It’s true! Though the weather will probably remain hot, the “summer” as we’ve known it officially ends this week. UTA starts classes today, and even though Josh won’t be taking classes, it means that his work as a research assistant now begins. Public schools in the area started on Monday. Last week we took Nancy and Michael to the water play park. We wanted them to enjoy some water fun before school started for them.

The past two Tuesdays we’ve gotten together with our Chinese neighbors. We met them about a month ago, when we took a gift to their new baby girl. Tuesday of last week we went over to their home for Chinese food, and Tuesday of this week we had them over to our home for dinner. We’ve enjoyed getting to know them. Their stay in the States is for three months; they return to China at the end of next month.

We’ve especially enjoyed the extra time with Josh this summer. Even though he’s been busy with research and working, it was nice to have a break from official school responsibilities. From the looks of things, Josh is going to have a full plate as the department chair’s research assistant this year. We’re extremely grateful for the work (and financial aid) the Lord has provided for Josh’s schooling. We’re praying that Josh can complete his degree by the end of Summer 2012.

We love you!

Since moving to our new apartment, we have made friends with our neighbors. I love the fact that we’re out of UTA housing and are now surrounded by families who are friendly and are ready and willing to invite us in if we stop by to say hi. This past week, we’ve enjoyed getting to know our next-door neighbors (Michael, 11; Nancy, 10; and Karen, 4). Most of the summer they (and their mother) were in Egypt visiting their family, but now they’re back for the school year.

Michael and Nancy have started taking piano lessons from me on Mondays. They love coming over, and they all love playing with Becca. It’s so cute to hear Becca call their names. A week ago Wednesday, we took the family to play in the fountains. All had a great time, and Becca enjoyed having other kids in the fountains with her. We’re grateful for the opportunity to get to know our neighbors and to show them Christ.

Speaking of friends, Becca is becoming more and more attached to her animal friends. Flopsie I, II, & III are very important playmates, and Rockco has become a good friend ever since he started being involved in obedience training. I’m finding that it’s hard to keep up with Becca and 4 friends. The other night I had 4 little mouths full of teeth to brush. Fortunately, they were all cooperative.

Last week, Josh was in Raleigh for another week of Jarai research. He met with 6  Jarai speakers from Vietnam and recorded stories and collected language data from them. During his trip, Josh stayed with Lap’s family. Saturday there was a cultural event displaying different aspects of the Jarai culture. If you’re interested in seeing a sample of Josh’s work, here’s a link.

Becca and I stayed home in Texas during Josh’s trip. We survived without Josh but were very glad when he came home to us. Below are some pictures of one of the projects I work on while Josh was away. This was an idea I heard about from a friend. I “built” these in my room first, and then transferred them to Becca’s room. Materials: construction paper, scissors, sticky tack, colored pencil, pictures, and clear contact paper. Hopefully, this will help Becca “get to know” her extended family members.

This week Josh gave me my birthday present from last year. It’s a project he’s been working on since last year, and it arrived on Friday. It’s our first “blog book” (The Jensen Dimension 2008-2009), a collection of all our posts from the first year and a half of the blog. It’s something I asked Josh for, knowing it would take a lot of work, especially with the quality of work he likes to do. Josh did a great job designing the book. We love it!

This week a leaking pipe was repaired. Two weeks ago we had noticed water coming down the wall in the bathroom. We also found that the floor of our bedroom closet on the other side of the wall was soaked. The upstairs water problem was fixed (the tub hadn’t be calked), but the closet floor continued to collect water. So there had been two different problems. We figured out that the pipe taking water up to our shower head had a hole in it. Nice to have that fixed. It worked out that the upstairs water problem helped reveal our shower leak. We’re still waiting for the hole in the closet to be repaired and the carpet padding to be replaced . . . which is no big deal as long as it’s leak free!

Becca loves washing dishes. The other day I let her play in the sink after we were done. She still fits!

Last Thursday night we had a sleepover at the Countryman’s home, so Aaron and Heather could have a night away. We had a good time with all the kids. It’s good practice for having a big family.

First this Month:

A man told Josh if I hadn’t been introduced as his (Josh’s) wife, he (the man) would have thought I was Josh’s daughter!

Recently, one of our faithful readers responded to my post about helping children overcome their fear of fireworks.  Our dear reader included two $10 bills in a birthday card to me, along with a request for the next steps for firework enjoyment lessons. I’m sure she won’t mind letting others benefit from her contribution.

It is important to note that these steps are not necessarily sequential. Depending on one’s learning style, different technique might be employed. It is possible that only one step will be needed or that completing all these steps will just leave you (and your mommie!) frazzled. Feel free to pick and choose what you use. And a last warning . . . be prepared to have a lot of fun, especially if you’re a young child! Oh yeah, and take time for snacks!

STEP 1: Hide and be really quiet –> then jump up and yell BOOM! really loudly

STEP 2: Use drum sticks and pots to make loud firework noises!

STEP 3: After making sufficient loud unexpected noises, put on proper safety gear. A helmet, protective pants, and a nose guard are essential. Other items can be added as seen fit.

STEP 4: Learn to recognize colors; firework color identification can enhance your observation of the show.

STEP 5: Purchase a snazzy, LOUD, red sports car and enjoy driving fast. An occasional backfire will aid in helping you overcome your fear of loud unexpected noises.

STEP 6: Visit a space center and ride on a rocket. This will make the noise fireworks make seem small in comparison.

STEP 7: Ride on a model firecracker!

STEP 8: Learn how to escape quickly in case of a fireworks-related emergency. Jumping over your stroller and climbing through your chair are both very useful skills to have.

STEP 9: Learn to stick out your tongue at the fireworks and say, “I’m not afraid of you! My mommy said she’ll protect me.” (Make sure that you only stick your tongue out at the fireworks and not other people!)

STEP 10: If all else fails, talk with your friends and get their ideas. If all else fails, perhaps just watch the fireworks on TV with the sound muted.

Hope this was worth paying for, Grandma H! Thanks for enjoying our blog. Come and visit and we’ll give you some more personalized tips!

Firsts this week:

• Mommie: Making yogurt in the crockpot.
• Mommie: Using a dehydrator to make dried apples and bananas.
• Becca: Skipping her nap and just playing in her bed!

Four years ago today the man of my dreams asked me to be his wife. Thank you, my darling, for choosing me to be your wife! I adore you!