For Jenny

Jenna has a special namesake, she was named after my best friend, Jennifer Ann, "Jenny". Jenny is Jenna's angel. Ten years ago this Halloween my world changed forever. My best friend, Jenny, died that evening at 5:01 pm going to a haunted house with some friends. I was living away from home and my mom, sister and brother-in-law drove 3 hours so they could tell me in person and be there to comfort me. I can only imagine the long drive that that was for them. I still remember it all too clearly. But, I am not going to dwell on that - she lived a wonderful life and changed my life forever and that it what I talk about.

I met Jenny my sophomore year in high school - we instantly clicked. We complimented each other very well. She once compared me to a mama chicken where I kept her in line, I think we kept each other in line. Jenny loved to dance and I loved to see her express herself in such a beautiful form. If you could see how my spirit dances, it would dance like she did. She was born in Germany and lived most of her life in Louisiana but moved to Utah just a couple years before I met her. People used to ask me to make her mad because that was when her Southern accent came out and for all of us that never left Utah it was a thrill and of course I obliged. We had a monthly fight just to blow off steam and would call each other the dumbest names we could think of like, "broken locker" and "empty carton of milk". I think that is what kept our friendship strong. I don't remember many fights, but people would ask if we were in one if we weren't together. We were inseparable. I knew that the drive to her house was 3.6 miles each way. I knew that if I took something out of her closet that she would say it looked good on me.

We spent Spring Break together and didn't now what to do, so we took our version of a road trip to Crystal Springs, about 40 minutes North of where we lived. We felt that that was the coolest thing ever. One New Years Eve we ended up singing to Belinda Carlisle's Greatest Hits because we couldn't decide which dance to go to.

I know Jenny is still with me - she helps me with so much. I know she is with Jenna - Jenna knows more about her than what I've told her and she loves to dance, just like Jenny. I am trying not to mourn this month, but it is so hard. It has taken years for me to become close to a friend again, for fear of that loss. Happy dreams don't come this time of year, I wish they would, but I will settle for no dreams over nightmares that I have had.

So Jenny, I will listen to our songs and write down my thoughts and await the day when we can meet again. I will greet you with open arms and know you will be there. We will smile and know that we are right back from where we left off. I miss you my dear friend and pray that are preparing my child to find my family. Tell him or her that I'll be a good mom and that I'm waiting as patiently as I can, but you know I'm not a patient person, so if you could, please send them soon.

It's been a month

I can't believe it's been over a month since I've updated - sorry.
I got an awesome job at a local elementary school and even though it's part time, it consumes my days. I am the SEM teacher and student council advisor - so my first job was to get student council going - that I am proud to say is now done! I have an awesome group of 8 6th grade girls who crack me up. They each have such wonderful personalities and I can't wait to get to know them better. Now, you ask...what is SEM? - It's the school-wide enrichment model. In a nutshell - enrichment is anything beyond core curriculum. I am over the gifted and talented program and teach those classes and also get speakers for assemblies, etc. It's a whole lot of work and I'm only allowed about 20 hours a week. It's wonderful though - this job was meant for me, it's what I love to do and what I really went to school for. I'm stressed, but it's a good stress.
In other news, I went to an awesome crop this weekend! It was in Idaho and up in the mountains in a cabin. My friend Misty (who rocks) invited me to come with her work. They had a ton of giveaways and I'm pretty sure I walked away with more than what I paid for the retreat. And we had someone who cooked the best food! Shockingly though, I was in bed relatively early both nights, about 2am and I was up around 9 for breakfast. I did over 20 layouts there and I am very proud of myself for that.
Well, I am off to bed - it has been a long weekend.

Jenna's Dance Debut - for the local high school drill team at a clinic

Jenna's first day at preschool - finally pics

Jenna's in Preschool!!!

