Jude Ties His Shoes

Jude learned how to tie his shoes! Jhelum was so excited about it & so are we! The double bunny ear was his secret weapon of choice. 

Happy 40th Jenn!

To the amazing Jenn on her 40th. We love you!

Cheers to the girl who keeps things together around this place.  Without you, what would we do??  We celebrate you!  For being as strong as you are.  For being as faithful as you are.  We celebrate your beauty, your spunk, your animation, and your loyalty.  You have 5 amazing boys, and somehow you are able to do that really well!  You teach, counsel, cook, clean, coach, cheer, bathe, nurse, rinse and repeat.  Every day you give and serve till your head hurts!  Literally!  When it’s time to shut it down and I see you massaging your temples and brow. (subliminally sending me the message that it’s time for me to give you a head massage)   I’m always impressed with how deep your friendships are.  I don’t know of another girl who has so many friends.  Not the kind of friends that are numbered like followers.  I’m talking about the real, meaningful, vulnerable, deep friendships that you have.  Find me a relationship between sisters that rivals what you have with your closest friends. (cousin and sisters in law included) That says a lot about you.  They all wanted to share a few words or memories so you can read their comments below. 

The 20 year old Jenni was amazing!  Trust me, I fell hard for her!  The 30 year old version of Jenn was even more impressive than the 20 year old version!  Now its not even a comparison at 40!  You are more beautiful and talented than you ever have been! I’m amazed at the gifts you have developed over the years.  Your experience has given you perspective.  You are more patient and empathetic.  You have been through a lot and are able to help so many because of what you have experienced! Somehow, I’m lucky enough to be with you for eternity. Pretty sure there isn’t a more blessed guy out there.  Love you. 

 Jason

Jenn,

​Knowing that this is symbolically important birthday, just remember that 40 is the new 30!  You’ve always shown the gift of charity and can turn the other cheek.  I should know since I’ve given you ample opportunity as your younger brother, ranging from teasing to being straight up unkind.  You’ve always shown me a better way and as I’ve grown and matured, I’m hoping to emulate more of those qualities. You are a kind and patient “big” (meaning older, but too old!) sister, devoted wife, dedicated mother, loyal friend, wonderful daughter (you provided parental respite between the bookends of your brothers!), thoughtful citizen and engaged community member. Of course you embody so much more as well. 

I respect the “fire” you have inside regarding your convictions and that you stick to them.  This has led to uncomfortable encounters.  This is as it should be.  Others have and will want you to “roll over” to accommodate them, rather than the hard work of forging their integrity.  You always stick to your guns. In this way, you exemplify respect for yourself, what you stand for and simultaneously motivate those around you to rise up to their potential to become more.  That growth can be painful, but I’ve never known you to shy away from that process.  What an amazing testament as that is THE whole point of life: to choose love (i.e. painful growth, self-confrontation and vulnerability), rather than fear by way of self-delusion, avoidance and the path of least resistance in the short-sighted aim for comfort.  You’ve developed through many challenges in life: altered expectations of childhood, divorce of parents, deaths of close friends, difficulties in conception and pregnancy, disappointments and heartache through multiple attempted adoptions, raising energetic boys while forging a home of love while Jason is working on the road, judgment from family and friends and now foster parenting just to name a few. 

Despite your petite frame, you are a true giant in courage.  I’ve got a lot to learn from you in this regard- living guided by love rather than fear.  Whether it’s living in Guatemala as a newlywed and contracting Dengue, running marathons or natural childbirth, you truly “show up” in life.  I know that when you say you’ll do something, you mean it.  This quality is as valuable as it is rare.  You’ve got it and live it in spades!  Like Saul who became Paul, the scales are falling from my eyes (much more slowly) to truly see who you really are. Thanks for being so patient and forgiving of me through the long journey.  Then again, I shouldn’t be surprised, it’s part of who you are that gives me hope, an example, the safety, space and freedom to become a better person.  In this world, many shrink away from the vulnerability that comes from living wholeheartedly (to use Brene Brown’s phrase) and forfeit their raison d’etre.  I am inspired by your willingness to shout a resounding “yes!” and become “The [Woman] in the Arena”.

I love you and wish you all the best.

