Today was a long day filled with highs and lows. The biggest thing we did today was get Jorja's pictures done for her campaign. I was not looking forward to this. At all. Jorja is planning on a farm campaign with lots of animal puns. That means we had to find animals to take pictures with. Mike has always done Jorja's campaign pictures, but he will be at work and she really wants to get these done during Spring Break. Mike asked around as to where we could go to take pictures. We heard from Sherry and people at Mike's work that she could go down to Springville, drive to 4th south, turn at the light where there is a Quick Quack and there is a farm there. Knock on the door and they will let you take pictures with their animals. I DID NOT want to do this. I don't feel like I take good pictures, I hate animals, I don't like driving down towards Provo, I get nervous talking to people I don't know. Knocking on some random stranger's door and asking to take pictures with their animals is something I did not want to do. I was worried we would drive all the way out there and wouldn't be able to find the place or no one would be home. Mike sent a message saying he thinks the place was Jaker's. We found a number and Jorja called. They said they didn't have any animals. No idea if she called the place we were told to go to, but I did not want to drive an hour for a shot in the dark.
Jorja
Jorja & Quacky Chan ~ notice how pretty and white he is
We were in the car when Jorja called and didn't know what to do. It also started raining. Jorja was really upset and frustrated at this point. I started searching my phone and googled petting zoo Utah. I saw there was one at Gardner Village, two minutes from Mike's work. WHAT??? Jorja called and the guy that answered was super nice. He told her yes before she could even finish asking her question. Too bad Mike had just gotten back from lunch or he could have met us there to take the pictures. Although he would not have done well. He would have been so allergic.
This place was fantastic! It exceeded our expectations by a mile! The farmer guy was super nice. He took Jorja around and made sure she got the best pictures. A girl named Lexi also helped us a ton. Jorja and Preston had the best time! Both of them loved it. We definitely got some pictures we can use. I usually like to take pictures landscape style for the blog, it fits better. These are all portrait style because that is what would work better for her posters. So, prepare yourself for a ton of pictures.... good luck if you make it through them all.
Jorja with a baby goat
Preston
Jorja with a baby chicken
Goat photobomb
Preston with a baby duck
Jorja riding a cow and almost getting smashed by the roof
Preston, super awesome amazing farmer, Clarabelle the cow
As you can see, this petting zoo was quite interactive.
The farmer told us he doesn't call it a 'petting zoo,' he calls it a 'cuddle zoo'
Jorja with a crazy looking chicken on her head
Preston
Jorja with the pigs
Jorja with an alpaca
Farmer making kissing noises so the alpaca will kiss Jorja
These are therapy alpacas...super cool...
Hahahaha! I wish Jorja wasn't closing her eyes on this one!
Jorja with an emu
It was super hard to get a picture of this one
Preston's pictures were my favorite... I mean... come on!
Hahahahaha!!! I LOVE this one!
Jorja, Preston, and an emu
Jorja with a bunny in her pocket
Jorja & Preston
Jorja
Stephanie
Jorja with a baby chicken
Preston playing with the goats
Jorja
Preston
Preston with a duck that is not nearly as beautiful as the one he has at home
Jorja with the chickens.... super muddy....
Jorja with a horse
So cute!
Jorja trying to take a picture with a pony
This was the best we got
Jorja with a horse... that worked out better
Jorja wanted a picture with Kiki when we got home
Look at those beautiful white ducks
Jorja and Preston both changed out of their clothes and got out of their shoes that were covered in mud, then we made a quick trip to Leatherbys. I tried to get Jorja to share her ice-cream with me, but she wanted the whole thing by herself. Well, she managed a few bites and that was all. She still does not have an appetite. We brought her ice-cream home in two different take home containers.
Preston & Jorja
Jorja wanted to watch an episode of Chuck when she got home. We would have to be quick. She brought up her overalls so I could wash them. I threw them in the washing machine and sat down with her to watch Chuck. We started this series when she first got sick with mono. It has been fun watching it with her. We have two episodes left, but they are hard to get through because the ending episodes of Chuck are not as good as the beginning ones...by a mile. Anyway, when it was time for work Jorja was looking everywhere for her name tag. She said she had it in the front pocket of her overalls. What? The one time I don't check pockets! I stopped the washing machine and dug through the pockets. Then I searched the bottom of the machine with my arm up to my elbow in freezing cold water. Nothing. Jorja went to work without her name tag which is embarrassing and she doesn't get break food. They get $10 of food every shift unless they forget their name tag. Well, when the wash stopped I found her tag here.
