things i love thursday

red tights

hot chocolate

new mugs

the large number of movies I want to see

driving my Kia

losing a pound or two

constant Christmas music

Words with Friends

my bed

Goodnight!

awkward and awesome

I found this on a blog and thought it was completely entertaining. Here is my first post as an Awkward and Awesome follower:

awkward

- Celebrating after receiving a substantial tip today right before the guest walked in the back and heard the whole thing....whoops.

- Quote from work today: "Jenny, you just need to flip over!" (symbolic of course)

- (Story from a few days ago, but still awkward. And at the Joe. Interesting.) Last week, I was working as captain to a 50th Wedding Anniversary on the 9th floor with my friends surrounding me. I was responsible for making up a buffet table and the pressure was getting to me. I ran into the room next door to me to get an opinion on where to put rolls in an already uber-crowded table when I saw my friend, Tiffanee. She worked at the Joe awhile but quit at the start of the summer to be part of an internship. She came by to visit and just happened to be in the room when I walked in. She hugged me and asked how I was, to which I answered, "I'm a little stressed." Of course, I forgot why I walked into the room and started to back out, backwards. The other thing you need to know is that the 9th floor has rooms separated by columns out in the hallway. There I was, backing out without paying attention to where I was going, when I turned to head back to my room and ran, head on, into said pillar! Yes, yours truly ran into the wall. And not only that, my friends saw the whole thing.

- having to turn away to gain control of myself while laughing. Trust me, that could have been VERY awkward.

- trading shifts. That is never anything but awkward...

awesome

- learning my fortune according to utensils and a candlestick. Thanks Meish!

- Meish's "Gypsy Dance" that included falling off his chair. "It's all part of the dance!"

- happy guests that decide to leave a hefty tip

- peppermint tootsie roll pops

- Straight No Chaser! Where have these guys been all my life?

- after the previous awkward story, Jordan coming into the room and asking, "Did that just happen???"


- visiting sisters with Miranda and Whitney

- laughing so hard that both my face and my stomach hurt

- the Christmas lights covering the houses in a nearby neighborhood

- "sprinkles!"

- some boys I know

dreaming of a white christmas...

Love this!

Nobody sings it quite like Bing.

on the second week of Christmas...

The week started off with preparation to celebrate Sinterklaas. Every year since before I can remember, we place one of our shoes outside our door with a carrot inside. Sinterklaas arrives on horseback to deliver small gifts to children who have been very good. Those who haven't been good little girls and boys are thrown into Swarte Pete's sack and taken back to Holland to work for a year. We place a carrot in our shoes for his horse. The next morning, we awake to a candy strewn floor and an ornament by each shoe. Some years, books and movies have been involved. It is never a large gift but it is a beloved tradition just the same. My mother always says, "The best gifts come in small packages."

Since the Hortins are unbelievably booked this season, we asked the old man to come a few days early. He was kind enough to oblige. The only problem we encountered was that the delicious candy was scattered on the morning of Fast Sunday; meaning: we had to gather it all up in a bowl and leave it for later that day. Some days we have stronger willpower than others. Luckily, Sunday was one of those days.

Sunday continued with the usual three hour block but for some reason I have the hardest time getting ready on time the first Sunday of every month. That and I have the hardest time focusing. Kiera gave a wonderful lesson on how we can rely on the Gospel and the Lord when we are working through hard times so I tried harder in Relief Society to be supportive. Finally, it was time for Break the Fast! Cleaning up the room always takes longer than we expect, so as a presidency we weren't able to feast upon the Hawaiian haystacks we had been smelling for hours until all the chicken was gone. Surprisingly, pineapple cubes and pineapple juice taste pretty good on rice. But then, pineapple tastes pretty good on anything. (except pizza, but that's another story for another day.) The Sunday was lovely, especially when a certain someone made an effort to come and talk to me. *Sigh  (I may have just completely embarrassed myself if he happens to ever read this blog. For the time being, I think I'm okay.)

Monday brought with it the celebration of my dear mother's birthday. Her birthday is actually on the sixth of December, but remember that the Hortins are popular people in December? That being so, we celebrated with presents, dinner and cake a day early. Mom chose to go to Texas Roadhouse for dinner but we were under strict directions not to mention her birthday to anyone that worked there. The last thing Mom wanted was to have to sit on a saddle while the entire restaurant yells, "Yeehaw!" We ate ourselves silly, and then went home for cake. The cake was my birthday gift. I had a choir rehearsal (details still coming) and stopped by the catering office at the Joe to order a Chocolate Mint Torte. Believe me, it is even better than it sounds.  To finish our celebrating, Dad put up the tree, we started to decorate, and then went downstairs to watch Castle together.

