ASL Temple Tour

Tonight was out last ASL temple tour! We had groups scheduled for 5:00, 6:00, and 7:00. This was smaller than the last two times, which was expected since it was on a Monday night. We still had a good turn out though! We had about 35 people come at 5:00, 4 come at 6:00. and 10 or so come at 7:00. We had lots of interpreters volunteer also: me, Cassie, Amanda, Andrea, Kelly, Ben, Allyson, and Macie. 

We gathered each group together in one of the language rooms at the stake center and then Cassie Riding and I brought the first group through the temple. Ben Ballard brought the second group through and Cassie and I brought the third group through It was fun to meet new people and to see some old friends that I knew clear back from Utah State University! Saturday is the last day of the open house!! 

Jenna's Complicated Teeth

Saturday 6:  This morning Rick and I went to an interpreting workshop at the Deaf Center from 9:00 to 1:00.  I LOVE being able to go to things like this together!  The workshop was good.  The Williams brought Jenna with them to the library movie this afternoon “Hotel Transylvania 2.”  Tonight was Stake Conference.  Jaiden babysat the Conovers while they went and Janelle babysat for us.  We were upset with Janelle when we got home because she and the kids were just watching TV (and probably had been the whole time we were gone).  The food was still out, the kitchen a mess, and Josh and Jenna were not bathed or put to bed.  Rick told her that he and I were going to Smiths to get some ice cream and that she had thirty minutes to get it all done before we got back – and she did!!    

Sunday 7:  This morning we all went to Stake Conference and sat in the back up on the stage.  In the middle of his talk President Wagner (member of the Stake Presidency) said something to the effect of how difficult it can be to stay awake during this two hour meeting and motioned clear back to the stage where our family was seated on the front row and said, “I see Jase Jensen, who is currently in our missionary preparation class, sitting there on the stage.  Please don’t fall asleep, Jase – we wouldn’t want you to fall off the stage!”  So everyone was turned around looking at us.  Jase wasn’t falling asleep and so I am not sure why he was picking on him (perhaps our family was being a little distracting from their vantage point, I don’t know).  Jase just smiled and gave him a big “thumbs up” sign! 

The girls and I fixed a nice dinner of ham and cheesy potatoes tonight with salad and asparagus. Then the girls had a fun time video chatting with their cousins and Shane gave us a video tour of their house!  It has been a nice relaxing weekend and Rick and I got to spend a lot of time together.  I feel so blessed and grateful for such a great husband and happy marriage and awesome (most of the time) kids!!  

Monday 8:  I normally don’t interpret on Mondays but had been called for a freelance appointment this morning for three hours – it was at a school and super easy.  I came home and and started reading Janika’s missionary e-mails and then got a call asking if I could go interpret at the hospital right then and so I went and did that.  It was an early out day for school and so the kids were already home when I got back. Janika got her package already – that was fast -- I just sent it Saturday morning! I wonder why packages get there so much faster than letters? Maybe because I used one of the priority boxes from the Post Office?

Tuesday 9:  Josh wasn’t feeling well this morning and ended up staying home from school.  I had to leave him alone so that I could go interpret for my class.  I came home and ate lunch and then got called in for a medical appointment.  I left Josh again knowing that the girls would be home before too long. I had another appointment with DSU (with Rick) after that and so it was a busy day for interpreting and I had to make arrangements for rides for Josh (scouts) and Jaiden (activity days and tumbling). 

Wednesday 10:  So, Rick is sick – again.  He ended up staying home from work today and I ended up covering his interpreting job at 7:00 a.m. Ugh!  It was fine though – I am already up for scripture reading at 6:00 am anyway.  After the appointment and getting Jenna off to school (Josh stayed home again) I helped in Jenna’s Chinese class today.  I go in for an hour every other Wednesday). 

I soon found out that one of the girls had had a very smelly “accident.” I pulled the teacher out in the hallway to tell her (because no English is allowed in the classroom).  I ended up bringing the little girl to the office and they had me bring her to the nurse’s office while they tried getting a hold of her parents.  Meanwhile a little girl skipped out of the nurse’s office saying “I just threw up again!”  I thought, “Get me out of here!”  But my house is no better – with Rick and Josh sick (and stinky).  There is no escape!

I had been asked to sub interpret for a class this afternoon.  It was easy and I enjoyed it.  I left a few minutes early to check Jenna out of school and pick up Josh from home to go to the Orthodontist.   Josh was coming in for a recall (second evaluation – first evaluation was a year ago).  He was in and out.  The Orthodontist said, “get these two baby teeth pulled and we will see him in another year.”  Jenna’s evaluation, however, was a lot more complicated. We were there for two long hours with Josh whining the whole time because he wasn’t feeling well. 