Can you believe it? My baby is in preschool? She has gone twice now and she loves it - and I am relieved that she does. Her teacher is a sister-in-law to my high school spanish teacher (and probably one of my most favorite teachers). My little brother, Adam, had her for first grade and then Russell, my even younger brother had her in preschool.

Anyway, here are a few pics of her first day of school...ok, I WAS going to upload some pics but there seems to be a problem, so I'll try later (apparently blogger doesn't like DH's camera and how big the files are)

more California pics

ok, here's the video of my favorite song

Our vacation!

OK, Disneyland was awesome and was so much fun with Jenna and Jason there (especially Jenna, I love Jason, but really - Disneyland is so magical for little kids).
We left Saturday mid-morning and drove 7 hours until we got to south of Las Vegas, NV - a place called Primm and we stayed at a hotel where we heard the roller coaster until about 1 AM and then some sounds from the next room that I'm glad that Jenna didn't hear.
Saturday we drove into Anaheim and we were happy to find out our hotel was directly across the street from Disneyland, it took us less than 10 mins to walk out our door and get inside Disneyland! Jenna was so excited and then the first thing we did was take her on Snow White - oops, kinda scary! We then took her on some more fun rides like the Carousel (her favorite ride) and the TeaCups which I thought she would hate but she loved them and wanted to go faster and faster.
We met a lot of characters and my favorite was Goofy - he took the time and danced for awhile with Jenna, it was so cute and she loved it and it really helped her warm up to the other characters.
The princesses were of course Jenna's favorite by far...and paying the $70 for the 3 of us to eat at Ariel's Grotto was so worth it! We sat down to eat and 4 different characters came to our table and talked with Jenna for awhile. One of them was the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella (Jenna's current favorite story). Our waiter was awesome - couldn't have asked for a better waiter and then one of the royal court members came over and talked to Jenna because she was dressed like Snow White - he sounded exactly like Crush from Finding Nemo!

Well, I'm sitting outside and it's currently 100 degrees so I am going to finish this another time and go inside before I melt.

Check out my Slide Show!

My new favorite song

Seriously this song cracks me up and I love it!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=I_wQK0mHbuU

How much is your body worth?

I did this test, apparently it's not even worth a new car - sorry Jason

$4590.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth. From Mingle2 - Free Online Dating

Mingle² - Free Online Dating

I love you Bo Bo

Today has been hard. We've known for the last year that my parents dog, Bo, was going to pass away. It didn't make today any easier. Last night my dad decided to have Bo put to sleep (that seems so harsh to say). This morning he called one of his friends in animal control and had them come to his house to do it. My dad also had a neighbor make a cedar box to bury him in. The neighbor was so sweet, he even lined it with some nice soft red fabric.

Gosh, this is so hard. Bo has been with my family for 13 years. I grew up with him, he's my dog. He cuddled with me when I was sad - he made me laugh so many times.

I think the best way to memorialize him is to tell you about how we got him.

One day when my mom was out running errands my dad had been talking to one of his friends in animal control and they told him about a pair of ShihTzu's that he had just picked up. The elderly woman who had them just couldn't take care of them anymore. We instantly fell in love with the male, Bo - while the neighbors fell in love with the girl, Gidget. My dad told us not to mention anything to my mom until he got to talk to her - well, we didn't. As soon as mom walked in the door we were asking her if we could have a dog. She knew something was up and gave my dad that look like, what did you do? So, with all 5 kids and my dad in love with Bo, how could she say no? My dad cut a hole in the fence in between our house and the neighbors so that Bo and Gidget could spend time together. They would run back and forth in between the 2 yards and pretty soon got used to their own families and spent more time apart. I think that even though my mom didn't want a dog, she loves him and really loved having him around - even if she did complain every once in a while.

So, now today I am in mourning. I never thought that an animal could make such an effect on my life. He grew up with me. I love him and I will truly miss going over to my parents and not hearing him whining at the top of the stairs, wanting help down the stairs.

.

