Some Time Before A New Start

Graduation!!! And better yet… Hawaii! Hawaii was a blast! Before Hawaii was a parting with Babes. We had gone to school together for the last few years. We have always been joined at the hip (Scott says he married both of us) and now she is going to Europe for TWO MONTHS! After that, we won’t be living together for the first time in almost our whole lives. I will miss her so much!

Hawaii! On our way there, we stopped in LA for a layover. Danny and Jessica actually came to the airport and met us for lunch! Scott had a delicious (and HUGE) blue cheese salad tower! Yummmmm. Once in Hawaii, Scott and I stayed with Kristina, Kevin, and wonderful little Andrew. As you can imagine, our trip consisted mainly of talking (or singing) about Thomas the Train, Boulders, Apple Juice, and Letters. Maddie and Andrew were a blast at the pool (warm up each day for the ocean). We did some great snorkeling and even got to play with some turtles. A turtle even saved my life! We were out snorkeling and Scott wanted to head back in. Since I was the only one within earshot of the boy, he made me go back with him. I was mad! I wanted to stay out but Scott kept talking about the One Rule of the Ocean (buddies, blah!). So, in my pride and anger, I determined to swim back so fast that Scott wouldn’t be able to keep up with me. Well, I obviously wasn’t watching where I was swimming because before I knew it, Scott and I were stuck in three feet of water with what I assume were killer sea urchins below us. The tide was ripping and throwing us all around. At that moment Scott even abandoned the buddy system to save his own skin. I was thinking about how I was about to die and all of the sudden I spotted a turtle. Hey, I thought, that guys knows how not to die in an ocean. So I followed him and before I knew it I was safe out of the reef and on my way back to a worn and weary, headache filled, fearful Scott. Needless to say he was a bit upset. Hawaii was filled with all sorts of adventures!

We were all kept pretty happy with all the food! Andrew probably the happiest.

After a long red eye, I was ready to sleep right through our layover... sound asleep.

Andrew was a very helpful boy at the airport.
Maddie was the best swimmer of all of us.

Maddie was a harder worker everyday, we kept her up and running. Here she is trying to sneak in a little nap.

The Perfect Spring Break

April started me off with a wonderful Spring Break. I took the time to go home and spend a week with Dad. It was great. I built a retaining wall (don’t let Dad tell you otherwise, it was all me) and spent a lot of time out in the yard with him. We also went to my first game of the season… GOA’s… where I taught Dad how to keep book. We had an awesome time. Pray that the A’s stay in Oakland! Danny and Jessica came up to do some wedding planning and I was lucky enough to go with them to help out! Jessica and I went looking at different hotels while Danny and Dad went golfing. Some of the hotels wouldn’t let us go look at rooms. Well, we didn’t take that as a final policy, so we went off on our own. A few of the rooms we had to sneak into… Mom would be so proud! Then back to Utah to finish off my student teaching. I will miss those funny little 7^thgraders.

Joce decided to take a nice little nap in a very inconvenient place!

And here, a little more convenient place...

She was the biggest little helper at the airport as I had her push my suitcase.

Spring break didn't quit end here. I did go back to school for a few days, but Jess, Joce, and Ev came to Utah for a visit! Joce spent a night with Scott and I. We went to Chuck E Cheese with with Nate and Babes. Joce had so much fun! She won a cute little lunchbox she even slept with that night! We played some twister (which Joce actually was great at!) and read some books. What a fun night!

An Exciting Month

Scott’s birthday month!!! Scott’s birthday was a blast. We went up to Sundance with Scott’s family and had a delicious dinner (mine: 100% potatoes)! After dinner Scott, Jessie, and I hit up Percy Jackson. I read the series and instantly encouraged everyone within hearing range of my voice to read it. Scott, Jessie, and Babes all read it!

Scott and I went to Park City for another celebration of his birthday where we took a sleigh ride to a snug little restaurant with a delicious dinner, with live music! Everything about that night was so much fun!

What a cute birthday boy!

Scott and I also headed up to Manchester, NH for a final interview and… HE GOT THE JOB. Looks like we’ll be calling New Hampshire home for the next while.

The Rest of February

I’ve left high school and started teaching at a Junior High in Spanish Fork. I can’t wait to get back. I’d only been there a few days and already I was shocked by what I found – I actually loved it! I loved those little students – they were so fun, so energetic, and they could keep up with my energy level! How great! Over President’s Weekend, the whole Smith family headed down to Santa Barbara for Jessie’s la cross tournament. The weather was been incredible! I think I’ve even gotten a little color to take back to bleak Provo with me. We watched Jess (with a broken arm wrapped in bubblewrap!) score some amazing goals, put the pressure of the other team, and make some great assists. We played in catch on the beach, walked along the piers, ate some great food and got to meet up with Dan and Jess (the new fiancé!). We got some more beach time with them! Little Maddie was just adorable in all her little outfits and as smiley as ever. Andrew was as playful and energetic as I have ever seen. I would chase him for hours if he could have it his way (and I really would, I love that little boy so much!). Scott and I had the best time all weekend! We are so sorry to leave it all!

Scott and I passed this guy on the beach sculpting this image out of sand! I love artists!



Andrew was itching to get on the field and play with Jessie.