Tuesday was a day I will not soon forget. It was officially my mother's birthday, and it was the performance for the choir I have been mentioning the last few posts. It deserves its own post because it was just that fantastic! Still, here is a teaser: I sang for the prophet! Told you it was something special...

Wednesday brought with it a visit to the Forgotten Carols! I love the Forgotten Carols! I sang in the choir my junior and senior years of high school, but this year, it was my little sisters' turns. Melanie sang last year or the year before but this year was the first for Carrie. They did a wonderful job and they had a wonderful time. I still prefer the story when it was mostly narrated by Michael McLean, but it's still good. We stayed after the performance to stand in line for the cast's autographs to document this special year. I love the music, but I wish Connie Lou was still played by Katie Thompson. She is a power house! One day, I would love to be able to sing like her. (I know, right?!)

Thursday started very early in the morning as I drove down to Provo to go to the temple with Ao. It was early and dark and a long, lonely drive, but I wouldn't trade any minute I spent there with her for anything. I have much to learn from this wonderful girl. I hope that I can be as great an example to anyone as she has already been to me. Sadly, I'm getting old. I doubt another girl that walked in after us was over twenty. But then again, we were in Provo...

The day wasn't complete without a trip up to Carden Memorial and a visit to my dearest friend, Pixel. We shared thirty minutes that flew by way too fast. Still, I had the grandest time. I love that girl!!!!!!!!

Strangely enough, that night the Church of Scientology came for their Awards Dinner to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. I was working with my friends, Bryan and Christian, and Nicolee, who was experiencing her first day. The entire time, we kept asking ourselves, "Do they know where they are? Don't they know they are in the JOSEPH SMITH Memorial Building???" They chose the Wasatch Room with no view of the temple, so I suppose they may have forgotten. It was something. The room smelled thickly of cigarette smoke, incense, and something I couldn't really put my finger on. I was almost positive that Tom Cruise was going to come waltzing through the front door, but to no avail.

The best part of the night was after the smelly scientologists left the building. Bryan, Christian, Nicolee, and I grabbed cups, gathered around the alcove and drank some hot apple cider with caramel sauce and whipped cream. The fun escalated into a small food fight where the guys got the better of me. By the end, I had whipped cream covering my back and chocolate mousse covering my face. Sometimes we go a little a crazy to maintain our sanity. I really am mature. Promise. The weekend was another bunch of serving functions with good friends and a certain young man that kept me smiling. I was lucky enough to not work a double but life remained as busy as ever.

I never knew I could fit so many things into 24 hours until we entered into December. I surprised even myself.

beginning to look a lot like christmas

Christmas boxes of decorations sit in the front room. Santa's workshop has arrived in the basement. The cd player in my car constantly plays a mixture of Karen Carpenter, Bing Crosby, Donny Osmond, The Forgotten Carols, and Eclipse. The illuminated milk jugs line my front walk and the advent calendars have made a surprisingly early appearance. Christmas season is underway!

I am among the few that stubbornly wait until the day after Thanksgiving to welcome in the holiday. Kozy 106.5 can play "Feliz Navidad" until the cows come home. Christmas begins for me on what others refer to as Black Friday. And oh, what a time I've had since then!

The holiday arrived with a trip to Gardner Village to celebrate Maggie's birthday. As previously stated, I'm so glad that my family rediscovered this little gem in the valley. After a delicious dinner at Archibald's, we wandered through a few of the cozy shops and found an extension of Santa's workshop around every corner. The little elves were adorable. My favorites were the roller-skating elf delivering cookies and the ice skater that lost his footing and ended up sliding on his back pockets.

Later in the week, I began to experience the holiday through the eyes of a banquet server. If you thought that August is crazy, try and schedule an event in December. Good luck! Thursday was an Inspirational Art Show in the Bonneville Room. By the end of the night, I was wishing I had thousands of dollars to purchase the magnificent artwork on the walls. As my shift was ending, I saw a portrait of the Savior that was selling for $98,000! I gasped...and walked away. If every shift could provide walls upon walls of images of the Savior, I think I wouldn't have as much of a pickle on my hands.

