2009 was an amazing year for our family. So amazing, that I somehow never found the time to blog about it. Yikes! I'll be working diligently the next few weeks to get caught up...so check back with us now and then to read our latest updates.
Until then, here is our 2009 Christmas letter & picture:
Dear family and friends,
It’s hard to believe we are at the end of another year. Time just continues to move faster and faster! 2009 was very good to our family. We celebrated several major milestones, traveled a lot, including a wonderful trip with our girls to Paris, and continued to be healthy and happy Texans. Here are some of the highlights of our year:
Melissa graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in May with a BA in Theatre and Dance. She had planned to attend graduate school this fall, but instead decided to serve a full-time mission for our church. She was called to the France Toulouse Mission, and reported to the MTC on October 7th. After 8 1/2 weeks of training, that included some intensive French and a brief quarantine for swine flu, she flew to France on December 7th and is currently serving in Montpellier (the same city Cindy’s brother started his mission in). She writes amazing letters, tells us that she has already learned a lot on her mission and is grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord.
Joe continues to do well serving as a full time missionary in the Denver Colorado South mission. This year has taken him from Meeker to Littleton, Paonia, and now Grand Junction. He loves Colorado and the mountains. He has served as District Leader, Trainer and is currently a Zone Leader. He has had some wonderful experiences (which we love reading about each week) and has said that the decision to go on a mission has changed his life.
Rachel graduated with honors from Cy Creek High School in June. She took enough AP classes in high school that she was able to start college as a sophomore. (We are hoping this means one less year of tuition!) She received several scholarships to Utah State University, and this fall moved to Logan, Utah to study Social Work. Although she loves USU and the outdoor activities in Logan, she started freezing the first of October and is not looking forward to her first full Utah winter.
Erin is a sophomore at Cy Creek High School. After 4 years of playing the clarinet/bass clarinet, she decided she wanted to try something new, so she quit band and joined theater this year. She was the prop manager for the school’s performance of Pippin, and was promoted to stage manager when they were selected to perform at the Texas Thespian Festival, which was held in November in Corpus Christi. At the Festival they were invited to perform Main Stage at the International Thespian Festival which she is looking forward to attending in Lincoln, Nebraska next June. She is the historian of her school’s German club and loves to babysit. She also has her learners permit and asks to drive everywhere we go.
Greg is closing in on his 19th year anniversary of working for HP/Compaq. This year has been busy and stressful, but he seems to enjoy his work on most days. Cindy was laid off from her job with Continental in July, and is trying to come to terms with the fact that our flight benefits will end in January. We both stay busy with our callings at church—Greg in the bishopric and Cindy working with the Young Women. We are also adjusting to an almost empty nest as Erin is the only one still at home full time. But we love watching the opportunities our children have had to learn, grow and become truly amazing people.
We are grateful at this time for the blessing of the birth of our Savior, the guidance His gospel gives us in our lives, and the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. We hope that this holiday season is filled with happiness and love for you and yours!
Merry Christmas from the Jensens!
Greg, Cindy, Melissa, Joseph, Rachel and Erin
