Saying Goodbye

“Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.”


On January 28, 2009 Bruno Cisneros "my Tio Bruno" passed away from a long battle with cancer. He was a gracious God fearing man who always accepted and loved the people around him. He accepted me as his own flesh and blood though I was the only "white kid" in the family. I miss him greatly.

(photo to follow soon)


On February 1, 2009 Thomas William Gadberry Sr. passed away in his sleep. Tom was fun. He had a big heart and was a fabulous father and wonderful friend. Tom is the last man I kissed... I dated him for a couple months in the spring of 2007. 

You are missed Tom! Greatly missed!



Saying goodbye is such a difficult thing in life. Saying goodbye to the physical presence of someone you love is heart wrenching and indescribable. I am particularly horrible with death. But I know with a doubt that these great men, as well as those that I have said goodbye to before, are watching over us and we will be together again.

Happy Birthday to ME!

I enjoyed the hole weekend as we celebrated my 32nd birthday.

On Friday I purchased a "new to me" Chrysler Pacifica. It is a really pretty blue and is very comfortable. The best part of the new car is I financed it myself without any help. Which shows me that I am finally cleaning up the havoc getting really sick had done to my credit. I can do it!

Friday night I went out with a new friend and all his friends for his birthday. (It was not a date! And NO I do not plan on dating anyone right now) But I had a lot of fun and had some yummy sushi!

Saturday Jonny and I spent the day together. We went to Brighton for me to pick a new key chain for my new car. Jonny also picked a necklace for me for my birthday gift. We enjoyed our day together. The weather was GORGEOUS! We ate at Chipotle and were able to sit outside and soak up the sun. What a rare treat for February in Salt Lake.

Saturday night my cousins and I enjoyed a little bit of a wild night at the Tavernacle. My cousins dedicated a birthday song and got me up on the pianos to dance. Only problem I was so mortified there was no dancing. It was more me standing there with a face as red as a Utes sweatshirt. It was more entertaining to sit and watch the others celebrating their birthdays to dance on pianos!

Today my actual for real birthday was so wonderfully relaxing! I enjoyed a morning at The Kura Door. A holisitc Japanese spa in downtown Salt Lake. It was incredible. I enjoyed my Ofuro Bath with some delicious herbal tea. It was so relaxing and very intersting to learn of this Japanese ritual. I then enjoyed the most amazing massage I have ever had!!! It was such a pleasure! I topped the spa day off by detoxing in a steam room. I have never been to such a relaxing spa before in my life. It was absolutely wonderful!

I had a wonderful birthday...

Home for the Holidays!

YAY!!!! We get to spend Christmas in Arizona!!!! I am so excited to "go home" for a little while!

I love my life in Utah with family and a great job and the cutest town house ever... but... I MISS MY MOMMY!!!

I live in Taylorsville Utah

This is my cute new townhouse in Taylorsville Utah! I am so excited!

We will warm our cold toes by this cute fireplace... and hang our stockings this Christmas on the cutest mantle! I finally have a place to hang a nice family portrait! Hey, did you notice the wood floors? I wanted those!!! YAY!

And here is my cute little kitchen. I get to cook again!!! Oh my goodness. It is a really hard thing to not have your own kitchen to cook in!

For the deposit I get to spackle and paint. So... the front room is going to be a nice cool light blue and the ... well we haven't decided further than that. :D

Family Dinner

My Aunt Margo and Uncle Verl (Owen) have family dinner every other Sunday. I am apparently an honorary Owen because the kids and I have a standing invitation to dinner. We are "expected' just as their own kids are. My uncle Verl actually told Desirae yesterday that he loves me like his own daughter and Desi and Jonny like his very own grandkids. I can't tell you how much that meant to me.

Anyway ... back to dinner.

My cousins and their significant others and children all come to dinner. I love sitting around the table talking and laughing and enjoying great food. We all play a game afterward also. We have learned to play Pig and Rummikub. It is such a great time.