Friday was a trial unto itself. I started the day with a choir practice for the DMC Christmas party (I'll explain later), and while I was catching up with my good friend, Dallin, my eyes started to go funny. I don't know how else to describe the sensation, but suddenly I saw lines of moving lights somewhere in my line of sight. As time progressed, my hands went numb and a migraine hit with full force. Sadly, I was scheduled to work and it was too late to call in sick. I drove carefully over to the Joe, praying and pleading for strength. He answered my prayers as I met up with Laurel. She kindly suggested that I go to the Catering Office and request a Bride's Room key so that I could go where it was quiet and attempt to sleep it off. The next time I use a Bride's Room, a wedding dress better be involved. I spent about half an hour away from the world on a fancy, though surprisingly comfortable couch. After, it was mind over matter as I worked through the pain. As long as I kept myself distracted, I was fine. Still, there were a few moments were I had to sit or put my head down. It has been a long time since I have felt so completely useless. Hopefully, I can take better care of myself.

Saturday, thankfully, I was back to myself. Thanks to it being the weekend, the entire day was planned, minute by minute. It began with my first Brighton meeting (Hooray!) with Ao and the Presidency. Meadow made the most divine butterscotch pull-aparts and hot chocolate. I have already begun a quote book for Brighton Staff 2012:

Ao: "I'm not opposed to goo."

Duke: "If everything in this world were fried, there would be no war!"

The next 8-9 months are going to rock my socks! After presidency meeting, I brought Ao over to my house with the intent to figure out the theme for the summer. We didn't quite figure that out yet, but it is coming along. More than anything, we just sat and talked. She is wonderful! I am so lucky to have a friend in Ao!

Next, it was off to the South Towne Expo Center for the Festival of Trees! I love the Festival of Trees and have done since I was a  little girl. I met up with my family and saw some of the most amazing trees. It is true that after a few aisles the trees begin to look exactly the same, but luckily, I wasn't there that long. We found Melanie's friend Kenzie's tree and I stood watching and attempting to be supportive as my little sister mourned the loss of a dear friend.  Sweet Melanie has such a tender heart and makes friends everywhere. In the short time we stood in front of it, every member of my family in attendance was in tears. It was a beautiful tree and a wonderful tribute to a wonderful girl. To end our little excursion, Dad treated us to scones and honeybutter from the stand that is located in the back. It was delicious! I don't think I have ever eaten so much breaded goodness in one day before.

Then it was off to work again for me. I, alone, was scheduled to work in the Ambassador Room with Elder Koelliker and his family with ten guests in attendance. It was a quiet night for me, but completely enjoyable. His family was so sweet and generous. I would love to serve them again and again, and I rarely say that about people.

Before the night was over, I made an attempt to catch up with family at Oma's annual visit from Sinterklaas. The night is complete with singing dutch songs, eating until your buttons pop, the gift of a chocolate letter, and sitting on the man's knee. Sadly, I missed the majority of the festivities as I didn't arrive until just after 10 pm, but I was able to see my Oma and McLelland cousins while feasting on a delicious nanaimo bar.

This was just the first few days of the season. I started this post days ago but had to leave it. Just you wait readers, the month continues to bring joy and gladness to my heart and I would be happy to share it all with you.

(Apologies for the lack of pictures. I have basically given up on this camera of mine.)

happy birthday to my mommy

Life's Lessons I've Learned from my Mother:

laugh

when you don't know what else to do, sing and dance

put others first

the remedy for a rough day is a hug

 family is first in everything

 life is a lot easier to deal with if you don't take yourself too seriously and have fun

 never leave the house without earrings or lipstick

never let family leave without waving at the doorstep until they are safely around the corner

practice makes perfect

music makes tedious tasks bearable

music makes anything more bearable

it is always a good time for chocolate

wearing heels is good for you

go after your dreams

saying, "be careful" is another form of "i love you"

talking things through with her solves every problem

falling is funny

the harder the fall, the funnier it is

celebrate anything and everything

 a spoonful of chocolate frosting is good for the soul

read the scriptures

pray always

serve where you are placed

work hard

leave people better than you found them

everyday can be a holiday, if you want

iron your pillowcase

sour cream in mashed potatoes is delicious

fold slacks according to the seams

it isn't where you are, it's who you're with

collect what you love

be genuine

she is never too far away when I need her

the hardest trial can be handled if you are able to find joy in the little things

love!

