Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Jorja's 14th Birthday

Jorja is 14 years old today.  This is so weird.  She is not suppose to grow up.  Although I want her to grow up.  It's weird that she has been a part of our lives for fourteen years, although it is hard to remember life without her.  The leaders of the young women have been asking for baby pictures.  I finally took a picture of a picture and sent it to them. My little baby.  Isn't she beautiful?
Jorja ~ 6 months I think
She was a beauty then and she still is now.  She has always been kind and caring.  I remember having strep throat when she was 2 weeks old. I was so sick.  I had just fed her and was laying in bed holding her.  I looked down at her and she looked at me with such pity in her eyes. Like she thought she was responsible for how awful I felt.  All I could do was roll my head back and try not to move.  I remember when she was about six months old.  Just how she looks in the picture above.  I was holding her in the library of church and she started patting my back. Like she was taking care of me. It just melted my heart.
Jorja ~ 14 years
I have tried to take the kids a special lunch on their birthdays.  The older the kids get the less they like this tradition.  Jorja asked if I could take her friends to Jamba Juice this morning instead.  That sounded like a great idea to me.  Jorja's friends call her JJ.  Maybe that is why she likes Jamba Juice? Same initials.
Hailey, Kate, Katlyn, Jorja
 I tried for a better picture without weird shadows.
 Jorja, Katlyn, Hailey, Kate
 One of these friends is not like the other....
 My Jorja Instagram picture
I stopped by Matt and Sam's after dropping Jorja off at school.  Sam needed to borrow Matt's laptop cord.  I talked to Matt about the election.  He is outraged.  I went straight from Matt's to my visiting teaching appointment.  I talked to Javita for a LONG time!  It was great though.  She has only lived in North Carolina.  Her boy, Damian, is Maysen's age.  He is an excellent baseball player.  He has been drafted by BYU, but had surgery on his elbow I think.  Depending on how rehabilitation goes he might be in the major league draft this year.  If not he will play at BYU next year.  That is what the plan is now.  She was talking to me about different concerns.  I have never met anyone that completely follows promptings without question.  Months ago she told me how they had just finished their dream house when they were prompted to move.  They don't doubt, they just do it.  She talked about Damian's decision not to serve a mission.  He prayed and fasted and prayed.  He went to the temple many times.  One time he came home and said that he knew he wasn't supposed to serve a mission.  Right now that decision has cost him some relationships that have been painful.  For some reason, I immediately thought of Steve Young's new book.  I decided I needed to get that for them.

I was driving to the store and met Preston walking home from the bus stop.  He hopped in the car and we hurried and got the book I wanted. We were on our way to the grocery store when Jorja texted asking if we could pick her up.  That worked out perfect.  We picked her up and then headed to the store.  She got to pick out her own cake.  She had told me she wanted a mint ice-cream pie.  That is what I was going to look for.  It was nice with Jorja there because she changed her mind. She ended up with a chocolate mousse pie.

Jorja talked a lot about everyone saying 'happy birthday' to her.  First, they pronounced her name right on the announcements.  That hasn't happened for.  A couple of classes sang Happy Birthday to her.  The lunchroom sang to her and Mrs. Vosti sang to her.  Her friends decorated her locker.  Lots of confetti in her math book.  Fun day for a new fourteen year old.
Jorja's pie cake
Jorja asked for homemade spaghetti for dinner.  Then we watched the Goldbergs and Speechless.  Papa came over and gave Jorja a gift card to a clothes store.  Jorja is going to LOVE that!
Jorja and Papa
Anne came over with Matt to return Mike's charging cord for the laptop.  The kids loved playing with her.  A few weeks ago Jorja did Anne's nails.  Anne was trying to convince Stockton to get matching nails with her.  It was so funny!  When Anne came over today Stockton asked her about her fingernails.  She held them up and said 'they melted'.  Anne was walking around weird downstairs.  Stockton asked her if she was drunk.  Anne said, "No, the daddy was drunk.  He crawled like this."  Then she did a weird crawl.  So funny!  The kids were laughing.  When Matt came downstairs and was told the story he informed them she was talking about a movie.  Anne loves movies. Especially the bad guys.
Anne & Jorja
Jorja was given a lot of fingernail stuff for her birthday.  Jordyn helped me pick out a light machine for her.  Preston gave her these cute fingernail clippers and some lip balm.  Stockton made her a computer game.  My dad gave her a beautiful frog from Israel.  I think Jorja was pretty pleased with her birthday this year.

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