Easter and General Conference!

Saturday we all slept in. This is the first year we didn't bring our kids to the city Easter egg hunt. We just had our own hunt!!  We really enjoyed General Conference today. Rick and my Dad and Jared went to the Priesthood Session at the church and then went to Carl's Jr. I think that will be a good change to combine the High Priests with the Elder's Quorum. I dropped the kids off at the park and then went to two Bridal Showers in our ward. I checked at the park after and the girls were still there having a great time. It felt so good outside! We came home and the older girls hid eggs for Josh and Jenna and Jenna's friends, Clarissa and Audrey.  

We had a nice Easter. The kids got their Easter baskets this morning and then Rick and Jared made our traditional "Conference Crepes." They were even better than usual now since Jared works at the Crepery and was able to share his knowledge. We really enjoyed conference this weekend and were touched by the amazing spirit felt during the talks and music! All of the kids took notes -- even Jenna! During the break the kids dyed Easter eggs. 

 

Tonight we had a delicious turkey dinner and then Grandma and Grandpa Westra played games with the kids while Rick and I skyped Janika and tried to figure out a time to go up North to meet Brandon's parents! I think we are going to come up this weekend and go to the Jordan River open house with them and then out to dinner. 

Jared's Mission Call!!

This morning the post office called about 7:30 a.m. and said that Jared's call was here!!  (Friday, March 30th) In 2015 Janika received her mission call on Friday, April 3rd, the Friday before Easter/General Conference. in 2016 Jase received his call on Monday April 4th, the day after General Conference. Jared received his the Friday before Easter/General Conference like Janika! 

Rick and I drove over to the post office to get the envelope and then Rick woke up Jared and told him that it was here!  Since there were a few conflicts tonight Jared set the time for opening his call for 10:30 p.m. He had lots of friends come!! There were a few more who had left before before I took this picture. Jared's track coach and Young Men's president were here too.

Click HERE for the video!! 

He is called to the Illinois Chicago Mission and will report to the MTC on August 15th!! He is excited!! He wanted to go English speaking and so he is relieved that he doesn't have to learn a language!  

Jaiden Student Council!!

Jaiden ran for Student Council for 9th grade as spirit chair and she won!! One of her best friends, Lizzie Bryner, won as President and her other best friend, Emily Williams, won as History Rep. They are friends with several others in the group and are really excited to represent their school! Jaiden made this video herself with a little help from Janelle and Mariposa!    

Jaiden's Student Council Video

Janelle Service Fundraiser: Sole Hope

Janelle participated in a fund-raiser today for her Geography Honor's class. They were raising funds to make shoes for kids in Africa!

Young Women's Hike

We went on a hike today for Young Women's. We have so many beautiful places to hike around this area!

Janelle Wisdom Teeth

Friday 16: Janelle and I woke up early and headed to the oral surgeon for her 8:00 appointment. The dentist had referred us to the oral surgeon (Dr. Shawn Davis) because of Janelle's age. (She is 15). I had brought my laptop thinking I would have all of this time to get some work done, but the procedure itself was only about 40 minutes and so I just read scriptures instead.

They called me back and said that everything went great. She looked SO awful though! Her cheeks were swollen, she had an ice pack around her chin and tied up on the top of her head, gauze in her mouth and her eyes were red like she had been crying. She was out of it and saying something about pictures on the walls and how everything was blurry and that she was seeing double vision. Only it was really difficult to understand her!  It was a little disconcerting seeing her that way! I drove the car around the back and they helped her into the car. I remember doing that when I got mine done. I remember mom saying that they must bring the patients out the back so that those in the front office don't see them and get scared off! 

I could see that Janelle was nauseous and so right after we left I dumped out the contents of the goody bag they gave us and handed it to her before she threw up. I hurried her home and she threw up a few more times. At home we talked with her and took a couple of videos and then put her to bed. She slept a couple of hours and then seemed much more like herself! One of her friends brought her over a bunch of mini tubs of ice-cream, which was nice. I had to run to the pharmacy to get her medicine and put Jared in charge of her while I went to my interpreting appointment. I gave her some of the pain medication but it made her really dizzy and sick and she threw up again. We decided that was not a good medication for her and so the next time she needed some I tried the  Ibuprofen instead along with some food and she threw up right after. I called the after hours number and they sent in a prescription for some anti-nausea medicine. Rick picked it up on his way back from Vegas. That helped a lot and she was finally able to get some food down.

Saturday 17: Happy St. Patrick's Day! Janelle had swollen cheeks today but other than that she was feeling a lot better and didn't need any more of the anti-nausea medicine -- just the ibuprofen and did fine with it. She just watched TV and texted friends.

Sunday 18: Janelle was even more swollen than yesterday but still went to church today. She is such a trooper!! She also went to school on Monday armed with a fruit smoothie and yogurt for lunch and a syringe to wash her mouth out after meals.

The Oral Surgeon/Dentist office had flowers delivered to Janelle!!  

Janelle with her chipmunk cheeks!! 

Jared Wisdom Teeth

Jared got his wisdom teeth out today -- the first day of Spring Break! Dr. Utley did a great job and even gave us a missionary discount so that we only had to pay whatever insurance didn't cover. What an unexpected blessing! We are grateful! They told us that he wouldn't be completely out but wouldn't care what was going on and wouldn't be able to remember it afterwards. Rick had brought him this morning -- along with Jaiden and Janelle who had dental appointments at the same time. Jared wasn't too loopy afterwards and acted pretty normal (normal for him) but they were right -- he can't remember the procedure or the conversations afterwards! So it was weird for him to watch the videos. Dr. Utley said that Janelle would need her wisdom teeth out ASAP too since they were pushing on her other teeth. He referred us to an oral surgeon because of her age. So we scheduled her appointment for this Friday!!