My mother is the best woman I know. She is the best cook, even though she hates it. She is the best teacher, the best listener, and the best mother I could have ever asked for. She faces the world with a smile and a song and never lets a day go by without letting me know, repeatedly, that she loves me. The world is a better place because she is in it.

I love you, Moeder, more than words can say.

Love, your Jenny

happy sunday!

and Merry Christmas!

december!!!

I hope you are as excited for this Christmas season as I am.

I've already been listening to Christmas music for a week now.

I know Christmas usually means craziness for most of us, but the craziness makes me excited. I love being able to celebrate the Savior's birth with friends and family in as many ways as possible.

Here's hoping that working at the Joe doesn't consume my month...

Happy December 1st to YOU!

giving thanks

Thanksgiving is one of my all-time favorite holidays. I love the entire month of November because it helps me stay in the "Attitude of Gratitude." If only I could remain more constant the rest of the year. Since today marks the end of such a wonderful month, I need to take a moment and truly express my gratitude for the many blessings in my life. There are far too many to count!

my Father in Heaven and His constant care

my Savior, Jesus Christ

my mother and father 

their constant love and devotion

my crazy, goony, wonderful sisters and how they make me smile

a brother in heaven that pushes me to be my best

grandparents

extended family

my heritage

forever friends - you know who you are

scriptures

Thomas S. Monson

semi-annual general conference

temples

wednesday institute and forum

tender mercies

BRIGHTON

sources of income

a roof over my head

food to eat

my new source of transportation

  the RS Presidency and fellow sisters of the Crescent Park Ward

lessons in the form of trials

my testimony

life

(Those are the BIG ones. Now a little more informal and in no particular order.)

laughing

the smell of a new car

Utah football

the new H&M

boy stories

Oma sandwiches

love notes

my iPhone!

snazzy music

mom's homemade chocolate chip cookies

books, books and more books

piano

guitar

my voice and the ability to sing

exercise

my pillow

freshly starched pillowcases

covergirl foundation

falsies mascara

mom's cooking

thick blankets

on demand

left overs for lunch

good hair days

the toaster

redbox

Wendy's drive thru

my iPod and earphones

ice machine

clear Solo cups

heels

dressing up

orange and robin's egg blue

dates: good, bad, and in-between

Bo Willy

television

girls' nights

parking lot dancing

hiking

hang out sessions

catch up phonecalls

ridiculous messages

snuggling

 moments at work that ends doubled up in laughter

kids' cups

4 hour shifts

Joe friends

frozen yogurt

purple striped gloves

scarves

AFV app

crackle nail polish

my watch

and everything else that I might have missed

just because

Mark Twain is 176 today! Couldn't let it pass by without an honorable mention

and be a true English Major :)

(Hey thanks, Google, for the heads up.)

Quotes:

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.

'Classic.' A book which people praise and don't read.

Humor is mankind's greatest blessing.

When in doubt tell the truth.

Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mark_twain.html#ixzz1fERFg3WX

 

26 on nov. 26

Another birthday celebrated in the Hortin home and this time it belongs to my big sister.

Happy Birthday, Mags!

To help celebrate this blessed event, Dad ltreated us girls with manicures! I've never had a manicure before. I had a pedicure once down in St. George with friends while we were on Spring Break, but that had been my only experience until a few days ago. Needless to say, I don't know much about the whole situation. Still, I loved it!

Maggie was originally planning on going with some of her EFY friends, but we added to the party. When we walked into US Nails (South Towne Center/ It is fabulous. You should go. End of plug.), the owner appeared to be in seventh heaven. I now understand what people are talking about when they say that the Asians speak to each other in their native tongue and you automatically suppose they are talking about how you. Totally understand!

(I apologize for the dark photographs. My camera and I are not getting along at the moment.)

So pampered on her birthday! Why be anything else?

That's me, soaking my fingers. 

I don't know who had the better time...

Then, on Monday, we celebrated again by going out to dinner at Archibald's in Gardner Village. We rediscovered Gardner Village this summer at a lunch date with Grandma and Patti. We've become addicted since. The food at Archibald's is delicious and the shops around the village are so much fun!

(Again, I don't understand why the flash wouldn't work. My camera turned all my pictures orange! We are not on speaking terms at the moment.... or whatever.)

