To my sweet and precious brother, this is long because I thought I sent half of it last week, and found out it was still sitting as a draft. Skip, skim or shimmy, but at least now that we love you SO MUCH!




How are you? How is every little thing? How are your Korean socks? Are you loving your kimchi with su su sauce (whatever that is)? Are your shoes holding up? Do you have a six-pack on your face from smiling so much? We love you and pray for you multiple times a day. The kids miss you very much, and I just can't thank you enough for your amazing example.



We are passing through an interesting, challenging and wonderful period of our mortal portal. Our business officially opened two weeks ago, and I didn't realize (like the young bride who says she has no expectations when she marries) that I expected that because we have felt so peaceful that meant we would open on Monday and be dining on avacados and buying a new pillowtop mattress by Friday, noon. It hasn't been like that. When Jeff sells, he does quite well, and we are selling our services, but when anyone else tries, they have not been able to make very many sells. We are trying to figure all that out, he has spent time with each salesman listening to them, and having them listen to him. We are making some changes to the website, and expanding our focus to include more corporate accounts;managing the drug-check program and the employee verification. We are going to do the employee verification for 1-800-Contacts. That is a huge account, and Jeff just got that yesterday, but it doesn't start until April. I am amazed at him, I have fallen in love with him over and over again. He has been so strong, so brave, so faithful, and even optimistic and pleasant to be around through the whole thing.



I think I did pretty well until my unrealized-until-it-didn't-happen expectation didn't happen. The last two weeks my feelings have been tender, and I have had moments where I felt like my get up and go got up and went. I prayed so hard Wednesday and asked our sweet Father in Heaven to help me find my inner Kung Fu, my inner kick and fight, and He did! I was instantly filled with a surge of optimism and hope and strength that is with me still at this moment.



I just have to keep up my A game. This time is kind of a climax for a lot of things; the business, some of the most intense mothering, teaching and influencing moments I will ever have (all of them are still listening and almost all are old enough to hear; and my personal modeling of a consecrated and disciplined life). I want so much to come through in every way, with the huge smile of faith, my hand in the Lord's, and my heart singing his praises.



I love the part of the story in Apollo 13 when things look the most bleak, everyone on staff is working night and day and asking everything possible of every bit of their energy experience and knowledge to get the astronauts home, and an official comes in and just starts going off. He rants about how this is going to be the worst disaster NASA has ever known, and how terrible it's going to be for budget and press, and blah blah blah. The commander of the operation turns and looks straight at him and says "Pardon me, sir, but I think this is going to be our finest hour". I have that up in my home because that is how I want to handle things right now. So we're competely out of money, so Satan is knocking at the doors and windows in every way he can, so I am trying to raise 6 wonderful children in a society that worships blame and entertainment over personal initiative and responsiblity, so our country is in peril, but I want to say. "Pardon me, but with the Savior Jesus Christ, I think this will be our finest hour".



We opened business, and though Jeff is still selling just fine, we haven't been able to transfer that ability to the sales people very well. The business is still breathing and trying to find it' s niche. Jeff had an incredible blessing on Sunday from his Dad. If we had written down everything we hoped the blessing would say, it fulfilled every dream. It sounded like a job or situation , a miracle, was soon approaching, but we were also told that this time and the inspiration for the business was not in vain and told very strongly to not discount the inspiration we received. I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father. I want to clean my house, do all I can to learn love lift repent, and put a dress on preparing for miracles.



We are enjoying our kids so much. We tell Seth we love him and he says, "I, too!" When he wants to be held he says "Mama, a hug...." He says the most darling prayers. He has his own personal huka, and loves to eat peanut butter on a spoon. He always asks everyone to get it for him. Reminds me of someone else I know, minus the peanut part.



Annie nearly quit gymnastics. She got her backhandspring, then kind of regressed and got scared. The teacher says that is normal. Yesterday, she decided not to quit and I am so incredibly proud of her. One big factor was when she heard she had inspired Ellie and Ryan to do hard things, too. She didn't want to let them down.



Annie went outside with her book (Little House on the Prarie, which is way above her level), and she lost it. She asked me to come out and help her look for it, and just like the sweet, compassionate Mom that I am, I said "no", and told her that I just KNEW she could find it by herself. Later, she came and reported that she had found it. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to reinforce that I was RIGHT, I said "I knew you could do it yourself!" She said, "I didn't! I said a prayer and Jesus helped me!" These are the doughnuts she earned from getting her round-off backhandspring!





Spen's basketball team lost the county championship by a bucket, but it was such a great season and such an intense game. He is such a fun combination of sports intensity and creative sweetness.



Joseph has decided his future is to be the next Weird Al Yankovich, to b a professional snowboarder, and to be rich and famous like he already is. I don't think having this job and making all this money has been the very best thing for him. There is too much power to spend unwisely. We used Satan's plan to make him save half but more like 75% of his money, but we can't take it all away, and he just struts around buying bags of gumballs, and all kinds of candy and junk. He is so funny.



We were chasing Coy around tickling him, sitting on him, trying to get him to go to a boy/girl party he had been invited to. He talked himself into, out of and all around going 503 times. We tried to drop him off once, came back later, he said he wasn't getting out of the car, then he DID! He stood on the porch while Annie and I sat in the van with the lights off and waited, and waited, and waited for him to ring. We rolled down our window and he said he coudn't bring himself to, so it was time for intervention. Annie jumped out of the van, ran so fast to the door, rang the doorbell twice, then ran back to the van at lightning speed. We drove away just as the door opened to a "Hi, Coy!" He survived the party and even said he had a little bit of fun.



I expect it won't be the last time this girl helps Coy in the girl department.

In our family, we know all about free agency, and how to enforce it!



I asked Mook if he liked girls and he said yes. He is turning weird and tall, and my happy little boy is turning into a big smelly stranger. I can only get vowels, he is too tired from growing to even give consonants. He just grunts. He has passed me up in height. I am chasing him around trying to grow his testimony of chores and family responsiblity and wishing I could get on the inside of that boy and look around a bit.



I am pulling on a HUGE pair of freaky pants as my son measured 6 feet tall, passed the test and came out with a Learner's Permit! I don't know how it's possible because I feel about as smart as a 12 and three quarter year old, and now this huge low voice thing is asking me if he can drive home. I told him he couldn't ...because he had to drive with a responsible adult and I didn't know where we could find one. A few days ago Jeff wrote him an excuse note and tried to talk him into saying that it was a family problem becuase we were attacked by a bunch of flying weasels, but he wouldn't do it. He is reading Gods and Generals, the prequel to Killer Angels right now and loving it. He is faithful and obedient an such a joy.



We've taken too much of your time. You are flying across the bedroom on our screen saver. How did you do that? Enquiring minds want to know. We love you so much!   It's early and I've got to go wake up Weird Al and somehow make whole wheat tantalizing for breakfast!  All our love...Christensens