Love,

Steven

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Jenn is how accepting and warm she is to all. From the first time I met her at Keaton’s 1st birthday party, she’s always welcomed me and made me feel at home. The same applies in the way she’ll extend a hand or a hug to my kiddos, and treat them like her own. She makes everything more fun. Including piling way too many Tingeys in your suburban at Glacier to cut down on parking issues. 😂 I wish I had a picture of her jumping in Pierre Lake at our first Thanksgiving in WA. She’s such a good sport, and just enjoyable to talk to and be with. I admire her willingness to “jump in” and try something out, like modeling at a fashion show in SLC. She could make a potato sack look fashionable, there’s no hiding her natural beauty. 40 years of Jenn’s life is only the beginning of her many beautiful contributions to make this world a better place. Her very presence brings light and warmth. Here’s to celebrating 40 and looking forward to all the beauty to come. I am grateful to have her as a sister, friend and example. Love you Jenn! 💛Mary

Thinking on the blessing it is to have you as a sister brings a smile to my face. You’ve done so much for me in in my life and probably even prevented me from getting myself into trouble a few times. Over the years in your way you’ve always accepted me for who I am even if you didn’t see “eye to eye” with me. Thank you for that. 

We’ve had some fun times together but one moment in time sticks out to me. I can remember it being a bit surreal thinking to myself that my wife and I are hanging out with my sister and her husband with our cousin and her husband in the Grand Canyon! It was a cool moment knowing that we were officially friends. Of course, we were before then, but not on that level and it wasn’t until that river trip that it really sunk in for me. 

It’s hard to even put it into words because they won’t even begin to convey how thankful I am to you, and for you. I’m most grateful that you were such a key instrument is setting me up with my Eternal Sweetheart. The fact that you vouched for me means the world to me. I want you to reflect on the incredible ripple effect that you helped create. Think about how those ripples started with your decision and actions 20+ years ago and how you’ve eternally blessed my life. Every time I look at Kristina, Hazel, Gwen, Josie, (& Mosely and Milo) and get to create new memories with my family (or enjoy reminiscing on them) I have my sweet sister to thank. I will be forever in your debt and will never be able to thank you enough! 

 

I love you Jenn. Happy 40 Years Young!

To my incredible and AMAZING sister-in-law and friend: happy 40th birthday! Wait.. what? How did we get here? Isn’t it crazy to think we’re this old? (Even though you still look like you’re in your 20’s!! J)

 

Some of my favorite memories with you of course include the big things, like our cruise (why haven’t we done another one?), the Grand Canyon adventure (one for the BOOKS!), our visit to Steven and Mary (remember Steven’s Kouign-amanns  and running the 10k?!), our girls trip to Vegas (that magician was crazy talented and the Thai food and spa visit was to die for), Time Out for Women (so thankful you always initiated and planned these for us), and our many trips to Montana (always love those talent shows, ha!). But I also have come to really appreciate the little thingssuch as celebrating our families’ birthdays, baby blessings, baptisms, ordinations, holidays, and trading baby/kid/parenting/life advice and sharing recipes. I’m thankful we get to share these special moments because we all know that in the end, the little things ARE the big things. 

 

I have ALWAYS admired you for so many reasons. At the top of the list are your unwavering and resolute faith, your ability to keep an eternal perspective and your priorities straight, your strength and tenacity as a mom to five energetic boys, your sense of humor, your good vibes and always positive energy, and the list goes on and on. I have admired the grace and strength with which you’ve handled some truly hard thingsthrown at you. I am thankful to have you as an example of the type of mom, wife and human I want to be. You are beautiful inside and out and I consider myself supremely blessed to be your sister-in-law and friend. I know I haven’t always been good at showing or expressing it, but I truly feel like I hit the SIL jackpot with you and Mary! (We need to plan a birthday celebration worthy of you.. Looks like we might be running on Tingey Time with this one!)

 

Love you so much, 

Kristina

Dear Jenn, 

Happy 40th! To me, you will always be Jenny. My blonde, curly haired GFBC. I have so many incredible memories with you! I am so grateful we have stayed in touch and thanks to technology, you are still part of my everyday life. 

I remember staying at each other’s homes during the summer. At your house, we would watch The Sound of Music, I would sleep in your bed and you would so generously sleep on your (very messy) floor. I would keep asking you questions to make you talk and then you’d have to repeat your ritual of taking a drink of water and putting on your chapstick. Repeat. Hogel Zoo, Seven Peaks, you intruding me to Chuck. At my house we went to Great America, and met cute boys. All the while making up songs like the dorks we were (are). 

My first memory of you is when we were nine and went to Washington DC-the birthplace of “No Food or Drinks Beyond This Point”. This is where I learned that my family members could also be my friends. I am so grateful for your friendship, both in our growing up years, and today. 

