Kiki

Jorja had to go to school early to turn in her sweater. They had a long, kind of boring meeting. Jorja was a little annoyed because Dallen and Bode were thirty minutes late to the meeting. They had gone to the temple and then out to breakfast. Marshall also brought money to pay for the sweater. Jorja ended up explaining to him he just needed to turn it in to get his name on it since he already had one. She was frustrated that she seemed to be the only (new) junior that knew what to do and was frustrated that Dallen and Bode didn't seem to think this was important. Hopefully that will change and this isn't how the entire year will be.

Mike has a good setup for Kiki. He's worried that she can't open her beak and isn't drinking. She is looking better than she did last night though. Mike spent all morning with her before he took her outside to her house. We will be gone most of the day, so we figured that would be the better place for her.

Kiki

Mike and I drove down to Logan to help Maysen move home! Yay! She is so ready for this semester to be over. It was HARD. After a few hours moving her out, returning books and eating at the Crepery, we were headed home. Maysen drove Mike and I drove by myself. Traffic was horrible at the end. Glad that is over with. Jorja took Preston on an adventure while we were gone. They went to Target and to U-Swirl. Jorja saw some of her friends at Target. Gavin and Matt. Then went with her to get frozen yogurt too. Jorja said they were giving Preston lots of attention and he was loving it.

Gavin, Jorja, Matt

 Gavin, Jorja, Preston, Matt

Jorja had Young Women's tonight at Sister Bingham's house. While she was there we discovered Kiki had died. It's so sad. Quacky Chan keeps calling for her. I am not a dog fan and this has not changed my opinion of them in any way. She got bit while she was in her duck house where she was supposed to be safe. Poor poor little duckie.

Mike & Kiki

 Kiki

 Kiki & Jorja

 Just to end on a happier note, one of Jorja's friends sent her this picture. She thought it was so funny.

PLT

Jorja made the Peer Leadership Team. Her first meeting was today. Hopefully she will love it. Her good friends Jaren and Dessa also made it. That will be so much fun for her! I talked to Stockton today. He got to go bowling. He won, which made him super happy. Fun to do something other than basketball. Kiki is sick. She got bit by a dog a few weeks ago and has never been the same. Mike is worried about her. He brought her inside. Hopefully this will be like Quackletta and she will be fine in a few days. Poor little duckie.

Ashley's Farewell

One of my beehives had her farewell today. That is so weird. Ashley did a great job. She sent me her talk. I was going to summarize it for the blog, but I think I'll just write it out...like I do for my own kids. Ashley reminds me a lot of Jorja. Mostly when she talks about how strongly she feels things. That is totally Jorja. It was interesting how Ashley pointed out how when we are doing things right our weak things can become strong, but Satan is also aware of our strengths and can turn them into weaknesses. Anyway, here is Ashley's talk:

I'm excited to be here today! In 10 days I'll be heading to the Provo Missionary Training Center to learn how to preach the gospel in the Portuguese language. Fifty-one days from now, I'll be on a plane to my new home: Portugal.

Some fun facts about Portugal:

-It's the oldest country in Europe.

-Over 80% of the people are Catholic but less than 20% attend church regularly.

-The weather is Mediterranean and pretty dreamy--a mix of San Diego & San Francisco weather patterns.

-A typical Portugal meal could consist of salted ad dry cod, sardines, cured meats, red meats, rice, and pastries.

-Portugal is known for its beautiful landscapes. It has castles, gorgeous architecture and beautiful beaches. Some call it the "Hawaii of Europe" which is the PERFECT place for me.

-In November of 1974, the Portugal Lisbon mission was formed. The church then experienced rapid growth in Portugal. The first thousand converts were made by 1978. As of 2018, there are currently 45,227 members in Portugal. After 18 months, there will hopefully be 45,228! For the worth of one soul is great. I cannot wait to love the members, and to love everyone else in Portugal.

When we are baptized, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Not just being able to feel the Holy Ghost--He is everywhere and can speak to anyone, even those who are unbaptized or do not know of Jesus Christ. But after deciding to be baptized, we are given a blessing and told to "receive the Holy Ghost."

Who is the Holy Ghost? And how do we receive him? The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. Preach my Gospel describes the Holy Ghost as "a personage of spirit [who] doesn't not have a body of flesh and bones. He is the comforter, who the Savior promised would teach His followers all things and bring to their remembrance all things that He had taught them . . . By the power of the Holy Ghost a person receives a testimony of Jesus Christ and of His work and the work of His servants upon the earth. The Holy Ghost testifies of truth."

