ELDER ELIAS JENSEN UPDATE!

Hey fam just wanted to give you a couple updates on Eli ...

First he was struggling with severe abdomen and lower back pain over the last week or so and after many doctor visits/tests they found he has kidney stones and H pylori. He's been on all kinds of meds to help them pass the stones and deal with the infection. Today's the best he's felt in a while and they should pass within a couple days

Second he just got transfer news and he's moving to Cañeta (2.5 hours south of Lima) so he'll catch a flight from Ayacucho tomorrow morning to Lima then take a several hour bus ride down to Cañeta. His new comp is Latino but from Hawaii and Eli will be zone leader with his comp!

We've been so blessed having Eli out serving and so has he! Eli loves the Lord and he's so excited to continue serving the people of Peru 

TWINS RUN FOR STUGO!

 Sometimes you look at your kids and watch them do things you would never be brave enough to o yourself and you just have to sit back and smile! I am so proud of these boys for pushing beyond their comfort zone. Nash and Tyson ran for Student Body President and Vice President and Tyler ran for Stugo Rep. Sadly, Nash won but Tyson did not. He ran against a girl who had a sister in 8th grade and all the 8th graders voted for her. What's even sadder is that a lot of the juniors didn't even get to vote. If they were in seminary they couldn't vote and a lot of football players were going to vote for him but didn't get too. Tyson only lost by less than 10 votes! Tyler won stugo rep though so that's good. Tyson gets to be a Student Body Officer over something and so that means he has to take an extra hour of Stugo....so on his own he went up to Misty and Lisa and asked if Tyler could be it too because they always have every class together. I love them so much! I am so proud of them for doing this, it's so much work!! For putting themselves out there!! And for sticking together! My sweet twinners!! 

(Also, I don't mean to brag, but I did make their posters, bribe Mr Brooks with a case of monsters to let them in the school one night to make their video, etc - ha ha!)

JUNIOR YEAR STUGO ELECTIONS!

 The boys had a choice for their senior year....run for STUGO again or be on NHS...they went with STUGO - easy choice! Nash talked Tyson into running for VP with him and he run for President. These 2 made a campaign video based on "The Office". They did a good job, we made some posters together, I made some posters for Tyler and Mikey - they didn't want any of my good creative ideas...they went with boring but oh well. They won their Stugo Rep positions! Nash won President...but sadly, Tyson did not win VP. The girl he ran against had a sister in 8th grade and all the 8th graders voted for her...and double sad...a bunch of juniors did vote because they didn't want to pull their chromebooks out, then Nash Hall told us that the kids in seminary didn't vote and a bunch of football players were going to vote for Tyson and the poor kid only lost by less than 10 votes!! If we could have gotten all the people to vote, he would have won....he for sure had the upperclass votes....but it's ok...I am SO proud of him for going out of his comfort zone and doing that. On the brightside...losing means he won't have to do as much or make speeches so he has that going for him, ha ha. 

Because he ran for office and didn't make it, he automatically gets to be in STUGO and Misty and Lisa decided to make him an SBO (Student Body Officer). Being an SBO means you have to take an extra STUGO class....sweet little Tyson all on his own said to Misty and Lisa, "Can Tyler be in 4th hour too because we always have the same schedule!" how cute is he! Twin love for sure!! 

I love these boys, the friends they have made in STUGO, how it makes them get out of their comfort zone, grow as humans....and their advisors are the best of the best! So proud of them! 

MOM CAR FAREWELL!

 Jared was mean to me and talked me in to getting a new car. He had valid points....I'm driving around a 7 passenger yukon with 1 person, the warranty will end in 10k miles, I spend a lot on gas each month going to work, insurance is more, etc....but it was REALLY hard to want to get rid of it because it was my dream mom car, I loved that car, that car has driven too many carpools to sports practices filled with way too many boys inside and getting rid of it feels like I am just one step closer to closing that "mom chapter". I know boys don't need rides anymore, etc....but its still really hard to want to get rid of it! 

But before I would let Jared sell it....I texted all my cute Chandler boys and picked them up and took them to DQ for one last car-filled night with my boys - they made me laugh, they are too big to double buckle now, but they filled my momma heart! It was everything to me! 

In the end... I caved. I hate it. I am not happy about it. This car is everything I am NOT....but I guess I am the bitter owner of a new tesla. 

CAM'S BAPTISM!

 The boys friend, Cam from Stugo (I got to know him on the Disneyland trip and he knows how to Disney - has the app down, etc - he was fun!), started taking missionary discussions with Mikey. He then made the decision to be baptized. Mikey baptized him, Kendal and another HS boy spoke at it, HS kids said the prayers and any boys who had the priesthood participated in him receiving the Holy Ghost. It was an amazing baptism seeing all those high school kids and ALAQC staff come out to support him. Love this group! 

LYDIA'S FAREWELL!

We went to Lydia's farewell. She did a beautiful job! Netherlands is getting a good one for sure!! 

TWINS JUNIOR PROM!

 One of my favorite things about STUGO is the fact that it forces Tyler to go to the school dances. I know he hates the asking and the build up to it, but then I know he has the best time! Word on the ALAQC street is that Tyler and Conner are the funnest dance dates!! Thank heavens for Misty for talking Tyler into going to Prom. He swears he will never go again - ha ha! One Saturday we spent the morning shopping for their suits - they hated it! So they took a break and played on their phones while we shopped for them - ha ha! Since Tyson and Lizzy broke up just before prom it was hard for Tyson to find a date because most girls had been asked already....luckily we came up with the best idea and it was Lainey Bell! They had the BEST time! Tyler had a lot of fun with Jozie too! Me, Emma and Della spent Saturday running around to all the boys prom pictures and enjoyed watching all the kiddos! After prom both groups ended up at KTR with the rest of the school! 

Tyson & Lainey
Day date: boating at the lake/playing in a local pond
Dinner: The Keg

Tyler & Jozie
Day date: dinner and roller skating (Tiffany Szymanski caught them out to dinner & took a pic)
Dinner: Sauce