Family Halloween Party

So much preparation.

So much effort.

So much love.

So much joy.

These are the times that life pays a mama back!!

I prepared food Sunday while football played on the TV.

Rian made cake balls.

Burke recruited the boys to help him decorate for Halloween, get bathrooms cleaned, take garbage out, and help me with food.

He just does it all.

I'm so grateful.

Everyone left with full bellies and the cutest, most creative pumpkins ever.

Chili

Mummy Hot Dogs

Apple Mouths

Vege Sticks

Caramel Popcorn

Dirt Cups

Deviled Eggs (Mia & Brax)

Cake Pops (Ri)

Wherever C is, there you will find the girls!!

R was done!
He needed Dad to help finish his pumpkin.

He is THE best!!!

Papa got the girls matching Halloween outfits.

SO CUTE!!!

Kehlani was not having the smiling and posing.

Peep the middle pumpkin.

Braxton blind folded me and put an apron on me while everyone was getting pumpkins set up.

The apron says, "Being a Gigi is my favorite jam."

IT IS!!

Braxton and Mia are having a baby in June!!

Note: Me and Kehlani's birthday is June 11th.

 

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

 

Goodmorning friends and family! Warm greetings from sunny Dominican Republic! I hope your all well and have found peace in your lives. I also hope many of your were able to return to some of the conference talks and been able to really think about what our Heavenly Father wants us to know and do. I know my answers have been answered from their words.

 

This week was yet just another loop on this Rollercoaster of a mission! Lots of successes and lots of stresses of our coming days. The Lord has been able to place yet another sould on date for us and Rene will be baptized with Livona on November 12! Please keep them both in your prayers! Our other friend Junior has a baptismal date for the 22nd of this month and he can use many prayers as well! 

 

I've never thought to add a segment about the lives of the people here but I'd like to describe the home of a kind and loving member who is helping us translate as we teach hatian people. Her name is Celestine. She has one, one year old boy, who already knows how to walk and get around the very small home. This home consists of one room. This room accommodates, a table to place a small campstove, and a small bucket of dishes that are washed outside her home with unclean water. This room then accommodates enough room to fit a twin bed keeping all her clothes under the sheets or under the bed because she has no room for it anywhere else in the small wooden, tin roofed home. Celestine gets by off of neighbors to take care of her child while she goes to work doing her best to speak a second language she still struggles with. Celestine is a very special person in my heart. Her and many more just like her in that same situation have softened my heart and helped me be grateful for the many blessings I have. One thing that is never easy to forget is the heart that Celestine has. She is the most patient, faithful, loving, and most willing person I've come to know. 

 

I'll let you all take what you feel from that story and want to let you all know how much love and concern I have for each of you. I love you all so much. 

 

Elder Jorgensen 

Prepping

Tomorrow, we have R's football party after his football game which is after C's football game which both last approximately two hours.

Sunday, we are having our family Halloween party.

Including Kaydon, there are 17 of us. 

Sooooo, we needed to do some shopping.

Burke is literally a saint.

He never questions my crazy ideas.

He never questions the typed-out, highly organized shopping list for each store - yup, multiple stores.

He gets our drinks, cleans out the truck, and we load up and head out. 

Sam's first.

160 hot dogs.

160 buns.

Condiments out the yin yang.

Two Lifetime tables (for Sunday).

And stuff.

The pumpkin patch.

For 14 pumpkins.

For real.

R helped us with this errand.

Walmart.

For all the other stuff.

FOUR hours of shopping.

Not one complaint from him as he swiped his card each time.

ANNNNND, when we got our pumpkins I grabbed these sunflowers.

Can you even believe the beauty of these???

Day Farms for the win!

 

You Made an Invitation

Last night, I was watching the rest of a Dateline show whilst having baseball on the big TV.

Stella and I were very-not-so-patiently waiting for Dad to get home because Mama was hungry and Stella gets to go with us to pick up food.

She laid right next to me for 30 minutes until she heard Dad's truck.

She's cute like that.

We are having our family Halloween shindig on Sunday.

I sent out this reminder to all of the offspring.

I got a text back from Jackson: "Ma, you made an invitation!!" 

That was followed by far too many laughing emojis.

"YES, I made an invitation and it's cute!!!!" I responded.

"Well done, Ma."

I'm kind of excited.

 

Saturdays with Kehlani

Ohhhh, this baby girl!

She is magical.

And busy.

And smart.

And SO much fun!

She loves watching the boys play football.

She yells and cheers and collects rocks and follows Papa around.

She mimics everyone around her and is just so much fun!

Kaya and Gus kind of think she is the best.

They especially love when she feeds them popcorn!!!

See that orange cone??

She carried that thing about 30 yards to Papa and then put her hand on her hips.

LOVE HER.

Speaking of football... Fall is in the air.

R had a scrimmage on Thursday and we got soaked.

It rained and hailed and the wind blew and it was freezing.

Then the sun came out and there is nothing more beautiful.

I was telling one of the moms that if it weren't for football practices, I would miss all the sunsets.

I'd be in the house and not paying attention to all of the beauty around me.

Also, B knows me so well.

He brought the propane heater for the Saturday morning game!!!

 

 

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

I realized now for the second time that I never actually explain the titles of my emails...basically what happened is that it rained super hard one night just before finishing up our lessons for the day and we came across a river that had to be crossed because the campus of apartment buildings was covered by that one river! So the only reason we found out in was a deep one was me going through it first completely soaking my socks and feet! It was then time for my companion to go through and he though there was an easier way..no..he ended up getting more wet than I and says, "I'm not happy Bob, not happy", from incredibles and I had me so dead laughing!! 

Anyway

Hope you all had a good week! With general conference I hope fhat questions were answered and the Lord was able to speak to each of you directly if you were able to listen or watch. 

Thus week was filled with many blessings but also many difficulties and each of my difficulties were spared as I listened to the servents of God speak to me using his words! I don't think I can express the gratitude that I felt as I was comforted by the words of Russell M. Nelson, I've never looked upon him more with a testimony stronger knowing He is a Prophet of God. 

 As I strengthen my teaching skills I've been able to feel the spirit much stronger as I teach, testify, promise, and bless others serving this apostolic ministry. Because of this we have high hopes for our friends progressing and a couple with dates to be baptized, I ask you all to pray for our friends and in time, through this email I wish show you your own prayers be answered through the Power of God! 

 Friends and family, I rejoice in Him, I love Him and I know with all my Heart he loves you. As I put each of your names into this small email list I'm constantly reminded of each of you, who you are and what you've done for me. I know that if each of you turn to the Lord in this time He will bless you. I testify of that in His name. 

 I love you all so very much

 Elder Jorgensen