I’m grateful for our college years, and early married years. Our cruise, the incredible rafting trip, and just hanging out together has always been so much fun. 

I love that we got married and became mothers at the same time. Now, as your mothering circle expands to share love with these foster kids, please know your example of selfless love is so admirable. You have so much love to share and all who know you are blessed by you. You are super woman and I don’t know how you do it all. 

Happy, happy 40th! Welcome to the best decade. Love you! 

~Michelle 

Happy 40th Birthday Jenn! 
So excited to celebrate you and honor you on this milestone birthday! One of my favorite memories of you is when we were watching Flight of the Phoenix in 2004. The majority of our college ward group was sleeping, some of us were mocking the lameness of the movie but not you, Jenn. You were focused and intently watched at the climax of the movie when a plane took off freeing the “good guys” from the “bad guys”. I honestly don’t remember anything about the plot of the movie but what I do remember is you screaming “run, run,run!!!”, waking up the majority of us who were sleeping. We all had a good laugh about how you were the only one watching the movie and we were all shocked that you even cared about it. It made me love you for your passion! 

“Jason, chapstick!” Is something Dave and I still laugh about. 

You just have the kindest and cutest personality. More than anything, Jenn, I appreciate that I’ve never heard you speak an ill word about anyone. I always think of you as my example in this regard. Happy birthday sweet friend! I love you so much! 
Jill Whelan

Hi Jenn,

Happy 40th Birthday my dear friend! I am wondering how all this time has flown by? It has been such a blessing to call you my friend these 20 years! There are so many happy memories we've made, can't begin to cover them all! But it was fun to take our babies to your In-laws pool every summer. It's been fun to have so many after Christmas parties and Birthday lunches. It's been fun to play at Pineview, celebrate holidays and big moments, go on dates, go to church, talk all night, and just share our lives! You have been there for me in the struggles of my life too, you have shed tears with me, and I hope I have been there for you too. You are kind, beautiful, fun, and talented, your testimony is powerful and your mothering is phenomanal! When I grow up I wanna be like you! Good thing we have lots of years ahead as friends for me to work on that. Thank you for your sweet friendship, and unconditional love! I love you, Jason, and your beautiful children. All the best to you and your sweet family!

Candace Dent

Jenn,

Happiest of birthdays to you my dear friend!! I honestly cannot even believe we are all turning 40! I feel like the time has gone by in a blink of an eye. You truly are 40 and fabulous! (And fantastic and freaking awesome!) I hope the next 40 years will bring even more happiness, adventure, love and joy to your life!

I am grateful for this chance to wish you a special day and let you know how much I love you! You are an incredible person and truly deserve to be celebrated! I could go on for pages and pages about all of our fun memories and amazing times we have had. From high school fun, to college adventures and late night study sessions to the newly wed stage and into motherhood you have been by my side and have been a great example! We sure have had a lot of fun. I cherish all of these times and feel like the luckiest person to have you for a best friend. You may never truly understand what an impact you have had on my life. One of my greatest blessings in life was becoming friends with you and our group of friends our sophomore year of high school. You gave me a place where I felt accepted, loved and included. You gave me a place to belong when I needed it most. You encouraged me to be my best self, to want to go to seminary and church, to want to do well in school, to be a good friend and to believe in myself. You have been a kind, fun, strong, steadfast, and righteous example to me from the very beginning. You have been one of the most influential people in my life and I know that I am where I am today and I am who I am today because of your friendship and your example. I tell my girls every week how important good friends are and how lucky and blessed I have been by my friends, thinking of all you have done for me brings tears to my eyes and I am beyond grateful for you! I pray every single day that my girls will be blessed with a friend like you. Thank you so much for accepting me, loving me and for being such an incredible person over the years.

Jenn you are always so much fun to be around and make people feel so special and important. To me a true friend is someone who makes it easy to be yourself, who laughs with you, who encourages you to do what is right and who helps your grow closer to Heavenly Father. You are the truest friend and we are all better because of you!

 

   Over the years we have been crazy and silly, we have laughed, we have cried, we have faced big challenges and celebrated important moments together. It has been such an incredible journey and I have learned so much from you. You have shown great strength and faith as you have faced challenges and you have a way of focusing on the good and making life happy. Doesn’t it seem crazy that we are 40 year old moms with a whole lot of kids running around?!?! I am so glad we still get together for lunch dates, girls nights, weekend getaways and more. I am grateful for the support and the needed break when we get together and talk all through the night. I know we are going to be little old grandmas still meeting up for lunch one day and talking about our grandkids. I am sure it will still feel like high school was just yesterday and we won’t believe how fast it went (haha). What a treasure it is to have so many wonderful times together and to have the support of such a good friend. I hope on this BIG birthday you know that you are loved and appreciated. You make the world a better place for all around you. Have a wonderful day my beautiful friend and know that I am always here to help and support you. Thank you for being the best friend I could ever ask for.

