Lagoon! p.s. it was on the 4th of july in 2007... (by Joie)

FAMILY!!!!
FIREWORKS!!!

RIDES!!

(posted by Joie)

Jeran's b-day?! dah dah dah???????????!!!!!!!!! (by Megan)

So it's jeran's birthday?

Ask Jeran if he doesn't

answer he is gone sorry?!

Well Jeran's b-day is the 25 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




here is a picture of my baby brother.
ps he is turning 10. my baby brother((posted by Megan)

Remembering

...Just going through pictures on the computer and got up to last year's pictures--this time last year. What real memories it brings back. I saw pictures we took of Dean, Jessie, Sam and Ben at Donna's birthday party, about a month after Amy died. The next pictures were of our family trip to Chicago and Indiana for the midwest Pacific Islands adoption reunion. We went to Nauvoo while there, then back to Chicago for the last few days--what a contrast. I call that vacation the most incredible non-Disneyland vacation we've taken as a family, just being together. We got home and I drove to Cedar Fort to pick up Champ from Ruth and Nick's house. We spent forever just talking. That was the last time I saw them alive--ten days before they died. I remember DJ and Audrey playing around us while we talked outside, and little Audrey kept saying, "I go with you Mary. Mary, I go with you." As we talked we had moved toward the car and Audrey had climbed in the very back seat and buckled herself in without us knowing. Next thing you know we hear from the back seat, "I buckle, Mary. Mary, I buckle." Ten days later, her little 2 year old voice was gone--and Ruth and Nick along with her. The other pictures were pictures of my sand tray (therapy sand tray) which made me think of Nick. He caught a tarantula he found out in Cedar Fort and they brought it here for us to see. We all pretended we were really brave and barely touched it, then Nick left it here, in the sand tray and told me I had to get it out if I didn't want it here. Turns out Jeran's friend wanted it.



It all makes me wonder how we got here--to today, where we are now. This year has been a blur and at the same time I feel like I remember every detail of every day...the grief, the tears, the support, the friendships, the adjusting, the believing, the healing, the growth, and still the loss. We love DJ (a.k.a. Joie--that's another story), and feel lucky every day to have her with us, and every day she's a reminder of what we lost. It has defined us, and yet after almost a year we're finding it doesn't. Never in my life did I think I'd experience loss like this. I couldn't have imagined it. A year later we're different--we're stronger, wiser, kinder, and more aware of the little things. I enjoy moments rather than trying to get everything done before I enjoy the moment. And yet there's a hole in our lives--some missing pieces. We move on and look back. Some days we look back a little more than others...today is one of those days.

Swimming

They aren't kidding...they are swimming freaks. We have a family pass at a rec center close to our house with a pool, but in the summer we get a family pass to Draper pool near where we live, and where the kids usually see a lot of their friends from school. This year Nate and Jeran signed up for swim team, and really enjoy it. They usually have practice while I'm at work so Tim has been taking them. In addition to that and meets, they're often in the water daily...sometimes 2 or 3 times a day. Saturday I saw them swim for the first time in a meet, and it was good to see them have fun and get excited about this. They all know I'm not the swimmer in the family. I can swim to save my life, but that's about all. I grew up on a dry farm in a land-locked state, and I only had 1 year of formal swimming instruction--ever. They all took swimming lessons when they were younger, but honestly, do kids ever really learn to swim in rec center swim classes? I think there's a point (right after they're done teaching them how to blow bubbles in the water) where they can't really individualize the training and kids just don't progress. We moved to this house we're in almost 4 years ago, and found out a neighbor teaches lessons in her pool. Nate did ok, then improved dramatically when he turned 11 and wanted to go to scout camp (but had to swim). Megan is a fish--always has been. Jeran...well, he was a fish when he was younger, then in kindergarten he read somewhere that people really don't float, which I guess I assumed he knew all along...never occurred to me to explain to him that he was the one keeping himself above water. So for a few years he would only swim with a life jacket or floaties...once he even jumped off a diving board holding no fewer than 6 noodles tucked under his arms to make sure he didn't sink when he hit the water. He refused to take lessons, and our neighbor was willing to sign him up anyway, and in fact said, "Just bring him and we'll throw him in." I dragged him there the first time, and he's been fine since...and now loves the swim team. What we do for our kids. Joie hasn't had swimming lessons. She could teach someone to ride a horse any day, but not swim. She remembers having a lesson with her mom when she was younger. She's been in lessons this summer and is learning--mostly just loves the water. So that's us and swimming... Go for it kids...tell your own versions. (I predict Jeran will deny the floating thing.)