Clearly the Holy Ghost is a very important part of the work of salvation, but how we receive him in our lives varies. Everyone feels the spirit differently. Sometimes we hear the spirit as a still small voice--a whisper, a feeling, a thought. The spirit can also be felt through music, or the words of other people. We may feel the spirit in places we don't think of as "spiritual" like while taking a test, driving, talking to a stranger or witnessing an interaction. I felt the spirit when I nannied for sweet children, and even at different jobs. The spirit can be a constant guide for us in all things if we are faithful.

Last night we waited 90 minutes to get into dinner at Red Iguana downtown. So I asked my family members how the spirit can guide us. Some of the things my siblings said are: in rough times, struggles, temptations, relationships, doubts, choices. He can inspire us to do things we can't do on our own, who to serve and how, during long prayers, when you're spiritually in trouble. My dad, his brother and my grandparents said the Holy Ghost can help us in educational pursuits, finding job opportunities, in times of our greatest needs, in grief and when we don't know what to do.

We talked about how the spirit has influenced our lives when we act on the promptings we've received. Sometimes things pop into our head and it's easy to dismiss them as just a thought. Elder Rasband said, "We must be confident in our first prompting. Sometimes we rationalize; we wonder if we are feeling a spiritual impression or if it is just our own thoughts. When we being to second-guess, even third-guess, our feelings--and we all have--we are dismissing the Spirit; we are questioning divine counsel. The prophet Joseph Smith taught that if you listen to the first promptings, you will get it right nine times out of ten." When we don't listen to spiritual promptings, we are not listening to what God wants us to know and feel. Elder Rasband continued, "Now a caution: don't expect fireworks because you responded to the Holy Ghost. Remember, you are about the work of the still, small voice."

We need to take heed to the feelings we have, and not ignore them. We need to learn how to listen to what the Spirit is trying to tell us, and then act. A lot of tie the hardest part is simply acting upon what we feel. When we have faith, the Spirit will be with us every step of the way.

Back in the good old days of primary, I remember putting on that paper black name tag and writing Sister Scott in my young messy handwriting. I was pretending to be a missionary--a representative of Jesus Christ--and that I would do whatever the Lord asked of me. My dreams of serving a mission have finally come true, though it was not always an easy road getting here.

Most of my life I had a love of the gospel. But middle school can be rough, and in eighth grade I was feeling not-so-close to the Spirit, so I made a young women's goal to read the Book of Mormon. I was about a month into reading daily when I got in a crash on a snowmobile that changed the trajectory of my life. Though I cracked my skull and orbital bone, and had a severe concussion, it was undeniable that many small miracles kept me from being more severely injured. I missed several huge trees by inches before hitting a deck without a helmet on. If I had hit the deck 1/2 inch to the right, I would've lost my eyesight. If I'd have hit six inches off in either direction, I most likely would've decapitated myself. So glad I still have my head.

At any rate, I knew I had been watched over. I knew that God was aware of me, and I felt very distinctly that He had a purpose for me on this earth. From then on I became more dedicated to the gospel and more aware of the Spirit.

I've always been someone who feels things deeply. I realize that not everyone feels the way I do. I sometimes feel things WAY too much, and the emotions can be overpowering. When I read or hear or see truth, I feel that it's right. My mom says I'm an empath, meaning I can feel other people's feelings. I think this is probably a gift, but one I've had to learn to win in so it doesn't overwhelm me.

During the next few years after my crash, I felt the Spirit strongly multiple times. Times that stand out are EFY, seminary, trek, firesides, ward activities, lessons in Sunday school and YW, personal scripture study and experiences with friends and family. I especially felt the Spirit when I got my patriarchal blessing from Patriarch Christensen, and when I read it over again. I felt like I was spiritually unstoppable, even spiritually unbreakable. But I didn't really understand how Satan works on us.

Through my own choices and experiences, I found out that Satan will take the very best parts of us and deceive us. He will use our strengths to lead us away, even very slowly and over time. Just as the Lord can take our weaknesses and turn them to strengths, Satan can do the opposite. It is his goal, in fact his only objective. When this happened to me, I didn't even notice what was happening. It was small, subtle choices that led me feel more and more distant from the Spirit. Now, you should know it's hard for me to talk about or even think about this time in my life, but I think we need to talk openly about how this happens. It was hard, but it was real and I learned so much by going through some hard things.

First Corinthians 10:13 says: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

I want to testify to you that I went through a difficult time spiritually, but through the grace of God was able to overcome. I know the power of God is real.

During the time that I distanced myself from the Spirit, I tried to convince myself that I was doing okay, even though friends and family were concerned about me. But the truth was, deep down I knew I was not okay. And I really didn't know what to do about it.

