Missionary Moment - Puerto Rico San Juan & Dominican Republic Santo Domingo West

Good morning bloomers

 

How's it going? 

 Not a whole lot happened a couple weeks ago so i hadnt set out an email... you'll be fine 

 But tons happened this week, really only a few things as we had left for the majority of the week on trips back and forth to the capital an other zone in the mission doing conferences and renewing my visa to stay here in the country. All in all i had worked as a normal missionary here for about 3 1/2 days. Good times

 Transfers came early as this transfer was supposed to end in another couple weeks but ive been called back to the capital with absolutely no idea where ill be or who I'll be with until Wednesday (the day of the actual change.) However because i live in neverland and we have another conference tomorrow in the capital anyway my last day here was yesterday! I pack and leave today.. 

I didnt really like it here when i first arrived but San Juan is definitely going to stay as one of if not the best area in the mission.. anybody else whose come here would for sure say the same but all those missionaries are home now soooo just take my word for it. 

 A lot of this area just comes down to being fortunate, its quiet here, much cleaner than the capital, people here are in a whole new world (kind, humble, super funny, honest, protective, loving) 

To sum up San Juan. Its glorious, the sign upon entering says it all, "La Tierra De Dios", "The Land of God". It really is. I love San Juan 

 I love you all! Miss you all! 

 

Elder Jorgensen 

 

This Guy

The dogs had a spa day yesterday.

Gus kept his mullet.

He LOVES his mullet.

Kaya and Stella had their nails painted and got a good scrub a dub.

Peek that Nike box????

Burke took the two youngest to get school shoes yesterday.

I'm so darn grateful he does that.

Shopping is not my thing.

People, in general, are not my thing.

I texted him at approximately early in the day to tell him that I was requiring some Mr. Delicious for dinner - a chicken quesadilla in particular - even though I knew it'd make me sick with all of the cheese...

Then I called him at approximately a few hours later to tell him I'd probably need it as soon as I got home.

I was behaving VERY badly, I know.

I got home to him sweeping and mopping, with  Mr. Delicious on the table.

He grabbed the grocery list and Porter and left for the store.

I ate my delicious Mr. Delicious quesadilla.

Then I went to my room.

That Nike box you see above was on my side of the bed.

I asked Ryker whose that was.

"YOURS!!! Dad got you shoes, too!!!!"

"Oh, he said you'd be mad about it! But don't you love them?!?!"

He bought me the same shoes he bought me a few months ago, just in different colors.

I LOVE them.

But I feel so guilty - STILL - that he spoils me.

I'm trying to get used to it.

When he got home, he went out to the pool and the two youngest followed him out.

He is just simply the absolute best.

 

Saturdays & Sundays

Productive.

I feel like our days are pretty dang productive lately!

These two have needed a freaking hair cut for a minute now.

So when I got home from working out on Saturday, we went.

They both look (and said they feel) WAY better.

Babies came over on Sunday!!!

The parents did some "swimming."

Mainly they wrestled and played catch and made me laugh.

This little one fell asleep on Gigi's lap.

Seriously.

They are almost two months old and I am just smitten!!!

 

Happy Birthday, Rian!

Rian is 26 today!

Rian is most definitely a daddy's girl!

She is a cheerleader, a dancer, a peace-maker.

She is an organizer, a creator, and a lover!

Rian is a fabulous mama to Aria Jane and is hoping that Little Boy will come today - on her birthday!

We love her so much!

 

My Sweet Aunt Lois

Aunt Lois

Aunt Lois graduated last night. 96 years old. Feisty. Sassy. Smart. Beautiful. Independent. Inclusive. That black eye - she fell while on her morning walk… she didn’t want to talk about it, thanks.

Aunt Lois saw me. She heard me. It didn’t matter what I weighed or what I wore or who I was dating or how many pieces my heart was in. Aunt Lois loved me.

It was her home I went to for my senior year spring break trip. Every meal she ever made was exquisite, every dish hand-washed. Her outside chair room was my favorite getaway. My boys remember Aunt Lois’s Keebler salad, chair room, and rubber ducks in her fountain. She loved them, too.

The feather beds, her organ playing, her story telling. On my last trip there, she took me downstairs and showed me her hidden stash of chocolate bricks and bars and wafers. We ate. Chocolate. While giggling. Me and Aunt Lois.

Tonight, I’m so jealous of Heaven.

 

July Family Dinner

We missed Kaydon (of course), Tyler (working), Bubba & Suzanne.

We Burke grilled burgers, dogs, and brats.

I made Aunt Lois's Keebler salad, Cooper cut up a watermelon, I made chip dip for the chips...

I boiled A LOT of eggs to make deviled eggs, however the peeling of said eggs did not go well, so Burke made egg salad sandwich mix for us for the week with them.

I made a peach cobbler, too.

Lilah was a wee bit fussy.

Isis brought her to Papa and then went in the other room. 

She went right to sleep with Papa.

I LOVE that these babies love their papa.

I love that their mommies and daddies know that they can just take them to papa to calm them down.

Sweet girl!

Lani asked Papa to put her swing chair together.

Last year, he bought Lani and Aria these cute little camping chairs that rock.

So she sat next to her sissy with her swing chair and her rocking chair.

She's my best friend.

While Gigi showered for the day, Auntie Rian cuddled Hudson and got him down for a nap.

Aria fed him.

Cooper gave me dirty looks for taking pictures.

Aria also did her makeup.

Note the lipstick!!

She is a big fan of Hudson!!!

Her baby brother will be here in the next couple of weeks.

Rian brought loads and loads and loads of baby girl clothes for Jackson and Isis to go through.

SO MANY CLOTHES.

It took them hours to sort through the clothes.

I'm so grateful for family dinners, family time, family.

 

Sleepovers With Hudson

Hudson had a sleepover at Papa & Gigi's on Saturday night.

This baby is an actual duplicate of his daddy.

He is his twin.

He is such a sweet and silly baby.

Six weeks old!!!

This look on his face is priceless!!!!

We had so much fun with him.

He only woke up once through the night!!

He is already taking TEN OUNCE bottles!

His mama is so amazing at pumping to make sure that Papa & Gigi have plenty of supply in our freezer.

We love you, Sweet Hudson Boy (Squish)!

 

Double, No Quadruple Date

Jackson texted me on Friday, asking if Burke and I had plans that night.

Then, he invited us to go to dinner with them and said he WAS paying.

That was funny because he's tried to pay for quite a few things and Burke always alters those plans.

Kehlani was pure entertainment.

She danced.

She told all kinds of stories.

She is my bestie for life!

And she is SUCH a Papa's girl!!!!!!

He put his hands in his pockets, so she had to as well.

And if you were wondering, Burke handed Ashley his credit card as soon as we were seated.

Jackson was none too please. 

Such a fun quadruple date!!!!