an air mattress).... a very nice one I might add.... And my mom brought a chair into my room to chat with me in my weakened state. I didn't have the strength to try and divert her to another room so that she wouldn't have to lay eyes on my crazy mess, so she sat in the midst of piles of clothes and random but useful knick knacks.
While we were talking I looked over and there hanging from the switch on my lamp, was an argyle knee sock. Now, there was a reason it was hanging there. I had taken my clothes from the dryer the day before and the sock had been a little damp still. In the moment I had looked around and the most logical spot to hang it to dry was on the lamp switch. The problem was that it just added to the colorful and confusing chaos. My mom's eyes followed mine to the guilty sock and we ended up laughing about the silliness of the situation.
Alas, my room will no longer be my own soon and it is time to grow up and find a place for the argyle knee sock and homeless clothes. I knew the day would come.

Baby at 9 weeks. I found this to be so interesting and a bit crazy. The little bunchkin is floating in it's happy home. It's amazing what can be seen so early! The head is on the left and the foot is the thing sticking up on the top right.

It is time to write again.
When I wrote the post about having had so much change in my life over the years and never really feeling settled, I had no idea how much change was coming, and how that change would "settle" me forever.
The long and short of it is that on March 4 of this year I will be Mrs. Christopher Jensen and as of sometime in August I will be a mother. Even writing this is a bit surreal. It has been sinking in over the past month and it will take a while to really understand the weight of everything.
I am so excited to marry Chris. We have had a bit of an up and down relationship since we met but it always come back to how much we love each ther. We truly enjoy each other and we are ready for what life hands us. It's been a bit of a crash course in grace, repentance, and faith and It's good. I see God's goodness and redemption and I look forward to seeing how He continues to walk with us and show us what's next.
I'll be writing again in the midst of wedding planning... there will probably be alot to write about!

It may be a little while before I blog again. There is alot I am sorting through right now. I'm hoping to be able to blog again when the time is right. Until then Merry Christmas! And maybe a happy New Years if I don't write before then.