My heart and mind were not open to the Spirit. I wasn't proud of the person I'd become and knew I was the only one who could change it. I remember being in bed late one night, unable to sleep. As I was lying there, I had the distinct feeling to say a prayer. I feel to my knees and said a simple prayer, asking if God could hear me and if He could help me. I was expecting an immediate answer but did not receive anything. The next night I had the same impression to pray again. So I knelt down, prayed to Heavenly Father and waited for my answer.

Nothing.

I experienced a lot of sleepless nights wondering how I had allowed myself to fall this far and this deep. I felt guilty, alone, unloved, lost and forgotten. I was sad, confused, hopeless and unable to focus. I couldn't really see a way out of my situation and wondered how I had become so numb to the Spirit. For someone who has always felt things so deeply, I was unable to feel . . . really anything. I had been taught that God was always there, but even though I continued to pray late at night for weeks, I still received no answer or comfort.

I tried to change myself, and sometimes felt okay for a few days, but then would fall back into this weird numbness. There were many times where I thought, "How could God accept me again after the many mistakes I have made, and continue to make?" Satan had crept his way into my heart, telling me that there was no point in trying anymore. And I had begun to believe him.

I remember sitting in my institute class thinking that it was time to give up. In the middle of that thought my teacher said that God will not turn his back on you; that you must simply try and try again. I felt like he was speaking directly to me. I remember sitting up in my seat, and feeling a weight lifted from my shoulders. I knew those words were true. I'd heard the concept before, of course, but this time it spoke to my soul right when I needed to hear it. I knew I could change, and that God would be there for me while I did so. I felt His love for me and I knew that He had always been here. He was just waiting for me to turn around and see Him again.

And so I turned toward God. It really was that easy.

Actually, it was hard. But it was simple. Turn to HIM.

It took weeks and even months to feel healed from this experience. But I knew that I was the one who needed to change. I needed to be humble and accept what He was trying to tell me. I needed to turn toward Him in every decision and be willing to accept His will for me.

This experience reminds me of the picture of Christ knocking on the door without a doorknob. For Him to enter my heart, I had to let Him in. I had to open that door and invite him inside again. I had to make space for Jesus Christ. I understood what the Spirit was telling me: I needed to try.

Trying is doing. And that is all God asks of us--to keep trying. This is what enduring is--to keep trying, even when it's hard, even when he odds seem stacked against us, and even when it means turning away from things or people who aren't good for us.

God is merciful and His arms will always be outstretched, waiting for us to return. Even though I turned away from God, He was still there. He didn't leave my life--I left His. He is there for me and he is there for you. Always.

So my prayers became more sincere, and I began to really open my heart to the things that I needed to hear from the Spirit. I can testify that God heard my prayers and my pleas for help, and my life began to turn around. I was blessed to meet many wonderful people at Utah State this past fall semester. I know without a doubt that God placed them in my life to help me through some of my darkest days, and to remind me what it was like to have the light of Christ. My family, especially my parents and siblings, loved me unconditionally and never gave up on me. I'm so thankful that I was able to experience everything I did because now I cans serve the people of Portugal with deep understanding. I am so thankful for the Savior and for the opportunity he gave me to use the Atonement and come back to Him.

I also want to testify that Satan is real. He does deceive us. He takes something that looks like truth and twists it to keep us from the real truth. Maybe it's distraction. Maybe it's doing something "good" instead of something "great." It really comes down to the small things, the small choices. We've heard this our whole life, but I can testify that it's true. Small things like daily sincere prayer, reading scripture and modern-day revelation, being in holy places, listening to uplifting music, turning away from things that numb the Spirit--all of these little things add up to BIG differences. Doing those things means we are trying. And the opposite is true, too. Small dumb things lead us to BIG dumb outcomes. (Can I get an AMEN?!)

I'm grateful for second chances--for me and for you. I'm thankful for repentance and forgiveness--they're for all of us. I'm grateful for good people in my life. And I'm especially thankful for Jesus Christ and the ability to feel the Spirit again as I've made choices that lead me to Him. In his talk Jesus Christ-The Master Healer, Russell M. Nelson said, "When sore trials come upon us, it's time to deepen our faith in God to work hard, and to serve others. Then He will heal our broken hearts. He will bestow upon us personal peace and comfort. Those great gifts will not be destroyed, even by death."