Utah's Pioneer Day Celebration

Oh my! What a relief! The float is done and it was a huge success! We even had quite a few people tell us that we had the best looking float of all 100+ floats! Many of the floats were made by professionals and we did this as an all volunteer group! We have some wonderful people who were in charge of it and made sure everything got done and they spent countless hours getting it ready. Jason and I added our approx 30 hours - but that was nothing compared to what they did. The people are made out of chicken wire, sheets, and lots and lots of glue & paint. The flowers are made out of foam and wire and we spray painted them.

For those of you non-Utahn's - here's the low-down on Pioneer Day. On July 24, 1847 LDS President Brigham Young looked down upon the Salt Lake Valley after a long trek across most of the US and said his now famous words, "This is the right place". We celebrate our state's pioneer heritage every 24th of July. It's a wonderful time to think back because I have pioneers in my family line and it's great to have a reminder of what they did for me. Some of my relatives we not even "Mormons" when they crossed the plains, but joined later.

So, for everyone out there...HAPPY 24TH OF JULY!!!

What song was #1 on your b-day?

A friend of mine gave me this link...thought it was fun

http://www.joshhosler.biz/NumberOneInHistory/SelectMonth.htm

Oh, mine is "I Will Survive"

Thanks to everyone

I wanted to thank everyone for their prayers and condolences this last few weeks. It has been a week since my aunt passed away. It was a wonderful service. It was short, just like my aunt had asked. My dad conducted the services and also gave a talk - he did an awesome job! My aunt, Judy also talked - she wrote this poem that I want to share.

You could find her in their trailer in the mountains near the stream.
You would see her beauty radiate, her smile a perpetual beam.
Her laughter made us happy, as her mouth she timidly hid,
And we loved to watch her face glow, embarrassed by what she did.

She loved to be with family, and friends that she held dear
in times of joy and times of sadness, she knew they were always near.
Her zest for life was evident in the way she tackled the dream,
And when it all seemed too difficult, she walked squarely down the beam.

She collected pigs, you may not know this, but they were everywhere.
They were in the kitchen, on the shelves, and in every here and there.
With her faithful dog named Shadow, in peaceful tending they sat,
Hundreds of them I'm telling you, she got them from this and that.

Karen was a JAZZ fan, but not the kind like me,
She didn't paint her face and act a fool like Jean.
She loved to go and watch us but stood some feet away,
But then when it was game-time, she'd go, but a distance she would stay.

When in Hawaii for treatment, with her first time cancer bout,
I went to visit for a while to see if I could help out.
We'd gone to the beach to get some sun, some young boys saw us there,
Thought she was Sinead O'Conner, got her autograph, and we did snare.

Another time while shopping, her head from chemo was bald,
There were those in the clothes shop talking, their words to me did scald.
But Karen wasn't offended, rather went straight-way to the mirror to dress,
And exclaimed "Judy, why didn't you tell me, my hair was such a mess?"

We laughed at all those experiences and shared so many more,
And now she's gone ahead of us, she's no doubt opening the door.
We'll all be there soon you see, our challenge is to prepare while here,
And when our time to graduate is come, there will be no reason for us to fear.

Now, Karen is not so far away, she's only around the bend,
And we'll be with her in twilight and in the morning glen.
The tears we shed, the heavy hearts, are just because we've loved,
She's free from pain and suffering, she sits with family above.

The circle of life is now complete, tho' her departure from us, too soon,
But we'll see her in the flowers, in the flow of the evening moon.
She'll touch you softly on your cheek, just as she did in life,
She goes in peace, she is content, your daughter, your mother, our sister, your wife.

My aunt, Karen

As I posted earlier this last week, my aunt Karen has been battling cancer. I found out this morning that she returned to her Heavenly Father during the night. I've never had a family member die from a terminal illness - it has been hard. I didn't see her much in the last year because she was so sick. I am really going to miss seeing her at family get togethers. I'm going to miss hearing her laugh and seeing her tease all of us. I know that she is in a much better place and that she now feels no more pain. She is with her mom and she is happy.

