You will be Missed.. RIP Jeremy.

Though I wasn't able to have a close relationship with Jeremy, when I did come to visit I always felt like I was a part of the family. Part of that was because of Jeremy. He was the most kind person. He was always thinking of other people before himself, making sure his family (whether that be his parents and siblings or his wife and daughter) were taken care of. I remember every time I came to Utah it was his mission to get me to dance at least once with him. When I was around 8, Rhosby had me try on a traditional mexican dress and do the mexican hat dance around Jeremy. She taught me the dance and I believe we used to have it on video. There was one time where I spent like 5 days at their house when I was in my teens and Johnny and Jeremy and Rhosby all danced in the kitchen. "dance with your hips not your upper body..." and then this summer, Jeremy got me up off my chair and made me dance once again. He took the time during the song to teach me the rhythm of the dance and when and how to move my feet. It was always fun to be around him. He will be missed. He is in a better place. Thank you for being such an inspiring example to all of us, Jeremy. We love you very much. 

thoughts

As I'm reflecting over the events of the weekend I am feeling very loved and blessed. I have to say that I have not always felt welcomed. As a child, you have certain reserves being around people you hardly know. But as I get older, I seem to just realize that with each time I come out to spend time with my extended family, I feel loved. I was welcomed with open arms. Everyone was eager to spend time with me and help me get from one place to the next. I really felt like I had been around all the time  and not just a visiter every so often. I stayed with Sadie and all the thanks in the world to you. It was fun getting to know everyone all over again. I learned a lot about my cousins and I'm sure you learned a lot about me. Some of which I could have done without, Justin and Ian.. LOL... I had a blast having intense conversations about life in general. It's nice to have someone really interested in what you have to say. I dont get that a lot. Honestly, the more I visit Utah, I feel more pulled to move there and be a part of the family connection that I've longed for all my life. Not sure if that will happen but it is a dream of mine. Sadie took me to a friends party while I was there, and I felt more welcomed than I could have ever imagined. There is such a sense of community and interest in individuals that seems to lack everywhere else i've lived. Anyways, I just wanted to express how much I enjoyed my trip and want to say Thank you to everyone. I love you all and am proud to be a member of this wonderful family. 

here are the pics i promised of Utah

I love Utah!

Well i'm here in Utah. I've been here since thursday night. And now it's my last day here. I've had a blast. On friday I got to spend all day with Kelli and the kids. I am definately getting some practice carrying kids... 2 6 month olds (well one is 6, the other is 7), and 2 3 yr olds. We went to this bouncy place with the kids. It was a blast. I even got to go down the house bouncy house slide with Lola a few times. Yesterday I went to see Jeremy and then went to uncle Russ's house for jonah's first bday party. It was so much fun. More details and Pics later. I have taken plenty of pics. Today after going to Breakfast with my most gracious cousin Sadie and her family, Sadie and I are going to go over to Jeremy's again. He's not doing well and I honestly dont think he can hang on much longer. Everyone should make a great effort to go over and see him or at least call him while you can. Then I hear we are going to Aunt peggy's for a family dinner. I'm super excited! More to come soon! I Love you all and i'm so happy that I could be here and see everyone. I love the sense of close family and tight community that everyone seems to have here. Well better go get ready to go out to breakfast.

Pay It Forward

I won and you can too! Pay it forward!The Rules...

1. Be one of the first three bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which entitles you to a handmade item from me.

2. Winners, you must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway.

3. The gift that you send to your friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It's the Spirit and the thought that counts!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love!

If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Please take the button and post it on your blog; start your own Pay It Forward game/link/chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!

What you can't throw away

As I was checking my yahoo mail, I was reading the headlines of their latest news articles and one caught my eye. It was about what you can't throw away in the garbage or recycling. I'm always looking for new ways and new information about things like this. I really think it's important so  check out the article and start making our environment a better place for us.  http://green.yahoo.com/blog/the_conscious_consumer/46/five-recycling-mysteries-solved.html

Coming To Utah !!

Alright for those who may not know, I WILL BE VISITING UTAH once again on Feb 19th thro the 23rd. I am so excited for this opportunity. I'm looking forward to seeing as many of the family as possible. Please let me know if we can hang out while I'm there. Time is short and would love to be able to get to see everyone. I'm bringing my camera and will be taking TONS of photographs, hopefully some of which will be used for my Senior show. Because I am graduating this May, finally, I have to put on a Senior show. It will be a body of work that I have worked on this semester. There is a solid idea and concept behind the work and the pictures are taken during the semester. My idea is based on transitions and people's situations; as I am going through many transitions or will be in the near future. It is a scary thing to finally be entering into the "real world" but i'm really excited about it. I have always seen art and photography as a way for me (as well as other people) to express my inner feelings, as well as, a way for me to work through unresolved issues. I find myself constantly asking myself a million questions. Such as, will I be able to find a job and be able to support myself? I would love to get a job having to do with my degree but in today's society that is highly unlikely right out of graduation. I personally don't care, as long as I can support myself and be stable. That's all i'm looking for right now. Anyways, back to my idea. I am going out into the community and reaching out to my family to be a part of my show. I am and wanting to photograph people in their everyday life living their situation. I am going to get them to write about their situation and feelings on things and incorporate it into the photograph. I was inspired by Jim Goldberg who did a series called the Rich and the Poor, among others. 

      While I'm out in Utah I hope to accomplish a lot. I want to spend time with my family. But I also want to document us just being a family. We keep growing and growing and I'd love to document the children playing and how we interact with our children. I'd also like to spend a lot of time with Jeremy and his family while we all go through this really hard time. I wish that I had a stronger relationship with him and the rest of the family. I have always felt close with them, though.  I feel close with everyone. Even though i'm not there and I didn't grow up near everyone, Every time I visit I feel loved and embraced by everyone. It's the most welcoming and heart touching feeling, especially since i haven't always felt that way. I always enjoy my time with everyone out in Utah. I hope to see you all soon. The 19th isn't far off. 

     A Special thank you to Aunt Peggy who has helped me find a way out to Utah in the first place. I know your house is a little full these days, so if anyone has a place where I can lay my head for a few nights while I'm there I would be most appreciative. Please let me know.