I received my mission call on January 2nd of this year, almost 6 weeks after submitting my mission papers. It was a long wait and I had plenty of time to wonder where int he world God would send me. Before opening my call, I looked at the map to guess where I would be going. I wanted to speak Spanish and thought Spain would be cool. My eyes happened to glance one country over, to Portugal, but they speak Portuguese, so I didn't really give it any thought. When I read the words: "Dear Sister Scott. You are nearby called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. you are assigned to labor in the Portugal Lisbon Mission" my heart blew up. I knew  and still know that Portugal is where I need to be. I have felt a deeper conversion to this gospel than ever before and want others to feel as I have. Brothers and Sisters, my time has come to help bring back scattered Israel.

Alma 29:9-10 is really an amazing scripture. It says:

9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument int he hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

10 And behold, the I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, event hat he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.

I know that I have been called to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. I cannot wait to serve the people of Portugal, for I know this is what I need to do at this time. I'm scared, anxious, bot mostly excited. I know this church is true. I know that the Book of Mormon is the true word of God and was translated by a young boy named Joseph Smith who later became a prophet of God and restored the church. I know that President Nelson is the true and living prophet on the earth today. I love my family and will miss them dearly. I know that families can be together forever. I KNOW THAT GOD LIVES. 

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

No Pickleball

Jorja has been trying to decide who to ask to Sadie's. That is the last girls choice dance of the year. Right now she is trying to decide between Mitchell and Spencer. She is leaning towards Mitchell because she has wanted to go to a dance with him. Even though they have broken up, she thinks it will be a good idea. The other person she is thinking of asking is a kid named Spencer. She hasn't really hung out with him though. She wanted to hang out with him before she decided to ask him to the dance. She met him on her date with Ben back in January. Then when she went on the triple date with Hailey and Emily, Spencer was one of Emily's two dates. Jorja hasn't hung out with him when he hasn't been on a date with another person. They are planning on hanging out next Saturday. Spencer texted her and asked if she wanted to play pickleball today. She asked me if it would be okay to do that and still hang out with him next Saturday. I guess we'll play that one by ear. I was under the impression that they would just be a few hours. Pickleball and ice-cream. When Spencer came to pick her up he asked Mike what time she needed to be home. That surprised me. I was thinking there was no way pickleball and ice-cream would take that long. Mike told him 10:30. Anyway, they ended up not playing pickleball, but they went to Leatherby's with his entire family for his little brother's birthday. Jorja took this picture of Spencer. He was making his little sister laugh by missing his mouth when he was eating his ice-cream.

Spencer

Jorja texted around 10:00 to ask if she could stay later. They were just putting in a movie. We told her she needed to be home. She asked a million ways to stay out later, but Mike said, "He told me he would have you home by 10:30 and that is when I want you home." For some reason that made me laugh. Jorja got home right on time. I love that.

Bad Eyes

It's Jorja's half birthday today! It also marks six months from when she got her drivers license. Which means she can now officially drive other people. Hallelujah! Glad that waiting period is over with. Jorja left early this morning to go to an early morning devotional and brought Madison with her. It was near Jordan High School. She ended up texting me around lunch time and was feeling sick. I brought her home to sleep. Have I mentioned that I hate mono?

Mike had an eye appointment that has been set up for over a month. He has been excited about this. His eyes are so bad and it is really hard for him to see. He was hoping he could have some kind of laser surgery to fix everything. That turned out not to be the case. Mike got radial keratotomy right before we got married. It didn't work and he ended up having the surgery nine times. That was before they were doing laser surgery. Well, that has come back to haunt him and his eyes are permanently damaged. It doesn't help that he has allergies really bad and rubs his eyes. That has made everything worse. He has to stop rubbing his eyes or who knows what will happen. He did get fitted for some fancy expensive contacts. They are filled with liquid so they will mould to his eyes when he puts them in. Crossing my fingers that this will be a game changer for him. It has been years since he has been able to see properly. Hopefully this will change everything.

Short Hair

Jorja has been after me for a few weeks to get her hair cut. She wanted short hair, but still wanted it light on the bottom. Kelsee has done Jorja's hair the last few times, but she is on a mission now. I talked to Camee (Kelsee's mom) and got a name of someone to go to. Camee has gone to her for 15 years. And she is super close! Her name is Talisia. Jorja liked her, but now I can't find the picture I took of the two of them together.

Jorja: Before

 Jorja & Talisia

 Hair

 Jorja asked for it to be shorter than this, but this is when I went home.

 Mike. I made him take a picture. Hahahaha

 Okay, now back to the Jorja show.

 She loves it.

 This was my favorite picture.

 This was Jorja's.

Jorja went and got frozen yogurt with a girl named Mallory that she works with. One of Mallory's friends was there too.

