Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Zero Carries

Once again I am super behind on the blog. Farthest behind ever. It is January 11th. Yikes! It would be easy to just say I did enough and I'm tired, but I will do the best that I can to catch up. Hopefully I have a lot of pictures. Luckily I can look at Stockton's blog. He is much better than me at doing this. In my defense I was great at keeping it up the first ten years. Haha. I did go out to Skyridge and watch Bubs ref. I like watching what he loves to do. I ended up being pretty sad for awhile after that though. I found out that I'm not allowed to be a part of his family's life anymore. Not by Bubs choice. I haven't seen his kids for a long time. I guess I failed my mom. I hope she knows I really tried. anyway, here are some random pictures. Some might have made the blog before, but I'm not going back through and checking.
Maya & Jorja
Jorja
My brother Mike sent me this hoodie for Christmas and I LOVE it!
I thought Holker's stat was super funny. He recovered a fumble and then gained 22 yards.
Logan & Jorja

Monday, November 29, 2021

Making Mugs

This week is going to be all Whoville all the time. Crazy the party is this Friday. Yikes! Kayla sent pictures of the signs she made. Holy cow! They are incredible! She hasn't finished with the photo booth one yet, but I love it!  
These are the ones we have done. I love Mike's poles.
Mike has been wrapping large empty boxes for decorations.
Mike on Mt. Crumpet ~ four days to finish!
Bear waits by the door when Mike leaves
I have been wanting to get all of my brothers' kids mugs for the cabin. We got Brett's and Matt's family over the summer. I noticed they were buy one get one free today, so I wanted to finish the rest up. I called Skye last week and she helped me design their familys. I texted Cassie and we were able to get cups for all of her kids. Mallory designed all the different parts of hers. It was fun sending her pictures and getting her notes on what she wanted. (Taking pictures of a computer screen doesn't result in the clearest pictures.)
Collin picked the yellow one (he chose the dinosaur too)
I also ordered Jorja and Preston a mug. Preston designed his own, but I didn't get a picture of his.
I sent these pictures to Bubs and told him I was ordering mugs for his kids. I wanted to know if he thought these would be good for his kids. I wanted to know if I should put Abby or Abigail. Things like that. He wrote back that he didn't want me to make mugs for his kids. WHAT??? I asked him why and he said he didn't think it would be a good idea. I asked him if I did something to offend Ange. He said he would talk to me about it in person because things come across wrong through text. Great. I loved the mugs I had picked out for them. I am so sad. I have known Ange doesn't like me for quite awhile. I have no idea what I did, but I haven't seen her for a few years. Bubs would bring the kids, but no Ange. A few years before that she would plain ignore me. I remember bringing my dinner to where Rachel and Ange were talking and she got up in the middle of their conversation and left without a word. Other times I would wave and say hi to her and she would flat out ignore me. A few months ago I asked Bubs when he would like to go to the cabin. I told him he could pick any week and I would make sure no one would be there and they could go just with their family. He said it wasn't going to work. Still, until this very minute I didn't realize I was kicked out of their life. I'm so sad. How am I so easily discarded. By so many people. I must really be an awful person. Anyway, I thought about it a lot and I decided to get the mugs anyway. If I have to choose between making Ange mad or hurting the kids I am NOT going to hurt the kids if possible. The next time they come to the cabin I want them to know they are loved and have never been forgotten. Plus, the mugs might be the only interaction the rest of us have with them. I want Grace to see Amelia's mug and remember her cousin. I changed the pictures I sent Bubs hoping he won't get in trouble with Ange if I did that. Except I didn't change Ella's. I have had her mug designed for over a year. She use to love foxes. I don't know if she does anymore, but I really wanted this one for her.
These are the new ones I made

Sunday, November 28, 2021

Third Ticket This Month

Welp. Today was the last day of Thanksgiving vacation. Mike got released at church today. He does the zoom. He was supposed to get released when we got our new calling, but never was. This is actually the worst week for him to be released because he doesn't have time to show anyone else how to do what he does. Our Grinch party is on Friday. AHHHHHH!!!!! I haven't been released yet. I texted the bishop a few weeks ago and asked if I could finish the rest of the year. I thought it would be easiest for everyone if I was released when the year was over. Plus, I have an awesome class this year. Anyway, Stockton and Jorja have gone back home. Jorja got a ticket on the way home. That is three tickets for the Smith family in the month of November. Is that a record?
Jorja painted this yesterday. She thinks it's funny to spell lasagna like that.
Jorja ~ and she calls it Lasg-na
The almond milk lid was dancing again. We put a balloon on it. Haha
Jorja, Stockton, Preston
Preston, Stockton
Stockton and Jorja about to start the drive home

Saturday, November 27, 2021

New Bed

Mike and I bought a bed a few days ago. We thought it would take six to eight weeks to get here. It came today. Wow. We haven't bought a new mattress since we got married twenty-six years ago. My back has hurt every morning for years. Lately it has been so bad that sometimes it hurts to breathe when I wake up. When we were testing beds out a few days ago we laid on an tempurpedic adjustable bed and put it in zero gravity mode. My back stop hurting instantly. I'm hoping so much that this bed will work for my back. We tried to decide between a firm mattress or a medium. We went with the firm and I hope it is the right choice. Anyways, I hope we like this bed. It sure was expensive.

Stephanie
Mike and I went through a lot of boxes today. We found some funny things from long ago. Stockton had to design a house for some school project. Claw machine... trampoline... pretty nice house.
These next few were Jorja's
And one from Preston
This was a balloon frog family entry
From my Porge
Awe....our pirate picture from the Disney Cruise
Maysen, Preston, Stockton, Jorja, Stephanie, Mike
Mike has also been working on the movie room. He added a cabinet and found a place for the popcorn and the cotton candy machine. He came home with LOTS of candy bars. Kids paradise down here.
Preston
And one last picture I found... Brett, Dad, Bubs, Mike

Friday, November 26, 2021

Black Friday

Mike worked all day long. With Black Friday stuff and on Mt. Crumpet. Jorja went to the University of Utah football game with Brooklyn, one of her ambassador friends. Brooklyn's brother is on the team. Jorja met her family and Trax. She seemed to have a great time.

Jorja
Brooklyn & Jorja
Maysen bought a plane ticket to Ohio today. She wants to go to visit one of her on-line friends. She is going to stay with Brett and Rachel for a week. She is really excited about this trip and I'm excited for her. Also, Rachel is amazing. She told Maysen she would take her anywhere she needed to go. Maysen's friend lives about an hour away. Rachel said she would drive Maysen and then just find things to do while they have lunch. So awesome!!!
Random pictures of Jorja and Bear
Jorja's "pants" are so weird
Jorja and Bear have now moved to the couch downstairs