I decided to make a special trip to Chick-Fil-A to give her the name tag. I tried to decide if I should run it down or have her go without it and hopefully be more responsible next time. I decided that I only have two and a half more years with her here, I want her to know she is loved. I don't know why I thought that, but I did. Jorja was in the back, so I handed it to one of her coworkers. I was pretty exhausted from the day by the time I got back and decided to work a bit on Amy's stocking. As I was sitting down I happened to glance in the duck pen. There was a dog in there! Our ducks were being chased by a giant dog! I screamed so loud for Preston and we ran outside as fast as we could. I screamed and screamed and screamed at that dog. Preston and I chased it away from the ducks. All of a sudden I hear Preston cry out, "No! Quackletta!" She was at the edge of the pen on the ground and looked dead. We were both crying and screaming at the dog trying to keep him away from the other ducks. The dog's name is Nala and she jumped over the fence in the backyard. Nala noticed Quackletta on the ground and came after her. Preston pulled her tail away from the duck. He picked up the duck with a look of horror on his face. I yelled for him to take her inside. I chased the dog for a long time. I remember screaming at her, "YOU KILLED OUR DUCK! NOT COOL!" It took forever but I finally got her out of the duck pen and I braced the doors with bricks. I continued to chase Nala around the yard. I was trying to get her to jump back over the fence. All of a sudden it dawned on me that this dog could start attacking me. I do not like dogs and am quite afraid of them. I couldn't believe I had been chasing and yelling at this dog for at least ten minutes. At this point I just wanted her gone, so I opened the gate to our driveway and off she went into the neighborhood. (I took pictures of her before I sent her out in case our neighbors didn't believe it was their dog.)
Nala looking at Quacky Chan and the duck ramp he destroyed
Nala trying to get back in the duck pen
I went inside to see how Preston was doing with Quackletta. When he first picked her up she was cold and stiff. She was bit on her wing and her foot. She kind of moved a bit, so I went and grabbed a towel. I took her from Preston and wrapped her up in a towel and held her tight until Mike could get home. I had called him frantic when I was chasing the dog. Poor Quackletta was shaking so hard. She was in shock. Mike made a place for Quackletta to stay inside. He cut open a box and filled it with straw. He brought in her eggs for her to sit on. Quackletta has been sitting on nine eggs for almost a month. That is what she was doing when she got attacked. It took her a long time, but by the end of the night she seemed almost okay. Mike went and checked on Quacky Chan and Kiki. They both have bite marks. Quacky Chan was bleeding on his back. They both were hiding behind the duck house and looked ragged. Such a huge contrast from earlier in the day when Jorja took her picture with them. Poor little duckies.
Stephanie & Quackletta
I was so tired and I just wanted to go to bed. I was heading to bed early and just planning on sleeping when I saw Jorja's shoes. She had worn her black vans to the petting zoo and they were covered in mud. I didn't want them to get ruined so I decided to clean them before bed. I soaked them in water then started cleaning them with a toothbrush. This is what I was doing when Jorja came home. She brought Hailey and Emily with her. They are sleeping over tonight. Mike and I brought Stockton's mattress out of his room and put it in Jorja's. Beds for all three girls. The three girls were sitting on Maysen's bed when I brought the pillows downstairs. Jorja said, "Mom! I have a question for you." She had a giant grin on her face. I said, "I can tell by your expression that my answer is no." Well, the girls have been planning on going to the canyon tomorrow to take pictures. Jorja said they needed someone to take pictures of them. At this point I thought she was going to ask me to come. Nope, she wanted Mitchell to come. No way. No. No. No. No. No. She was shocked when I told her no. I reminded her that she had a date with him on Saturday. She needs two dates in between. She said this wasn't a date, they were just hanging out. Doesn't matter. No way. She kept asking me and asking me and I kept saying no and no. Finally I said, "Do you want to know why?" I talked about some bad decisions she had made and how she had lied to me about it. I don't like how she lies to me when Mitchell is involved. I don't trust him and I don't trust her when she is with him. No way am I letting her go to the canyon with him. No way. Jorja was mad at me. I was so tired and I climbed into bed and told Mike what happened. I asked him to check on Jorja. He went downstairs and she was crying with her friends. He asked her to come talk to him. She did. They went to the movie room and her friends stayed in her room. Jorja started crying hard. She started having a panic attack. She hasn't had one of those in a long time. I heard her crying and came downstairs. She was so mad at me. All because I wouldn't let her go into the canyon with Mitchell. Ridiculous. Jorja lost it. I have never seen her like this. She was screaming. She told me to go away because she wanted to talk to dad alone. Mike said she was hitting herself saying she doesn't want to exist. Crazy things. She ended up being super embarrassed because her friends were there. I had never seen Jorja get that upset before. It just made me want to keep Mitchell far, far away. When Jorja starts liking a boy, she really starts liking them. I don't want another Isaac situation to happen. I don't know what to do. Jorja told Mike that she doesn't feel loved by us and that she is scared to come home because she doesn't feel safe here. That broke my heart. How could she say that? Look at how much time I spent with her today? Did she think I wanted to go to the petting zoo, be close to animals and walk in mud? I was literally cleaning her shoes with a toothbrush when she came home. How could she think I don't love her? I felt like such a failure. My kids are my life's work and to find out that she doesn't feel safe at home? That she doesn't feel loved? I am not a good cook and I am not a good organizer and my house is rarely clean. I didn't think that mattered as much as the relationship I had with my kids. To find out that I failed at that too? It was awful. I was devastated.
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