A NAME GAME

We realized the other day that there is a pattern in the

names of our grandchildren so far.

First we have Carter Jensen.

Well, serving in the Arizona Phoenix Mission we have an Elder Carter...yes, he IS RELATED TO US...and we have an Elder Jensen. No relation that we know.

Then, baby Bennett came along and YES, we do have an Elder Bennett...and we still have Elder Jensen. This makes two for two.

Realizing that grandbaby #3 is a girl may pose a problem for Austin and Laura in keeping this tradition alive, so I have a very small list of possibilities from the last names of currently serving missionaries.

So here goes:

How about Adona, Allred or Alvarez(Allie?), Bird, Briggs, Carroll(now that is also a family name), Cherry (almost Cheryl), Dahl, Falke, Gerber(that is a baby name, right?), Halligan(Halli), Harline, Jeanfreau, Kamissoko(Kami for short), Keele or Keelin, Kelley(yet another family name), Lynn, Moody(OK maybe not Moody, don't want that predisposition), Swallow (to go with Bird), Wren (to also go with Bird), or you can always choose one of the Z names like Zayas, Zeledon, Zollinger or Zollweg.

Oh, if you could only name her Taylor...it is the most likely of all the last names to be a first.

Now if you were having a boy...the list would be almost endless!

Good luck with naming baby! We can't wait to meet her whoever she is!

FIRST NEIGHBORS FROM HOME!

It made our day to have dear friends stop by Sunday night! Our neighbor Denise Simpson has been out here in the area visiting her daughter Lindsee and granddaughter Kassenya.
Lindsee and her husband Trevor recently had another baby girl who has heart problems and has had multiple surgeries over the past month. We are hoping she comes home from the hospital this week.
It made us so happy to have familiar faces cross our threshold! We are so glad that Lindsee and her sweet family will be here to visit...and Lindsee can even cut our hair! Plus, we are pretty sure that Mark and Denise will be back down to visit them so we may see them again as well.

SOFTBALL ACTIVITY

We joined the W. Maricopa zone for a softball activity today. I think they enjoy not having sisters to worry about including... so I kept my distance behind a camera! Some of you may have thought it was hot today, but it was only 95 and believe it or not, that feels much cooler than it used to!
President Taylor started as pitcher, and Braden got some good hits and fielding.

President Taylor got some pretty good power in his hits too...I think he will be sore tomorrow!

We had a great time being out to the ballgame!

Thanks W. Maricopa zone for a fun P-day activity for our family!
I look at this picture and realize I know all these missionaries by name now...I loved them from the start, but having a name and a personality to put with those faces is just so rewarding!
WE HAVE THE BEST AND WE HAVE JUST BEGUN!!

Fun & Guns with Elder Rasband

President and Sister Taylor participated in a four-day mission presidents seminar for the 18 president/sister couples from the church's Southwest Area (Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas). The seminar was held in Tempe, so we just commuted back and forth each day and stayed at home with Braden.

The visiting LDS Church authorities were Elder Ronald Rasband, senior member of the Presidency of the Seventy; Elder Tad Callister of the Presidency of the Seventy (and our area supervisor); and Elders Stan Ellis and Larry Wilson of the Second Quorum of the Seventy.

When Elder Rasband learned that we had Braden here in Phoenix, he said he wanted him to join all the couples for the Friday night cowboy dinner/music show at the Rocking R. Ranch in Mesa.

Elder Rasband also invited Braden to try their hand at shooting authentic Colt .45 pistols. You can find a complete recap of the event on our mission blog (see links below). Here's a photo from the shooting experience:

Click here for a link to the post about Braden's hot-as-a-pistol shooting escapades with Elder Rasband.

And click here to go to Sister Taylor's mission blog for all sorts of posts on seminars, transfers, arrivals, departures, conferences and meetings.

WELCOME BENNETT SCOTT JENSEN

We are pleased to welcome Bennett Scott Jensen into the family!

9/1/11
True to form, Bennett came two weeks early.
Born September 1, 2011
7 pounds 3 ounces
20 inches long

Daddy Tyrel with little Bennett

Sleeping Bennett

Yet more sleeping Bennett
Big brother Carter...looks a little unsure about all of this. It will be fun to watch the change.
Bennett looks a lot like Mommy in this picture...but time will tell. I think he will look more like Carter when he gets a little older. We are thrilled to have two grandbabies now! And looking forward to Laura and Austins addition in about 3-4 weeks now!