Mallory & Jorja

M. Russell Ballard

M. Russell Ballard came and talked to our stake relief society and young women today. Turns out his daughter lives in our stake. I made sure Jorja asked work off for this. After school Jorja asked if Madison could come over and they would work on homework together. I decided to let her. She lost the election on Monday and broke up with Mitchell yesterday, so Madison would probably be good for her. I went downstairs to give the girls a five minute warning. Jorja was passed out on Maysen's bed. I woke her up and asked her to be ready. We dropped off Madison and went early to the meeting. We were able to get a good seat which was nice. Jorja fell asleep on my shoulder and slept through Elder Ballard's daughter's talk. I tried to wake her up when Elder Ballard spoke, but she snapped at me. I am SOOOOOO tired of mono. It ruins so many things. Anyway, Elder Ballard's talk was good and I wish Jorja could have heard it. He talked mostly about staying focused on the simple doctrine of Christ. He mentioned many times how important it is to pray. He said that when they are preparing their conference talks a lot of people want them to reveal some profound mystery of heaven and are tired of hearing the same old 'say your prayers, read scriptures, repent...' Elder Ballard said, "Well, if you would figure that out we wouldn't have to keep telling you to do it! Until then, that is what you are going to hear." He said it much funnier and it made me laugh. He also said we need to find quiet time to 'be still and know that I am God'. What we feel will make a bigger difference than what we know. Anyway, it was a great talk and I wish I could remember more of it and I wish Jorja had been awake through it. 

I told Jorja I was going to drive home and she said that was a good idea. On the way home Emily asked her if she could help her ask Tyler to the dance. Jorja was suddenly alert and wanted to go help Emily. I was annoyed. Nope. If you can't stay awake for something that was important to me and I gave you one month warning, you aren't going to go with your friends.

Hot Pickle

Jorja had a good day at school today, which was great. I was a bit worried about her, but she handled herself just fine. I went to lunch with my cousins and it was so fun! Heather wasn't able to come this time. Savannah was in town for a doctor appointment. We had lunch at Blue Lemon with Savannah, Debie, Larkin (with Rennie & Micah) and Jordyn. We stayed for a few hours. I loved it.

I got to talk to Stockton yesterday. He is so happy right now. He is loving his companion Elder White. They have a baptism scheduled for Saturday for someone named Ron. He asked Stockton to baptize him and Stockton is thrilled. Hopefully all works out there. Stockton sent this picture of him on p-day. He had lost a bet and had to bike with a hot pickle in his mouth. Oh the things that will entertain missionaries!

Elder Stockton Smith

Maysen had her last day of class today. She had to do a giant presentation and sent me this picture of a poster she had made. She ended up getting a great score on the project and ended up with an A in the class.

Jorja broke up with Mitchell today. That surprised me. She came upstairs before work and said she just broke up with Mitchell over text. She wanted to do it in person, but never got the chance. I had no clue this was coming. I am relieved and happy about it. Jorja isn't sad, so this is great.

Junior Senator

Today was Election Day and Jorja was so nervous. She forgot her student government sweater. She was supposed to bring that so she could go collect votes in her assigned classes. She has been assigned a junior class all year, so they were voting in there. She wouldn't have been allowed to go in there if it was a sophomore class. Anyway, I had to run her sweater down and put it in her locker. It did give me a chance to look at the platforms that were up. Jorja's is adorable.

 Dallen is right above Jorja

I was nervous for Jorja all day. Jorja texted me during her last class of the day saying she was nervous and she was trying not to get her hopes up. I got to the school close to the time it ended and waited in the parking lot for her. If she had lost, she would be sent out of the room right away. I didn't want her to have to wait for me if that was the case. Just after 3:00 she texted me and told me to come to the front. She was there long enough that she didn't get sent out right away, but last year she stayed longer than that talking to people and taking pictures. I drove around to the front and saw her talking to a few people. She came over and got in the car. When she saw me she looked at me and shook her head. It was so sad. She whispered, "I got senator though." The person who loses by the closest margin gets to still be in student government as a senator. Jorja and I talked a long time after we got home. I asked her who read the names. Conner did. She said she kind of had a feeling when she walked in the room because she caught Conner's eye and could just tell. When Conner read Dallen's name he looked up and made eye contact with Jorja. That made her cry. She said that no one in the room would have been able to tell that Conner was sad, but he is her very best friend in student government. She could tell that he was hurting for her at that moment. It was hard. Jorja said she felt stupid for crying when she still gets to be in student government, the others don't get that chance. It is just hard. Student government means everything to her and she has worked so hard this year while she has been so sick. Jorja was the only girl with all boys her sophomore year. Now for her junior year she will be the only girl with all boys again. She was really hoping a girl would be there this year. She doesn't feel included with the boys. Who knows, maybe when she is senator instead of president they will include her more? Conner talked to Jorja after and gave her a hug. She said she cried when he did because it was Conner and he is her best friend. Right after, Dallen came to talk to her. Jorja said it was really awkward because she had just been crying with Conner. She felt kind of bad about that. Packer talked to Jorja after too. He was crying. He felt bad. He told her this loss has hurt him the most. He told Jorja he had been thinking a long time about what to do and has come up with something that he thinks will make her really happy. He told her he would talk to her tomorrow about it. Not sure what would make her really happy unless he changed the date of government camp so she could go. Jorja took this picture of her before work. She said she thinks pictures of her crying are funny.