Happy Birthday!! Love, Malia

I know you already have this picture but it is one of my very favorite. 

Jenn-

Happy birthday!  I just want you to know how grateful I am for your love, friendship and example.  I can still remember your happy, bubbly personality from seventh grade.  I don’t even know if you know how much I was still struggling dealing with losing Tara.  You and Malia took me in and changed everything.  I love our memories from Tim McGraw concerts, Hawaii and hosting parties to the little daily memories of getting ready together, going to church together and just spending time together.    I was so happy to know we actually did have a cut-out of Tim McGraw! You have shown me grace, patience and love when I didn’t deserve it but needed it during trials in college.  You have always been someone I have looked up to and wanted to be like.  Your heart is different than anyone I know.  Your thoughtfulness for other people is something I have been the recipient of many times.  Your cards, dinners after having babies, birthday lunches, and the sweet friendship bracelets you just sent for Christmas are just a few of the things that mean so much to me. You know how to make people feel loved through your charity.   You are a Christ-like person to your core.  I always wonder how you remember everyone!  I know the past few years have been filled with so much joy and heartache too.  You have had so much strength and faith.  Your family is so lucky to have such an amazing mom.  Every time I see you I always wonder how you do everything!  You are so

meone who is equally beautiful on the outside and the inside and I’m so grateful I’ve been able to have you as a best friend to learn from and grow old with.  We are sisters by choice.  I hope you have the best 40th birthday!   Love you forever!

Brooke

Happy 40th birthday Jenn!
I know you’ve been looking forward to this day for a while now!😉
It was a very lucky day for our neighborhood when your cute family moved here! You are such a good mom and you can tell that your family is you’re number one priority. I love that you know how to have fun but you also teach your kids to work and know when it’s time for mama bear to come out! (Remember that urban air experience)? 
My favorite thing about you is how strong your convictions are and how passionately you love and feel things. You are honest and loyal and those are 2 of the most important traits a person can have in my book!  
I’ve loved getting to know you these last couple of years and our 5 hour long book club chats are some of my favorite memories! I am grateful for our friendship and think you’re such an amazing person! I hope you have the best birthday and feel very loved... because you are!!
💛💛💛

Happy Birthday Jenn,

I hope you have a great day!! I am so grateful that your family decided to move into our neighborhood. I have really appreciated your example and your friendship. The way you live your life and how you raise your children is such a good example for me. I just love your personality and your insights on different things we have talked about. You make me want to be a better person and I am so lucky to have you for a friend!! Happy Birthday 🎉

Love you lots!

Happy 40th Birthday!  I hope you have an amazing day!  Since it’s your birthday I want to tell you how grateful I am for your friendship.  I love love talking to you about everything. As you know, we could talk for hours and hours and never run out of things to say.    You always have such a positive, uplifting insight on life.    You are an amazing example to me as a wife, mother and daughter of Heavenly Father. You have so many great qualities and attributes that I admire.  One of my favorite things about you is your calm disposition.  You could have a million things going on and you still remain positive and calm.  I  look forward to our book club discussions/life discussions  each month.  Thank you for being my friend!!  Happy Happy 40th Birthday!!!  
Love, Staci 

Jenn,  

Happy 40th birthday!! I am so excited to be able to celebrate YOU. When Jason asked me to write something, I pulled out my photo albums and started going through pictures of us. I remember the ward campout and the conversations we each had from our tents. I remember when we were neighbors on 29thstreet and how fun it was to have you guys close. I remember you moving away and how sad I was that you were so far away.We have been on a lot of adventures together and I’ve treasured every one of them

Jenn, you have such a beaming smile that is truly contagious.People are naturally drawn to it and you. I’ve also seen your tears when you’ve had dreams broken and endured sorrowful times. You are such a strong woman. You are compassionate and have supported me and cried with me through my trials. You are the best mom to your boys. They will be the best husbands and fathers because of your guidance as well as the example you and Jason are as husband and wife. We have celebrated so many years of friendship. I look forward to all the adventures that await us as our friendship continues. I love you, Jennifer Wright. Melinda Roberts.