A Somber New Year

I didn’t think I’d get through finals this year. My last group of finals… ever! The excitement is what carried me through every 10-20 page essay I had to write (and there were plenty). Scott and I conquered and went to California to celebrate. The celebration didn’t last too long. Mom was in more pain that I had ever seen her in. She could barely sit, talk, open her eyes; she couldn’t eat, sleep, or even breathe because of the pain. Something was really wrong. She went to the Emergency room and spent all night there. In the morning she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

It was a hard diagnosis, but relieving. They were able to put mom on the pain medication she really needed and how great it was to see mom pain free! She was back to her old self – laughing, making jokes, making friends with everyone that got within 50 feet of her hospital room! We got to take her home and the next day we got our Christmas present – Teatro Zinzanni! What a night! What a great night (what movie? What movie?)! Zinzanni’s is a small little theater on Embarcadero where you get fed a 5 COURSE MEAL with one incredible show! There are about 8 little actors and actresses who throw an incredibly entertaining show with juggling gypsies, longing love, acrobatic amazement! The show had humor and irony, sarcasm and love! It had everything! Mom bought us girls little masques and we had a blast dancing, taking pictures, and watching the show. Best Christmas present ever.

We had the most wonderful Christmas. With the diagnosis, we took advantage of this last Christmas we might have with mom. She, yet again, put together the most wonderful Christmas program. All the family was there (including uncles and grandparents) and each person had to play a role. The highlights – Jocelyn’s singing, the family choir of bells, and the Wright Family Game – no one was left out!

Mom started the Chemo Therapy just a few days later and Scott and I returned to Utah. What a welcome we got! The Smiths had a wonderful Christmas waiting for us right on our return. The love in that home was so strong and much needed as I was away from my family. We had a great New Years filled with great deserts (a specialty of the family), games, and Andrew and Maddie! What fun kids they are! We were also introduced to our new favorite game… Ticket to Ride!

A few days later we were in Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show with Johnny and Nate. We got to stay with Steph and Danny too. That means one thing to Scott, and another to me -- a whole lot of free pens for me! Scott went ahead of me, than I drove down with Laura and we all stayed with Steph! We had so much fun, including a great dinner with a cameo of Ben Stein! Buehler? Buehler? On our way back to Provo, we stopped by to see the Hoover dam.

Over Martin Luther King Weekend, all the kids made it back home to visit mom. We also got a visit from a great friend Cathy Coomber from New Jersey. Cathy helped raise us five kids while we were living there! While we were all there, Mom broke out into a fever and had to be admitted to the ICU. Never were her spirits down, never did she think of herself, she was as perfect as ever. By the time I got to visit her at the ICU she was, of course, best friends with all the nurses on the hall. Some were even coming to her with their problems. I had to selfishly kick one out so I could get in a word with my mom and she could get some rest. That’s Mom!

She stayed in the ICU for a few days, then they moved her to the Respiratory Unit. We all got to visit her as a family in the RU (instead of going one at a time), and quit often got in trouble for making too much noise! You shouldn’t expect any less of the Peers! So, we got to spend a long weekend with a lot of laughing, crying, joking, and helping, all in a hospital room. Mom made that room feel good!

She had to stay the whole week and by the time she got home, we knew she didn’t have the 4-6 months they had given her. It had been just 4 weeks and we knew she didn’t have much more time. Jessica J and I went shopping to help make the hospital bed they were moving in to our home as welcoming as possible. Babes donated her room to Mom and together with Steph rearranged the furniture to get mom right by the window. Danny miraculously (and dangerously) cleaned the windows to let in as much light as possible. Mikey and Jessica handled phone calls, dinner arrangements, and the blog letting everyone know how mom was doing. Jocelyn brought lots of fun, and Evelyn brought lots of laughs. Mom was able to come home to a beautiful house, to a beautiful room, and to a beautiful family.

She made it a few more days, until we could all make it home together again, and then passed away so peacefully. The burial and memorial services were just incredible. I have never seen so many people in one church as Mom got at her memorial. Wonderful stories were told of her humor, her strength, and of course her mischievousness. People came from all across the country to celebrate Mom’s incredible and unparalleled personality. We had wonderful moments of happiness and strength as we watched so many people come and love mom. What a sad, but motivating experience.

Mom had prepared us for that moment, and the many moments of hardship that have followed. She taught us and gave us every talent and every tool to get through this, to understand this, and to grow from this. She prepared us every day of her life and she still prepares us today. A better woman I’m not sure has ever lived. A better woman has never had as many best friends as my mom, as my best friend.

November... in a nutshell

Thanks giving with the Smiths! Jess had the brilliant idea that we could all dress up as pilgrims and Indians. Only Jess and I took that seriously it seems.

Later in the month I was able to take a girls trip with the Smith girls to San Francisco. I got to take a day and a night to go hang out with Mom and Dad. What a blast! Mom got the day off from being Pam (she’s working as a secretary for her brother’s medical office) and we got to hang out. We played scrabbable, she taught me how to play bridge, we just got to play games after game. I guess we were both a little game-hungry. She thought she was coming down with the swine flu, ugh! But she wasn’t feeling too sick to cut me some new bangs! Jess was there to supervise that we didn’t get scissor happy and to tell us if Dad was coming (which he did one time and mom hid me in the closet before he could see). We had a blast!

The Smith girls and I got to spend a few nights in the city and hanging out all over San Francisco. No matter how many times I visit the city, it is always so much fun. This was, however, my first time spending the night in the city! We got to go shopping, eat ice cream, walk all around, and play with baby Maddie the whole time! What a great trip!

Jocelyn going horsey riding with Grandpa Steve.

Joce and I making some pretty funny face.

What a good mom! And what a good aunt for tiering these kids out enough to sit on mom! Joce is such a good older sister!

Julie and Me in San Francisco!
The Chocolate lovers (and Cat) at Ghirardelli square. We spent about ten minutes trying to teach Julie how to say it correctly (don't worry Julie, I was learning from those lessons too, and I've from SF).
What a fun trip! Thanks girls!

And I'm still learning how to do my bangs. They'll get better, I promise (I hope).