I've been tagged again

My friend, Kerstin, tagged me...so I'm playing

4 Jobs I've Had:
1. Carnie (so DH says - my family owned rides and I helped run them)
2. Mattress Warranty Lead
3. Desktop Compositor
4. Scrapbook paper collator

Movies I Can Always Watch:
1. Where the Heart Is
2. The Cutting Edge
3. Memoirs of a Geisha
4. Rocky & Bullwinkle Seasons

4 Places I've Lived:
1. Ephraim
2. Clearfield
3. Bountiful
4. West Point

TV Shows I Enjoy:
1. ER
2. Scrubs
3. Medium
4. Crossing Jordan (although I heard it was canceled - I am so sad)

4 Foods I Love:
1. Chocolate
2. Rolls
3. Apricots
4. did I mention chocolate?

4 Websites I Frequently visit:
1. Friend's and Family Blogs
2. Scrapjazz.com (I think I live there)
3. Postsecret
4. SLC Mommies

4 Places I'd Rather Be Right Now:
1. my bed
2. Hawaii
3. laying on the grass listening to the sounds
4. my mom & dad's backyard

ok...ummmm...I will tag MindySue, lesfitz, and inspiration

The 4th of July parade & carnival

I am so glad this week is over

It started out with an emotional Saturday last Saturday - which I don't want to get in to, but I'll just say it was adoption related. (No, no news to report)

Then, on Weds my aunt, Karen, was taken to the dr to see how her cancer was doing and they found more fluid, this time around her heart so they sent her to the hospital. They told her that the fluid around her heart was cancerous and at this point there was nothing they could do - so they sent her home the next day so she could die at home. Karen is so great and has always been so supportive. She is married to my dad's brother. We have a joke in my family about being the favorite aunt and who the favorite aunt is - that's how they all sign their cards & stuff. It's been really hard & emotional. I'm worried about my uncle and my cousins. They don't know what I know - they don't know for sure that they will see each other again and that she will be ok. I know they believe in heaven, but they don't know that families can be together forever and that is so hard. It's going to be a long time before I get to see her again and that makes me sad. I will miss her and I wish I could give her one last hug, talk to her one last time. As of tonight, she has not passed.

On Thursday, the neighbors had some friends over and one of the friends little boys put his hand through our fence and Fez bit his finger. There was one small puncture wound and then some scratches, but nothing really bad. To me, it looked like a definite warning bite. Well, the parents of the little boy felt like they needed to take him to be seen by a dr so they took him to the ER and they of course had to report to animal control. So, now Fez is under a 10-day home quarantine. Which means that we can't just let him out in our backyard to play or go potty - he has to be on a leash. The animal control officer will come by 2 more times to check on him to make sure he hasn't started to get sick or anything (to watch for rabies mostly). We also paid for the ER copay. And, next week we are going to start putting in privacy slats in our fence. We have probably over 200 feet of fence to put slats in and it's $35 per 10 feet! Thankfully since my parents yard and their field is the back part (the largest part) - we won't have to put them there.

So, that has been my week in a nutshell - we did get to go away camping again for a night and my dad and brothers watched Fez for us. It was definitely nice to get away and Jason was so good to take care of Jenna since I had been taking care of Fez and had such an emotional week.

darn those taggers

I have been tagged by MindySue on Scrapjazz and she will pay for this...so, I have to say 7 random things about myself and then tag 7 other people

1 - I went to the state high school tennis tournament - played second doubles
2 - I have had over 10 surgeries
3 - I have never broken a bone
4 - I am completely out of random things
5 - I am deeply upset that Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip has been cancelled
6 - I have worked at some weird places that all having something in common - see if you can pick it out...Dick Kearsley, RC Willey and POS
7 - I would love to visit the Netherlands one day (and not for the reasons some of you may think)

ok, I have no idea who to tag, so I will take nominations at this time