When we went to the dentist a couple of weeks ago he pointed out that Jenna has a severe under-bite and that she should see the Orthodontist as soon as possible to get her jaw corrected while it is still developing.  I had never paid attention or noticed it until the dentist pointed it out to me. He said that his wife had the same thing and since it wasn’t corrected until later they had to go in and actually break her jaw to correct her bite. Yikes!  So apparently it is recommended to try and get intervention before the suture that separates the top jaw matures fully and becomes fused. 

The Orthodontist said that she has an under bite and also a cross bite and that her work is going to be "complicated."  She is going to need an expander, head gear, and the whole works -- all while in the first grade, poor thing!  At least she won't be required to wear the head gear at school.  Although she is sassy enough that she could probably get away with it – and cause the other kids to wish that they were lucky enough to have one too, ha ha!  Jared had an expander but he was old enough to turn it himself (with a little key). With Jenna we will have to do it.

When Jenna was laying there and the Orthodontist was explaining all of this to me Jenna said, “I do NOT like what I am hearing!” After the appointment we ran to the scout store to get some scout pants for Josh since he has grown out of his scout shorts (our Cub Masters are really emphasizing FULL uniforms and rewarding the boys each month for wearing it).  Then we ran to Staples to get some ink so that our printer will actually start printing again. 

The kids were tired and whiney and so I was glad that Rick had made dinner (Chinese food – yum!)  Jase, Jared, Janelle, and Jaiden all had their young men/young women activities.  Jaiden is not in Young Women yet but went to this one.  The Young Women were babysitting from 6:00 to 8:00 so that couples in the ward with young kids could go out for a nice Valentines Date.  Rick and I had been planning to go too but with he and Josh both sick, we had to 

   

Mom's and Muffins and New Beginnings

Wednesday 3:  This morning was “Mom’s and Muffins” at the elementary school. I had a purchased some gluten free muffins to bring for me and Jenna.  It was packed as usual and was fun visiting with some of the other moms.  We had our primary presidency meeting. My first counselor is funny.  She said, “I have an announcement.”  I said, “You had better not be quitting on us!”  She said, “Are you kidding?  I want to be buried next to you ladies!”  I really am grateful for such an awesome presidency – they are SO easy to work with and really on the ball.  

There has been drama with our scouts leaders though – clashing personalities and differences of opinions to the point that one lady walked out of the planning meeting last Thursday night and announced that it was over – she was done with scouts!  I wasn’t there, but heard all about it later.  Something similar had happened before and we were able to get things resolved, but now it looks like that is not an option and now we are stuck looking for a new scout leader…sigh!!  

 

I put a pork roast in the oven (see, I actually cooked dinner three nights in a row!  After Rick did so much cooking last week I figured that maybe I should step up to the plate, ha ha!)  I took the three girls to the dentist to get their cavities filled.  The dentist said that Jenna has a severe under-bite and he wants the Orthodontist to look at her teeth now instead of waiting until she is older.  He said that often times they can help these problems easier now while the jaw is still growing.  So I will set up an appointment and see what he says.

 

Tonight was New Beginnings. They are only receiving two new Beehives this year – Jaiden and Graci Newby. So they were both spotlighted tonight and received wrist corsages.  It was a nice meeting and they sent Jaiden home with a big bouquet of balloons from the decorations (and extra treats) and she was pretty excited about that! She will go into Young Women’s just in time for Girls’ Camp! 

 

Happy Mother's Day!

Today Janelle woke up with the stomach flu.  It hit her pretty hard and she was on the couch all day long.  We have also had bad colds going around the family.   I couldn't stay home from church since I was teaching Sunday School today but Jared wasn't feeling well either (sore throat, bad cough) and he and Jase ended up staying home with her.  I had Jase make a couple of packages of jello to go with our dinner and he also made peanut butter bars.  I enjoyed church.  The primary kids (which consists of our four kids and four other kids) sang and signed, "Love Is Spoken Here," for the musical number.  One of Rick's speakers cancelled and Rick ended up speaking at the last minute and did a great job.

For the Mother's Day gift, the Branch Presidency decided that instead of flowers or something they would offer a little buffet during Relief Society.  We loved it!  There was cut up strawberries, bananas, oranges, apples, yogurt, eclairs, and other little treats.

After church we had a delicious dinner of barbequed Salmon, rice, green salad, potato salad, and jello with peanut butter bars for dessert.  We decided to postpone "Mother's Day Tea" because Janelle was still not feeling well.  It is the first time we haven't had "Mother's Day Tea" on Mother's Day for ten years!  I missed it.  But we plan to do it next Sunday instead.  I hope we do because not only is it a fun tradition but we always get so many cute funny pictures!  I am grateful to be a mother and I am grateful for the wonderful example of my own mother and mother-in-law.  I feel very blessed indeed!