June 28, 2023

Jana Christensen Wed, Jun 28, 7:23 AM to Annali I am over here at Jen‘s this beautiful beautiful morning. And there’s a tiny car seat in the car and it just makes me cry cry cry. They are scheduled for an induction at 7:15 this morning or they’re going in at 7:15 this morning. They’re asking for prayers. Sweet baby will be here one way or the other this morning. It’s so sacred it is so beautiful and it makes me wanna sob my eyes out. It’s the most sacred and most beautiful, most precious gift most sacred and amazing thing. Can you see the little car seat in the car? I just brought roses over and put them in her door handle so she’ll see them when she gets in the car. It’s so sweet. I want to talk to you so much about the new baby coming! Isn’t it wonderful? I’m so so excited it’s just there’s nothing better. I think you will still be in all of this babies memories. Bekah is feeling quite tired and a little nauseous. They slept over last night, so jungles will wake up here at grandmas house any minute. They’ve been cleaning their house like absolute crazy with the extra time that they didn’t plan on. They even got their garage all clean and parked the cars in the garage. It’s so cute it’s so precious. I’m so excited. Some of the greatest gifts, a person can give her to bring a life into this world and serve a mission. You both make me cry with joy and wonder. I have questions. I have so so many questions. How are you in every single way? How is your tummy? How is your heart? Are you able to study Spanish on your own? Are you doing that during class? Do you know if you have a visa for Argentina? Is there a chance you would be assigned stateside or has that all been settled? What are you learning? What are you struggling with? Has the precious piece do you long for then your companion this week? What do you need? What can we do to help? Do you have any idea how much your mom loves you.? This has been the longest week for some reason. OK I’ll ramble on about the family. It’s so cute to see Ella and Natalie taking care of Grandma Jan. They have been there night and day. This is their third day. They are sleeping over. They are bathing her. They are hanging out together and it’s just been so awesome. She’s been having some anxiety so she hast to go on walks and they take her And hold hold her on both sides and walk her up and down the street. It’s been rough. She’s in pain but she they are taking such good care of her and it’s so sweet to see them doing that together. I’m sure I told you that Natalie got on the bus the second she heard about grandma and rode the bus up here to take care of her. It’s so sweet it’s something she’ll remember the rest of her life. I am sure it makes me cry. I love it , Grandma is actually doing pretty well. Her shoulder hurts but other than that things are just sore and she’s even a little more mobile than I thought she might be. She’s planning on going to the wedding this weekend. It’s hard to see her hurting. She’s so stoic and so strong . Luke Strong has started home MTC and he’s headed to Mexico MTC July 5. Anything I should tell him to bring? Do you want me to have him bring anything to you if he has room? So Monday we took Seth down and Caden Anderson and Caden‘s friend checking into FSY and then picked up Derek and we were trying to get Kaden in. It was crazy because we called and they said no we’re not taking walk-ins so we drove him down anyway and then went to the helpdesk and they said no we’re not taking walk-ins and then we went and asked somebody else, if we could find somebody and Grandpa Jello made some phone calls and we were looking for this particular person who might be able to help but never found them but then I sent the boys to ask a different person at the helpdesk again and they said well registration just closed so if there any openings they would be on the website right now so we jumped on the website and there was an opening and we registered him in like three minutes and he was in so they’re down there having a total blast. It sounds like they are not in the same group but I’m proud of Caden Anderson. He just went for it so that’s OK. I’ll just go have a blast and he is doing awesome. This morning I need to drive down kilts because they are doing this funny number for their talent show where they do Scotland the brave that turns into titanic that turns into I want it that Way all on kazoos in kilts and different outfits and everything. Very very funny. I love Seth so much. He’s such a champ. He’s just incredible. Yesterday I was on the truck because Joseph and Alee at their family reunion and Ella Anderson, Ella Ayre and kaden Slichta worked at the Highland house for two hours doing rock and she’s having a lot of time with him. This Compost crew friendship has been the sweetest thing for her. I think it’s just awesome. I’m trying super hard to get the house clean and organized. It’s so sacred and wonderful to have a little bit of time