Lemon Chicken with Rice Pilaf- eat your heart out JSMB

I love my sister! I love how she wants to know about my life even though she moved away. I love the way she squeals when she thinks something is really funny. I think she looks like Snow White. I love her sense of style. I love when we talk about boys. I love to watch her teach. I love hearing her testimony. I love how she pushes me to be better.

 I love you, Margaret Anne!

a few snapshots

Maggie gave me this idea a little while ago, and since I have been using my iphone camera so much lately to document things, it seemed a perfect idea. I give you:

Life According to My Iphone

I helped Melanie ask her friend Cameron to the Halloween Dance. That's pretty original, if you ask me. We got the scariest faced blue pumpkin in the store. The plan was to go and ask him that same night but his porch is the most difficult to doorbell ditch. The house is up on a hill with a large flight of stairs leading up. There is no place to hide! Melanie came home during lunch the next day and we walked up and laid it out on the porch. Mel did the work. I was just there for moral support.

*

A few weeks ago, the Hortin fam went on an awesome road trip. (I promise pictures are coming. I have been having trouble with my camera not wanting to work....But I'm working on it!) We went down to Zion's National Park. It was beeeeautiful! I found this little Park Ranger uniform in the Gift Shop and had to take a picture for the only Park Ranger I know... How cute is that?! Seriously. It even came with the huge hat.

*

The same day I went to talk to Laurel at the Joe about my situation, the building was hosting a Christmas Show. It is like the Wedding Show we did last January, but everything is Christmas. The businesses who come every year for their Christmas parties are invited to come and sample some new dishes and get a sense of what their party could be. I hung around and helped a bit, but had to take a few pictures of some of my favorite centerpieces. The floral shop is amazing! I just wish they weren't so expensive!

This one was my favorite! I love the asymmetry!

I had a sample of the Chocolate Mint on the far left.

AMAZING!!!

The show was in the middle of October so if you looked out the windows of the Empire Room, you didn't really feel the Christmas Spirit. Ergo: the curtains were closed, Christmas music was blaring through the sound system, and Dianne even found some Christmas Air Freshener to make the room smell like a Christmas tree! I laughed. And had to take a picture.

*

Melanie's answer:

Melanie received a text from Cameron to look outside and found a giant trifold painted black and plastered with stars. We sat there for awhile trying to make out the word YES as a constellation when Mom thought maybe, just maybe, we should take off the stars and see if the answer was on the back. I have a smart Mother.

*

Taken from the Gold Room on the Mezzanine floor. I love the colors of autumn, especially the bright oranges and reds! And the fact that the temple is there in the background makes it all the better. I could be a professional.......iPhone picture taker.

Do those exist?

*

You already know this little bit of news, but I took a picture of the front of my binder because it is such a sweet story to me.

The morning that I learned I was to be next summer's Director (Whoa, gosh! It still gives me chills.), Zim brought my binder in her car. It was snowing pretty hard when we got there and some snow had fallen into a basket Zim brought with her. The basket held pinecones. I think she used it as a centerpiece or something. The snow melted and somehow got into the front pocket of my binder. When Zim handed it to me, she told me over and over again how sorry she was that it was smeared, that she would print me another and mail it to me, and that she felt simply sick about it. In all honesty, I don't want anyone to touch it. That morning will always hold a special place in my heart and I will keep this sodden sheet of paper to remember it by.

*

Sometimes, at work, we work buffets. And sometimes, those buffets are long and boring. So, we find something to entertain ourselves. This experienced involved my good friend, Bryan, and thirty-five cherry tomatoes.

After, he spit them all out in the garbage can with just enough noise that Elizabeth and I turned around and both almost gagged.

*

Another adventure at the Joe: a reception in the Wasatch Room. The bride and groom's first date involved watching Tangled. So they attempted to recreate the "Floating Lights" scene in their reception. It was perfect! I might want to do something just like that whenever I have a reception, but the colors may be tweaked a bit....

(Oh, that's my friend, Michelle.)

*

Today, I went with the younger sisters to H&M. Don't worry- it is only my third time since it opened. We were waiting to get on the elevator over in the men's clothing, and Melanie found this pacifier stuck in a mannequin's hand. I don't know who put it there or why, but it was just too perfect to pass by without taking a picture.

You can't really see it because the plastic is see-through, but it is that pink thing in his hand.

Then, on the drive home, we found this little guy working out like mad on the side of the street.