Last night we had roast, mashed potatoes, rolls and corn. For dessert... Cherry and Apple cobbler with vanilla icecream on top! The men talked about hunting. The women talked about the babies and teething. I sat back and relished the moment. We talked about the birthday party on Friday and the baby shower on Saturday. We joked about the birthday party for Desi coming up this Friday and what we should do for Tyson's birthday this coming Sunday.

Once we all cleared the table and did dishes as a family we sat down to play PIG... What a blast! I can't believe our 7 year old Makayla won! Then Desi in 2nd place. Or as Uncle Buddy refers to 2nd place "1st loser"!

I love to be part of the family.

The Utah Chronicles part 1...

I MISS MY KIDS!

I met my mom in St George on Saturday and surrendered my children and my little cute dog to mom. As soon as I drove off I was all tears for a good hour. I missed my kids before they left!!! Of course that is to be expected. They are in Arizona with my mom until a house presents itself... Jonny is really enjoying school down there in Mesa. Oh but that Desi of mine, she will be back next week!!! YAY!!!! We are so excited to have her start school up here in Utah. I love telling my mom how NOT hot it is up here. I don't think I have turned my a/c in my car past "2". I just don't need to.

I love staying with my aunt and uncle. They are just the kindest, neatest people ever! My cousin Travis still lives at home so we have such a great time all chatting and watching the olympics each night. I love being in Utah! Last night we talked about life... girls (Travis...) and children and all kinds of stuff! We eat a lot of hamburger helper there though, unless I cook. I really enjoy making them dinner even though Uncle Verl is such a picky eater!

I am still really enjoying my job, and learn something new each day. This week I have been learning to do payroll. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. :D The gounds still are gorgeous to me. I can't imagine the beauty of this place ever getting old.

I am excited to go to the Salt Lake City temple this week. On Thursday I am going to a wedding reception for cousin of mine... that I have never even met!!!! I have that much family here!!!!

My New Chapter

What a vacation! I never imagined in a million years that I would find my dream job while on vacation! I can't believe it!

If I were to find a job in Utah I would need $xx.00 per hour to provide for my family. I would need a day time job that provided great oppurtunities and a flexible environment. I have office background but I want to be a pastry chef. I figured it was a stretch of my imagination, that it would not be possible for me to find this dream job. Well...

Interview #1 : I came out of an interview with a staffing agency for a couple different positions that they had available. (My Cookie Lee catalog fell out of my portfolio and she was so excited to see it, she booked a show for later this month.) I had a message on my phone to call a man named Russell who wanted to interview me. I called him right back. He was very happy that I said I could be right up. We had a decent interview on a great patio with a rooster and hen listening in. He then he told me he wanted me to come back the next day and interview with his brother who is one of the owners.

Interview #2 : I met with Steven, one of the owners who seemed to like me. We had a great chat then he said he would like to try me out. He was however surprised that I had never heard of his beautiful restaurant. He offered a free dinner to me and whoever I could round up that evening. I was so excited to have gotten the job. I can't even tell you how excited I was. They were not only offering me the exact $ amount that I needed but said in 6 weeks they will raise me by a dollar or two then in a couple months they will raise me again. I also get to learn and cook with the chefs. I will learn the catering business and I can learn any aspect of the business that I want. I was being offered all of this??? YES! I know the Lord's hand was in this one!

I called my cousin OJ and his wife and invited them to dinner that night as a "happy birthday" to his wife and a "thank you so much for letting me stay with you" and invited both her parents to join in the celebration. I also called my Aunt Margo and Uncle Verl who had been tending my kids each time I went to the temple or had a job interview. I felt they needed a night out on the town also! We had an equisite dinner which totalled $778! I now knew what kind of food I was working with. It was all perfect and delicious.

I am now working here and I love it still after day #3.

I will miss my kids who are going back to Arizona with Grandma and Grandpa until we can find a house. They are excited to move to Utah and have loved playing with all their cousins and getting know them all better.

We are now staying with Margo and Verl since it is closer to my new office. They are also LDS so I can go to church with them, and live where I share the same standards. What a family I have! To take me in and let me stay till I find a house... without notice mind you!

I am one blessed daughter of my Heavenly Father!