Jorja

Jorja worked from 4 to close tonight. That is a long time after something as emotional as this. It was probably good to get her out around people though. Although when she walked in she saw Bode and some of the other sophomore officers there celebrating. She felt bad that they didn't invite her when she technically also should be celebrating. Jorja and I talked after she got home. She was feeling better by that time. Really the only difference between being president and senator is the name on the back of the jacket and there will be a lot less stress. Jorja won't be in charge of prom this year. She will probably be on the committee. She felt such pressure during Morp. Mostly she wanted to prove to Packer that she could do a good job. She ended up doing most of the work. If something didn't happen it would look bad on her. For example, the historian is supposed to be in charge of photos and videos. Jorja wanted to make a Morp video. Marshall is the historian. He didn't come. I think he said he was sick, but I doubt he was as sick as Jorja was during this time. Anyway, Jorja came up with everything, videoed everything, edited everything.... it will be nice to let things go next year and just do what she is assigned. We will see if she will be able to do that though. Hopefully Dallen is hungry to be in student government and will work. He has run the other two years and hasn't made it in. Now that he is in, hopefully he will thrive. If that is the case then this next year should be fun for Jorja.

You've Goat to Vote

Happy Easter! We had a low-key Easter this year. Preston got a graphics card so they can play some car controller game with Mike. Jorja got nice earrings. We just stayed home by ourselves this year and it was wonderful. Jorja found this picture of Stockton that we can use for his missionary plaque if I ever get around to ordering it. I was hoping he would send us a picture of him in front of a giant cactus. Mike and Jorja finished her video for elections. It turned out super cute. That's about all from here! Jorja is nervous for tomorrow. It's too bad that she won't get to do the 30 second one take by yourself video. She has always done well with those in the past. I think that would really help her this year. Dallen has posted two videos that have excellent editing. I think Jorja would shine with the one take video. It has helped her the other two years and I'm positive it would again. Oh well.

Jorja's video

Backseat Lovers

Wow! Today was such a busy day! Jorja went to Alta to take a practice AP World History test. That took all morning. She came home and changed into her overalls and we headed back to the petting zoo. Mike came with us this time. He did pretty good considering there was hay everywhere. He was dying by the time we left and took three showers once we got home. We did get some great shots for Jorja and Mike to put together a video. They filled the entire thing with puns. The two of them crack me up.

Jorja and Clarabelle

 That bunny has pink eyes!

 She's freaking adorable

 She was trying to act like American Gothic

Jorja showered and got ready as soon as we got home. I let her drive to Hailey's house. Hailey's mom took Jorja, Hailey and Emily to Provo to see Jonas' band 'The Backseat Lovers'. This was the first time Jorja was able to see him. She had fun. Especially since she was able to hang out with Hailey and Emily today. She had bought her ticket a few weeks ago. I'm glad she was able to see Jonas. He is such a nice kid.

Alex Boye

Jorja had her last day of campaigning today. It is disappointing that it is half as short as it usually is. Jorja was able to miss part of her English class to be able to go to the other lunch. She talked to people non-stop. One of her friends told her that he thought she talked to everyone in here. That's the idea. She doesn't like it when she is clumped with other posters, so she walked away a few times to get the space she wanted. She feels really good about her chances. Although she is more nervous now. After school Dallen posted a video on Instagram of him with Alex Boye. It was edited really well. That's kind of scary. How can Jorja compete with that?

Jorja went to the Alta/Corner Canyon soccer game after school. She went straight from the game to work. She didn't get home until after midnight. Talk about a long day!

I saw this quote the other day. I think it fits what Jorja is doing right now perfectly.

You'll never be brave if you don't get hurt.

You'll never learn if you don't make mistakes.

You'll never be successful if you don't encounter failure.

