oh mr. sun, sun, mr. golden sun, please shine down on me

the older i get the more aware i am of things: death and tragedy, the feelings of others, and the weather are just a few. i am sure that it snowed in may or june in the past but i don't seem to remember it happening very often. i just remember how upset i was when i found out it had snowed today. i was downstairs, watching barbie's version of the twelve dancing princesses with my niece milan and my sister came down with a cup of hot cocoa. i thought this was quite absurd considering the fact that it was indeed the 24th of may. she proceeded to tell me that she needed the hot cocoa to warm her up because it was snowing outside. i think i may have become a little depressed when i heard the news. i was under the impression that i would be enjoying summer-like weather this week. i know that i, as well as the rest of the residents of utah are sick of this on going snow. all of the facebook status' are enough proof that we are all wishing that mr. sun would grace us with his presence. oh well, hopefully i can enjoy the sunshine soon. very soon.

one year older and wiser too

this post is dedicated to my dear sister jennie whitaker curtis. today is the celebration of her day of birth and i couldn't pass up the opportunity to boast about how wonderful she is.

jennie is the second oldest in our family and she has always been a great example to me. i was so young when she got married and left our humble abode but i have a few precious memories of her before she left.

i remember her cheerleading outfits and her pom pom's. i guess i wanted to be just like her when i was in high school!

i remember jennie playing the violin so beautifully (maybe i only remember this because of all of the family home videos i have watch over and over again...even so, it was a beautiful sound she was making and i love that she is so talented)

i remember jennie making dresses for ashlee and i. oh how i loved that dress.

i remember the lace my mom used when making one of jennie's dresses. or maybe it was her wedding dress...hmmm.

i remember sunday visits to the rest home to play the guitar and sing songs to help make someone's day a little better. some of the songs include "you know that song", "oh mr. sun", "because i have been given much", "how great thou art"

i remember buying the dress i wore for her wedding and helping out as much as an 8 year old could with all of the preparations and such.

and then i remember all of the fun times we've had as i have grown up without her at our home. there are, of course, too many to write about today but bear with me as i take a walk down memory lane...

i remember coming home from camp big springs to jennie because my parents were out of town. she is always volunteering to do things like that.

i remember having jennie's oldest son project spit up directly into my mouth...jen was so patient with me as i was freaking out.

i remember jennie looking after our dog crea while we were on vacation. she was so dependable and we knew crea was in good hands.

i remember going to canyon crest, the school where jennie was teaching at the time, and helping her in her room as part of a family night activity.

i remember jennie taking me to the mall one time and on the way one of her kids got sick and threw up in the car. she was so calm and mom-like when dealing with it. i admire her.

i remember jennie putting on a black out party for our family. she had dinner for us, bought a bunch of glow sticks, hooked up her ipod and provided us with one of the funnest dances i've ever been to.

i remember jennie and her family sleeping over on christmas eve. it would probably be much easier for her to have stayed at her own home but she still came to help ashlee and i contiue the traditions we were used to.

i rememebr jennie helping me with my hair for a number of dances. she always came to the rescue when we were in a panic.

i remember grandma beth calling you zennie and wondering when that all started...you've had a great relationship with her. i love that.

i remember jennie helping her kids earn money by baking hundreds, even thousands of her delicious cinnamon rolls to sell at the fourth of july parade. she is an fabulous cook and an fabulous mom.

i remember jennie and her family coming down to cedar city to visit me on a long weekend. she is amazing because they came at a time when i was truly homesick and needed my family.

like i said, i could go on and on because jennie is just that wonderful. she is such a hard worker, she is one of the most selfless people i know, she is so great with kids (her own and her school kids), she is fun, she is so creative, she is positive, she is a talented cook, she is caring, and she is beautiful. something i love most about jennie is that she always laughs when we say goodbye when we're talking on the phone. it may not be a huge laugh but i can tell by her voice that she is laughing or smiling that big, beautiful smile of hers. it always brightens my day even though i can't see it. she is always happy and always looking for ways she can serve or lighten the load of others around her. you've always been there for me. i know that i can come to you with anything and that you'll help me or just be someone to listen to me complain. i love you jennie. thanks for being such a good example and such a wonderful older sister. i hope that one day i'm half of the woman that you are.

.happy birthday big sister, love you.

goodbye for now c^2

it has been two years since i graduated from high school. this is unreal to me. it feels like yesterday i was entering the halls of provo high as a shy, nervous 14 year old, truly unaware of what the next four years of my life would be like. but it's been six years from that point. six years that have been filled to the brim with memories, unforgettable experiences, experiences i wish i could forget, tears of joy, tears of sadness, times when i felt like i couldn't be happier, feelings of complete insanity, friends of all sorts, and most of all personal growth. i wish that i was better about writing down my life experiences. there is already so much that i don't remember. hopefully with this blog i can make permanent times of my life that are of importance.

cedar city utah. some people have heard of it, some people haven't. i lived there for the last two years of my life. i attended southern utah university. during the last two years i have had experiences that would make you laugh until you pee, i have had experiences that would make you very happy that you were not down there with me, and i have celebrated birthday's like it was nobody's business. though it is impossible to condense the last two years into something short enough that would keep your attention, i would like to attempt to express the last two years of my life with pictures and key words or phrases that summarize the experiences i had.

 my dear dear friends that stuck around for a second year in cedar

 

tyson j jenkins, red light lover

costa and ellen thursdays

bread and soup nite with truman

california trips to support suu athletics

bowling is one of the only things to do in cedar city

1920's theme birthday party seemed fitting this year

fun friends, birthday time

farewell to our first year of college

my lovely ward 2009-2010

beautiful hikes...too bad it's not my cup of tea

wonderful company though

new found friends that will last a lifetime

yet another birthday celebration

dinner at chili's-classic

caving in st george=a good time

i was an ra for the 2009-2010 school year. these are my juniper a3hunies

i graduated with my associates degree in general studies

.ice cream cones at the caf.katter fries.off the cuff.351 w university blvd.greys anatomy.surprise.san diego.late nights.sledding.weed.moon.rap sesh.quiet hours.hot tub searches.ping pong.megans hair.wingers.25 main."really".late night wendys run.circit weight training.insitute.sunsets.laundry.mexico.j-unit.procrastination.chowers.all nighters.gymnastics.juniper crosswalk.costa vida.observatory.spooning.one tree hill.fort.perks.broken vacuum.mexi ride.ward prayer.football games.birthday parties."i hate myself".kalifornia king.you're kidding.the caf.stadium way.gossip girl.asbestos.pe building.cereal.in n out.mail.pizza factory.cant stp.written up.locked out.di.jazz club.family portraits.barb.snow.sulfur sinks.curtis.april fools.taco tuesday.cak.parking tickets.homework.h2h.the strangers.walmart tunnel.hiking.shower parties.camping.finals.cafe rio.bowling.st george.maverick "the mav".mocktails.jenifer.relief society president.suu housing.the harry potter great hall.true t bird.music education.the house.pie bash.paranormal activity.kidney stones.tanning.walmart runs.valentines day.las vegas.chilis.muse.super bed.movies.jimmy fallon.bora bora.halo.piano.voice lesson.sharwan smith.red rock.harry potter.rock climbing.

cedar city will always have a soft spot in my heart. the town itself didn't provide us with a lot of fun opportunities but boy did we make our own fun. friendships that i formed there will last forever, memories will be engraved into my brain, and the things i learned will be a part of me from now on. but now this thunderbird feels it's time to move on to a different adventure. thank you southern utah, you will be missed.