He has a face and tied up sneakers.

And he was going at it!

Another picture too great to pass up.

My life, ladies and gentlemen. Don't you wish you were me? :)

JK!

sweet sixteen

(I need to ask a favor. Pretend that the date is actually November 20, 2011 instead of today...Can you do that for me? Thanks a bunch!)

TODAY IS MY BABY SISTER'S BIRTHDAY!

We have hit another milestone in her young life, and every single day I am grateful to be a part of it.

What I love about this girl:

She is such a goon!

The fact that every time I call her a goon, the conversation goes as follows:

me: Carrie, you're a goon.

Carrie: I'm not a goon. You're a goon, Goon!

*This has been going on for a good while. It was a happy day in my life when she said it while we were in the hospital. The memory still brings tears to my eyes.

 "Rootbeer" eyes

Her irritation with people's feet

The mornings when the first thing I see is her sweet face as she wakes me up for breakfast.

She has the ability to reach out to people and let them know they are special.

The times when she decides to straighten or scrunch her hair and she needs my help.

Whenever I am feeling low, she puts up a hand and hollers, "GIVE ME FIVE!" (Which means that you now must list five things you love about yourself, and often they can't be the same things that you said last time)

Her hugs

Her testimony

The determination of this girl continues to move mountains.

I wish I was more like her :)

happy 27!

This post is in honor of my wonderful parents who are celebrating 27 years of marriage today. I hope that I have the privilege in my future life to be able to say that.

My mom and dad are my heroes! They are always there for each other, no matter what happens in our crazy life. They have seen much of life, a good portion of it that neither of them planned on, but they keep each other laughing.

How grateful I am for the decision my parents made to be sealed in the temple and the gift it is to be sealed to them for all eternity. Happy, happy, happy day in the Hortin home today!

Mom and Daddio:

I love you! I love how you show your daughters how much you love each other. It gives me hope for my future life. Thank you for being exactly who you are and teaching me to be who I am. Everything I am comes from you. I am the luckiest girl in the world!

Love, me

remember how...

I love TV?

I know that you have probably gotten sick of me talking about Castle and Chuck, my two favorite shows, but I have another one to add to the ever growing list.

Have you ever heard of Pan Am?

If the answer is no, then let me help get you up to speed.

Sundays at 9 pm on abc! Watch it! 

As you may expect, the show is based on the Pan American Airlines during the 60s. My favorite story lines are that of Dean and Collette (oh my gosh!) and Laura and Ted. Each episode, I can't decide which pilot I love more. 

Here's just a nibble. I hope you enjoy!

(This is Dean and Collette, btw)

This is up there with Castle and Chuck for sure!

happy day!

Another announcement from the life of Jenny Hortin!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE

is now open

at FASHION PLACE MALL!!!!!!!


Remember the excitement when I went shopping there in Las Vegas???

Now up that to the thousandth degree and you might get close to my excitement level that there is finally one in UTAH! And fifteen minutes from my house!

Somebody better hide my wallet from me. I could be in trouble.

Holy Smokes! I am so excited!!!

Take a gander:

http://www.hm.com/us/subdepartment/LADIES?Nr=90001

and if you have a free afternoon, call me up and we'll go!

growing up

I have another announcement! As you can see, these past few weeks have been rather exciting in the life of Jenny Hortin.

My announcement?

I bought a car!

A 2010 Kia Optima 

That's right. This has been a long time coming and it finally worked out so that I could take the plunge and have my own wheels. I have been researching cars for months and tried to get a loan through the bank to get things underway. They said I didn't have enough credit history but that my score was fine. So, I started looking at dealerships that advertised that they would sell to those with little to no credit. That's how I ended up at Larry H. Miller Used Car Supermarket.

Dad and I headed out after putting in a few hours at the office. I was so excited but had no idea that I would be driving the car home that night. 

Jenny Hortin has a car! It only took six years, but it finally happened. I'm finally growing up!

i know what you're doing next summer!

*This picture was taken during move-out of 2009. It was raining/snowing in the middle of August! Sorry the flash is in the way but the window says, " I <3 Brighton" (and oh how I do)

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have an announcement to make. Harmony, aka Jenny Hortin, is headed back up to Brighton LDS Girls' Camp next summer and working as none other than DIRECTOR! 

Yes, you read correctly. Director 2012! Me! Working as Director! I am so excited!