I am so proud of how brave Jorja has become. It is mind boggling how much she has changed since 6th grade. She amazes me.

Ax Throwing

Jorja's first day of campaigning was today and I can not believe I don't have a picture! I dropped Jorja off so she could hand out her signs this morning. I waited in the parking lot for her. She didn't go to Chinese today. Her class was having a field trip, but she couldn't go because of campaigning. She was disappointed about that. I brought Jorja home and we watched Psych until it was time for world history. Jorja had a great time today. She does love campaigning and all the people she gets a chance to talk with. Too bad it is so stressful. We can't figure out how Dallen was able to get three signs, three shirts and stay in the budget. Jorja wasn't able to get any shirts done this year.

Jorja had a date after school today. She works with twins that are sophomores at the same high school Weston goes to. They planned a triple date. Jorja set Weston up with Chloee and Drew up with Brynlee. She asked Teancum. He works with them too and also goes to the same high school as the others. The date didn't start out great though. Jorja was driving everyone in the pilot. She backed into our pillar as she was leaving. I don't know how she did it, but there is a giant dent in the pilot now. Jorja felt so bad. She came inside crying saying she was sorry. Hopefully it was a wake up call for her about how careful she needs to be when driving. I would rather her hit our pillar than another car or a child! Anyway, Jorja and her friends went ax throwing and Jorja had the best time. She said she awful at the beginning, but then figured it out and was able to get five bullseyes in a row. As a result their team demolished everyone else. Too bad Jorja didn't take pictures either! After ax throwing they went to pizza and back to our house to play Jackbox games. I had to remind Jorja that she and Drew have school tomorrow. The other kids are on spring break this week. I'm glad she had such a good time.

I went to Dixie Ray's bridal shower today. I was talking to Jaime and noticed she was wearing really pretty earrings. I have been wanting to get Jorja some nice earrings for Easter. I asked Jaime about it. She said she got them at OCTanner when she was working there years and years ago. I didn't recognize the store name but it sounded fancy. I asked her how much the earrings were. She kind of stuttered and said she was able to get them with her employee discount back when she was single. I stopped her and said, "I'm looking for earrings for Jorja and I don't know where to buy them." She laughed and laughed. They were REAL diamonds! They were huge! Nope. That is not what I'm looking for for Jorja at all!

Hoedown

Mr. Packer called me today. He was looking for Jorja. He asked why I checked her out today. I didn't.  I did have her phone so he couldn't find her easily. I guess he called down to her math class right as the bell was ringing and Jorja was not there yet. Mr. Packer went up to her class and pulled her out of math. He told her that Dallen switched from running for Vice President to President. Jorja has been thinking she will be running unopposed for a week. Dallen technically switched after the deadline, so Packer was asking Jorja if she was okay with it. Jorja was under the impression that if she wasn't okay that Packer wouldn't let Dallen do it. That put Jorja in an extremely awkward position. She said it was okay. She loves campaigning. It's just that now it starts tomorrow. I'm glad we have her signs done, but without having an opponent she hasn't worried about it too much. Jorja came home from school and said, "I'm going to hate myself if I lose." I'm annoyed about this. Packer should make the decision himself and not put it on Jorja. Also, there are deadlines for a reason. Jorja has switched positions before, but usually there is only a day to decide to switch. Packer had the meeting first and let the kids have a week to decide to switch. Dallen didn't even meet that deadline. Anyway, now Jorja is really worried. I think most of it is this weird switch in her head she has to do, from knowing she had the job to the potential she might not get it.

Anyway, good thing Jorja spent so much time yesterday trying to learn the Hannah Montana dance. Her two friends were going to come over and do the video with her, but they never came. Jorja asked Mike and I to do it. We borrowed a unicorn mask for Mike from the neighbors and I told her I would do it if I could cover my face. She wanted us to be silly in the background. Mike wanted her to be in the shade so her eyes wouldn't be all squinty. We didn't realize until later that it made us more in the spotlight. Anyway, she is planning on posting this tomorrow.

Missing Packet

We haven't let Jorja take her phone to school for over a week. It is also locked so she can't get into it without Mike or I opening it up. I saw this message had come in from Traven. I texted it to Dessa who showed it to Jorja.