to devote to that and so embarrassing that I need so much time :-). Sometimes I feel like my life is just been one big embarrassing moment. Grandma and Grandpa Jello got their cement in and they’re backsplash tile and there’s been a lot going on over at their house this week. Cory is struggling a little bit in his internship. It’s not the nurturing environment that he has supposed. It’s a little more demanding they want him at least one lawyer wants him to already know and understand what he hope to learn while being there. Last night we sat outside and watched the sunset together, snuggling the baby and feeding him a stuffed pepper, and after we got home from the zoo and he talked about his first debate tournament, he said he was sent to it having never debated not knowing any of the rules and how it worked. He started and the judge stopped the debate and said, do you have any idea what you’re doing? Coy said no I don’t and he said really, they sent you here and didn’t even tell you how to do this, and he said yes, so they gave the debate to the opponent but one sweet judge whoever they were Took the time to explain debate to Coy and tell him what you should be doing. And by the third round, he won one. Now that’s a very touching story in and of itself that this person will take him under his wing the person who would be the second finalist in the entire state of Utah, and become a lawyer someday all of that , but at that point he was just a little boy with weird glasses that his parents should’ve replaced long before they did and that sweet person took him and helped him. Last night he thought about that story and he said I’m just in the same situation and it’s OK to start from the beginning and not know what you’re doing and we could never write our children off. We can’t just say oh quiz in law school he’s fine. There are always going to be things all the time that are hard and tricky and need prayers and support. I want to be there in every way, that I can for everyone of my kids at every minute that I can . It’s kind of beautiful that the Lord always keeps us learning and growing. Dad is pretty discouraged about his health. There’s been some new symptoms that are really really hard. I feel so bad for him. He’s a champ. He’s fighting it. He’s doing what he can but good grief it’s hard. Look at these beautiful flowers this morning. So I talked about Coy and Becca and baby Marcus has learned to say no and he knows exactly what it means and it’s kind of funny. He just is using it a lot right now. It’s so cute. It just makes me giggle. McKay is doing something so hard I don’t know if we give him enough credit. He is at Purdue freaking Purdue getting a masters degree and doing a super hard job and he does a lot for the baby. She is so incredible and positive and faithful and sweet and kind and happy all of the time. Even when Lydia gets a little snarky or sassy, he never returns it. He’s so incredible. I love him so so much. I’m not saying anything bad about her all of us get that way sometimes and you know she can be just like the rest of us but he just keeps it positive. I think Lydia is still looking maybe for a piece of identity or a project or someway to contribute financially or maybe some more friends or some thing somewhere to belong a little more. Yesterday she said she might become a nail technician last week. She said she might flip houses. She’s looking for a little side, hustle or project. But oh I’m so grateful that she hasn’t missed Griffin‘s life. That child is absolutely, unbelievable. She is so lucky to have him and he is so lucky to have her and it’s been so sacred and beautiful to watch. I feel like I need to help her have a little piece of life for her as she cares for these two precious babies . Maybe there’s a day every week that I tend so she can do some fun little project or some thing. I don’t know. Let me know if you have any ideas. Spenny!! and Kaela seem to be doing absolutely awesome. He admitted to me the other day that there are some lonely hours just because they’re both working so much and there’s a lot of time when he is literally alone or maybe all night and all day and who knows what and I think it’s been hard to go from the whole crazy Pham and all the stuff and things and all the Compost and other people and happenings to a much more quiet situation. He’s doing a really hard school this summer. I kind of hope he’ll quit one of his classes. I called him the other day just cause I was missing him so much and we were talking about his future and I said what are you really want to do and he said I want to build greenhouses so we got on that for a while and shared pictures and dreams in it. It was so fun I miss him so terribly. He is just so precious to talk to you and such a sweet person to be around. Nobody notices needs in the house and needs of the mama like Spencer does. so I guess I miss him in selfish ways but I really miss talking to him so much it’s like there