swimming freak!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (by kids)

i wnet swiming like a lot tihs week and last week!!!!!!
im such a swmming FREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4th of July

I honestly thought the kid would love telling this story, which they do, but apparently they don't love typing it. On most 4th of July mornings in the past 4-5 years we have entered a parade with the Jarman family. It's a small community parade in the East Millcreek area of Salt Lake City. This year the theme was "Legacy" and our float was "Legacy of Rivalry" with a BYU vs. U of U float. It was a crowd favorite, but as far as overall float quality goes, we continued our tradition of failing to impress judges. Each child dressed up like a Ute fan or a Cougar fan. I've graduated from both places--my graduate degree from U of U, my undergraduate from BYU. Mostly I just get a kick out of the rivalry, but if I'm cheering in a game, I find myself usually cheering for the Utes, and with Tim there's no question...Go Utah! Nate, our other Ute fan in the family chose to go dressed as a blind referee instead, which was a great touch. Megan and DJ chose to be BYU cheerleaders. Never in a million years did I think Megan would be a cheerleader...or a BYU fan, but I can think of worse surprises. With the other sister-in-laws we cut out and sewed a lot of little cheer skirts--I think it was 13. Three of the Jarman dogs were also represented, as were the official mascots--the big-haired BYU co-ed with a ring on her finger (ring pop) and the U of U pizza delivery boy she was marrying. The parade is a fun tradition...not a yearly one, but when we do it, the kids get a sense of belonging from participating for 2 days with family creating and presenting something. It doesn't get better than that.

That afternoon we went to Paul and Sarah's house (Tim's brother and his wife) for a waterslide, bbq and fireworks. The fireworks were courtesy of a neighbor who bought them in Wyoming, which means they were really good fireworks (and also illegal, but we aren't to that part of the story yet). As the show proceeded, all the kids were crowded right up where the fireworks went off. We (some of the adults and older kids) were back on Paul and Sarah's porch. Their street is a really long u-shaped street with the curve of the "U" right about where the neighbor's house was. They lit a mortar right as a vehicle drove around the corner. The vehicle stopped and wiated patiently for the firework to detonate. With headlights on, you couldn't see the vehicle clearly, and someone said, "What if it's a police officer," and we all laughed. After the fantastic explosion (clear up in the air--no question about whether or not it was legal), the vehicle pulled forward to reveal police logo, lights, etc. The policeman drove past, waved...his way of saying, "I know you're here," and kept driving. Needless to say the show was over at that point, but the kids would be the first to tell you this one is going down in Jarman folklore.

4th of july at lagoon!!!!

(DJ's memories of last 4th of July) When we were at Lagoon we went on so many rides!!!!!!!! Me and Audrey had so much fun. I miss them so much. I miss being with them on that day.

Love, DJ (aka Joie)

july 4th is a sweet holiday!!!!!!!!

hi it is megan on july 4th we are in a parade this theme was leagacy
what we did for leagacy was U of U & BYU foot ball!!!!!!
plus we went to are aunt and uncle's house we had a huge water slide!
what did you do on 4th of july???? tell me.

megan!

Summer

Ok--We're trying to resurrect the blog. Summer is here--we just celebrated the 4th of July last week--stories of parades and illegal fireworks that I'm sure the kids will share.