Turns out Packer never got Jorja's packed that she turned in yesterday, so her name wasn't on the ballot for freshman president. She went and talked to Packer after school. He had her packet. When Jorja went to turn it in yesterday, Cade put a blanket on her head. Cade is a senior and a student body officer this year. Why did he put a blanket on her head? We don't know. Jorja told him she needed to turn in her packet. He said he would lead her to the basket. He lead her to it with the blanket still on her head and told her when to drop it. Too bad he lead her to the sophomore basket. Hers needed to be dropped in the junior basket. So glad they figured this out. Packer got nervous because he hadn't gotten to the sophomore basket when he printed up the list. Anyway, Jorja was able to talk to Packer for awhile after school and everything is straightened out. Jorja is the only one running for junior class president. She still needs to get 51% of the votes though. Now it will be really embarrassing if she doesn't win!

Jorja spent today learning some Hannah Montana dance. I think it was called the Hoedown. She wants to do a video of that to post for campaigning. I'm proud of her for working hard even when she isn't against anyone. She spent most of the day learning that dance. Mike took her to Chick-Fil-A. Brynlee was there and they played around doing that dance. She had a blast.

Mike and I had a mini FHE lesson with just Jorja. Preston was already asleep. We showed her the video of Elder Oaks priesthood session talk. Where Will This Lead? I had been praying for answers to two questions during conference. I don't feel like one of those questions was answered, but this talk was the answer to the other one. I had been praying for help and guidance in raising Jorja. There is a story about a squirrel and a dog sneaking up on the squirrel. College students were watching this happen, but no one warned the squirrel until it was too late. Mike and I feel like the college students watching this, except we are frantically waiving our hands and shouting trying to warn the squirrel about the dog. The entire talk was great. With every decision ask yourself, "Where will this lead?" It was just a great experience talking with Jorja about this. Everything was calm and peaceful. We talked about a lot of things and it was just awesome.

Aggressive Bears

Jorja turned in her packet to run for junior class president today. Notre Dame burned down. That was sad. I got to talk to Stockton. He sounds so happy! He is loving his new companion. I only talked to him for an hour and a half today. Usually we talk around three hours. Stockton apologized that it was so short. Haha. I'm able to talk to him way more than I thought I would when we sent him out. The change in policy is the best thing ever! I love Mondays!

Maysen got to work with the bears again today. She's not able to sit on the floor and bottle feed them anymore. They have become too aggressive. Now she does "supervised play" which is watching them explore their area more. She also gives them food in dishes and shoves them off if they bite her knees. One of the bears is obsessed with zippers. Haha! Hope she remembers that when she is getting ready to go over there! No zippers for her!

Jorja was really sad when I tucked her into bed. I talked to her for a long time. Around 12:30 in the morning I asked Mike to come and talk to her. He spent about an hour with her. I don't know what is wrong. I don't know if it is elections or boys, she is just having a really hard time right now. I've set her up with an appointment to see her therapist she was going to last year. That's not until May 1st. That is the first day her therapist gets back from maternity leave. Hopefully she can help Jorja. Mike and I have been really worried about her.

More Bears

These are the pictures Maysen sent me yesterday of her working with the bears. She says their claws are getting sharper and they are biting more. She was bleeding after she left today. Ummmm. Kind of scary for a mom, but I'm glad she's happy.

The neighbor's dog broke through our fence on Friday, then again today. Luckily on Friday Mike saw the dog running across the yard and was able to get out there super quick. Today he got into the duck pen again. We could see where the boards were moved. Friday we gave them a board to nail where it was broken, the dog broke through a different spot today. Mike called the owner, again. This time this college age kid broke through our fence. Ummmm. How is this going to keep the dog out of our yard? He was kind of a jerk about it too. He told Mike that the homeowners policy says that you can't have farm animals on your property. Soooo, our ducks are more bothersome than a giant dog that terrorizes the neighborhood? Mike was fuming. He wishes he would have mentioned how we have been very tolerant as neighbors. We never called animal control when Malone was always in our yard. We didn't press charges when they lit off illegal fireworks and burned our tree and electrical socket. We never call the police to complain about their loud parties they have all the time. Super loud. Hard to sleep loud. All we want is for them to keep their dog out of our yard. Not sure how this giant hole in the fence is going to help with that.

We had dinner at Matt and Sam's house today. It was nice to have a break from having it at our house. I have gotten a little burned out lately. Anne sent a message to Jorja and asked if she could bring her nail polish. The little girls love it when she paints their nails.

Jorja, Jeff, Anne, Abby

 Jeff wanted his nails painted too! Hahahaha!

We left early so we could work on Jorja's campaign posters. Mike and I picked them up from Sam's Club yesterday. The printer at the school is broken and Sam's Club was the cheapest we could find. It used up her entire budget though. Usually she has three posters and three shirts. She isn't going to be able to do the shirts this year. Disappointed with that, but as of now she is running unopposed, so it shouldn't be a big deal.