was always a deep meaningful conversation going on. I love that boy. They are just rocking it though. I’m so proud of them doing so great and such a good match and feels like . Joseph and Ally are so in love it is absolutely amazing. They are the cutest sweetest people. I’m praying this week will be good for her and her family at the family reunion. Jeni is getting in the car!! And then we get to my Annie. Oh, how are you in for her and I love her with all of my soul and hope for every good thing. Grandma Jello is on full blown reunion mode! I am trying so hard to improve my discipleship, and to be a completely devoted, passionate disciple of Christ. I’ve already told you this, but it’s so profound it’s worth repeating. I asked the Lord what I could do to feel the spirit or and got that clear clear answer to say 310 minute prayers and have 9 1/2 of those minutes be gratitude. Just thinking about doing that even if I’m not doing it perfectly but trying to say those gratitude minutes and add them up during the day has been such an incredible exercise. It is changed my mindset from the fear and panic of not having enough money, and not being enough as a mom and not being enough as a theater teacher, and all the want, and last of wanting the barn, wanting a better place to teach theater and wanting money for retirement, wanting wanting wanting, wanting to fix the kitchen floor wanting all the lust and discontent just is quieted by gratitude. It has been profound and beautiful and straight from God. Do you see the deer eating Grandma Jello‘s flowers in the front yard? Confession, I’ve been sleeping in your bed every night because I miss you so much. And in that space, I’ve had some sweet experiences trying to be better and come closer to God. I remember this one conversation I had with my dad about not the signs of the Times meaning all the evidence that were in the last days, but the times of the signs. How in each of our lives God will call us to him. If we are not close enough to him, he will invite us to come closer through sometimes through trial and need and difficult experiences because he wants us home and he is going to keep fighting for that, and if a whisper doesn’t do it then sometimes it will turn into the earthquakes and the earth shaking experiences where we will turn to him. Like the time Nephi in the book of Mormon, prayed for a famine. If famine is what it takes to get us home to him, I think a. famine is what we will have. This reminds me of a talk by Elder Bednar about tithing. He said the tithing miracles aren’t always that will have all the stuff we need and will be able to pay her bills and will have an extra amount of money. Sometimes he paying our tithing curbs our appetite for worldly things, and we are peaceful where we were filled with want before. I like the idea of paying my tithing with my time as well and gratitude. It makes me happy. it really does. Are you taking him OK look up visit him over at Marchant because they just left for the hospital and the little girls are awake. OK if you go to So many of these people that are struggling a little bit with their faith or just kind of doing their own thing I want to say to them you don’t know when you will need that God that you say you don’t need right now. You don’t know when you’ll find out your child has leukemia or there’s been a car accident And you are praying for someone’s life. What I have learned is you never ever want to be so far away that you can’t cover that distance in seconds to get home to him and I just wanna be so close to God every second of my life that I can hear him whisper. I also want to be that close because if he needs me to help answer someone else as prayer I don’t want him to have to cover a lot of distance to come whisper that inspiration to me. I want to be right there right there at the ready so he can use me whenever and however he needs me. What absolutely fills my soul this week with joy is the love of the Savior and the love of heavenly father. I am just amazed that they never give up on us and that wherever we need intervention, whether repentance or forgiveness or compensatory blessings they are ready and anxious to help serve and bless. I am so grateful that every day is a fresh new start a beautiful new sunrise. Their arms are open and at the ready. And there is no detail to small that they wanna help with! I love you more than my own life. I would give it for you in a heartbeat. I want to every day. I never want to be away from you ever again after we do this. May the road rise up to meet you And the wind be on your back May the sun shine warm upon you And the rain fall gently down May God hold you, ever hold you May God hold you, in the palm of His hand Gently hold you, come enfold you May God hold you, in the palm, The palm of His hand May the stars come out to greet you As you lie your head to rest May the moonlight smile upon you And your dreams be ever blessed Your mama LOVES YOU!