Story time: The last week of camp is Christmas week and Tuesday night the staff has a big Christmas Party where they eat lots of yummy food and exchange presents. To make this possible, past staff members are invited to come and patrol the cabins as the girls go to sleep. Last summer, Gloria called me and asked me to come help. I jumped at the chance!

I went up with my friends Pixel and Jibber. We had a wonderful time hiking and talking and patrolling, but I was struggling with a feeling that I couldn't name and really can't explain. I tried talking it out with Pixel but we kept running into friends and never really finished the conversation. 

At some point during the night, I met up with my wonderful friend, Granola, as she was helping a staff member that had injured her foot. We started to talking and, one way or another, she told me they were changing the process of hiring a director and firmly stated, a number of times, that she thought I should apply. This all happened months ago but it really got me thinking.

Camp ended and I went about living life and trying to figure things out. In the middle of September, my sister Carrie forgot something at home that she was supposed to take to school. I attempted to text her and ask if she needed it but I hit the wrong contact on my phone without realizing it. A few minutes later, Carebear (a member of the Brighton Presidency and a good friend of mine) texted me back saying that I had mistakenly texted her but that she was happy to hear from me. I apologized and felt terribly sheepish when she returned my text with the question: Is my Brighton door shut? 

That really got the ball rolling. I mentioned that I had been thinking about applying. Throughout the course of the next month or so, I received emails and text messages from Carebear as reminders that the deadline was coming up. I had an issue with getting a letter from my Bishop because as I was going in to talk to him and get my application in the mail, I learned he had left for Hawaii for two weeks! (Lucky man...) I called Carebear on the phone to ask how I should go about handing in an application, if it was okay to turn it in without my Bishop letter, and if he could mail it in later. Talking to her on the phone, I could sense her excitement and that made my excitement increase, although I don't know how that was possible. Application turned in, I received a phone call from Duke, another counselor in the presidency, to set up an interview for October 29th. I made a note on the calendar for JSMB and kept my fingers crossed. 

I don't think my interview could have gone better. I tried not to count my chickens, so to speak, but I knew that I had done everything possible. I had done everything that I knew how to do. Standing up to leave, I realized that I didn't want to. Still, I didn't want to overstay my welcome, but looking back, I felt something. And maybe, even a part of me knew what was going to happen.

The next Monday, Zim, the president, called me and asked if I would be able to come in that Saturday for a second interview. A second interview? Okay...... She said that it would be for a few hours so keep my morning open and I could come in jeans. She had me thinking, "What are they going to make me do???"

Last Saturday, I woke up early, got ready, and headed out. It was funny to me because I didn't feel nervous. At all. I drove slowly through the snow and got there a few minutes late, but eventually found where I needed to be. Walking to the room, I noticed Ao sitting outside the room. I figured that I was first and she was waiting for me to be done. Carebear came out and asked both of us to come in. I said hi to the presidency and they all came over to hug me. Carebear pointed to one of the two hot seats and said,"Harmony, you sit here." Okay.

Zim started the interview by asking Meadow to pray. Meadow prayed like this was a normal interview. Then, Zim said that they wanted to know how we would problem solve with another person. In front of each of us were baskets with small envelopes--- (Still have them for my scrapbook)

We were to grab one, read the question, and figure it out together. In my head, I'm thinking, "This is interesting. I don't think they've ever done this before." Then I started to read:

All I remember thinking then was "Where's the question?" I couldn't even believe it! It was such an out of body experience. I came back to myself when I heard Ao make a squeaking noise. We were totally played! Meadow jumped up and started taking pictures. Zim was so excited! She looked like a three year old on Christmas morning. Carebear was smiling so wide! Oh the shock! It still doesn't quite seem real.

I'm official. I have my binder and everything. The Presidency took us out to breakfast at Mimi's (swanky, holy smokes, delicious!) and we started talking about changes that are going to be made and things that we are going to be doing. There is so much! But I am ready. 

I realize the trust that Heavenly Father has placed in me. I know that He expects great things, and together, we can do them. I am so excited to be working with Ao! We met a few times during the summers that she worked but I have so much to learn from this wonderful girl!!! I wish it were January/ February already so that we could get started and run with this whole thing. My puzzle came together a little bit more on Saturday and I couldn't be more grateful!

Program Director Harmony...

Just you wait, friends. 

Director Harmony is here!

(Oh gosh, that sounds crazy)