Half a Dozen Kids

     I have spent at least one day a week with my Grandma Woodbury for the past 3 years. I have really enjoyed learning more about her and my Grandpa. She always tells me about how much she loves and misses my Grandpa. My Grandpa had Parkinson's disease and she spent a lot of time and energy taking care of him.
     While we were eating lunch today, I asked my Grandma if she had always wanted 6 children or if that's just how it worked out. She said she had always planned on having 6 kids, then she told me a funny story. She said, "There was this old lady who lived next door to us. One day I was wiping off Vicky's hands and face and she said to me, "Just wait until you have half a dozen of them, then it will change!" So I had half a dozen! And I showed her! I kept all of them clean!" :) This story perfectly describes my Grandma. She is always making sure things are clean and everyone is taken care of. My favorite part of the story was her facial expression and tone of voice when she told me what the lady said to her. She is such a funny lady and I love it when she tells me stories.

 Grandpa and Grandma Woodbury

Grandma and I on Valentine's Day in 2010 after the Madrigals sang for her.

Sister Kortnie Hansen goes to England!

     I went to East Elementary School for half of kindergarten up until I went to six grade at Desert Hills Intermediate School. One day when I was in third grade, during lunch, I went to use the bathroom. I saw a girl in there that looked familiar. I remembered the day before at church when her family was introduced in my ward. I asked her if she stood up at church yesterday and she said she did. I don't know what happened after that, but that was the moment I met my best friend. Kind of a weird way to meet someone, but it works I guess.  I rode my bike to her house almost everyday and we were always together. I loved every minute I spent at her house with her younger siblings. I felt like I was apart of the family, and I'm sure her mom felt like she had to take care of one more child while I was around. We spent many days in her backyard jumping on the trampoline and catching lizards. We also scrapbooked a lot together.

     Probably the most memorable moment with Kortnie was when her mom trusting us to babysit for about an hour or so (but it felt like forever). It was dinner time so we started boiling water for roman noodles. I don't remember if we even ate the noodles. Kortnie put a paper towel next to the stove and I moved it saying it could catch on fire and she said that her mom always put a paper towel there and she didn't know why, so she moved it back. Just a few minutes later, the paper towel was on fire and fell on the ground. We both panicked and instead of simply stomping it out, I grabbed a cup of water and flooded the fire. It left a nice burnt mark on the linoleum floor. We were pretty awesome babysitters. :) Pretty sure if everyone knew that story, I wouldn't have been the neighborhood babysitter growing up. 

     Kortnie decided to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She has been called to serve in the Manchester England mission for the next 18 months. She left a week ago and she says it is beautiful and she already loves it. I am so happy for her and the wonderful experiences she will have there. She is a wonderful girl and I am grateful for her friendship and example to me. 

     Kortnie, Brette and I became really good friends this past year. We are all doing different things and heading in different directions right now. Brette will be staying here as she was accepted to the Radiography program at Dixie State University. Kortnie is serving a mission, and I am awaiting my mission call. It is bitter sweet to know that we will be apart for a little bit, but I know we are all doing what we are supposed to. I have been so blessed to know these sweet girls!

Me, Kortnie, Brette the day before Kortnie left

Two future sister missionaries!

The day Kortnie received her mission call

Acceptance to the Special Education Program

     At the end of April I received a letter in the mail from the University of Utah. It was addressed to me on the envelope so I opened it to see what was inside. To my surprise, it was addressed to me on the envelope and the inside address, but the greeting said "Dear Jessica". I was a little confused. The rest of the letter said that I had been accepted (or Jessica had) to the Special Education program. I contacted my adviser and found out that they had made a mistake. It was kind of a funny mistake. I was excited, but just not certain if this was the program I should jump into at the moment. I decided to take some time to decide, but I was accepted! Woo!

     After a lot of thought and prayer, I have decided to serve a mission. I have been blessed with so many people who have helped me make this decision. I couldn't be happier with my decision to serve and I cannot wait to open the mailbox and see an envelope to me from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. :) My papers have been sent to Salt Lake City and I am awaiting my letter. YAY!

     

21st Birthday

Ya know, I think getting older is kind of a weird thing. I turned 21 and I still feel pretty young. I know I am young, but I don't feel as old as I always thought 21 was. When I was younger I thought 21 was WAAAYY old because you are usually graduated from college, or almost there. You could be married or go on a mission, and those just seem like huge things in life. It's funny how I never feel as old as I really am. I think I will always be childlike, and hopefully not childish. :)

Well, for my 21st Birthday I wanted to have a Tangled birthday cake. I told my mom and of course a Tangled cake is not enough to satisfy her, so she went all out. It was a fun day spent with my family and friends. I went to institute, where they sang to me and asked me some questions about myself. Then I went to work to play with my favorite two-year-old twins. After work I went to dinner with my family at Texas Roadhouse. Then we went home to eat cake and open presents. My sister made a wonderful cake for me and my mom decorated the table with Tangled decor. A few hours later, some of my favorite people (Kortnie, Brette and Braden) greeted me at my door wearing sombrero hats and played a guitar and sang to me. Then Susana and Angela came over and we ate some cake. Susanna and I share the same birthday, so it was fun to be with her.

Here is a lovely video of me and my lovely cake. I usually am not this ridiculous with matches.. I just happened to pick up the candle where there was frosting... and it was slippery... oops. :)

Grandma Taylor

In the middle of January my Grandma Taylor was going downhill very quickly. She passed away on January 19th and we had her funeral a week later. 
I have a lot of fond memories of my Grandma. When I was 4 my mom went back to teaching school. My Grandma and Grandpa Taylor took care of my every Monday. I spent many days with them and enjoyed every minute I spent with them. I will always remember eating tuna fish sandwiches and Spaghetti O's in the Spaghetti O bowl. I had my own little spot to eat (with the pull out cutting board as my table) while my Grandparents sat at the bar. It was always fun when Grandma let me sit at the bar with Grandpa. 

Some of my memories include:
·         Painting things Grandpa made in his workshop
·         Picnics
·         The Circle Park
·         Mini golf
·         Speghetti O's
·         Mowing the lawn
·         Dusting her house
·         The Price is Right
·         Dice game
·         Arctic circle ice cream cones
·         Jello 
·         Letters and notes from Grandma
·         Building a snowman with her on one of the few snow days in St. George

     I was blessed to know my Grandparents and to be very close with them. I am grateful that this is not the end, and I will see them both again.