United Again

Here we are the foursome. Ina Denice (top) Cheryl (right) Janette (left) me on the bottom. Denice will be here today , flying in from Wisconsin to wake up this sleepy little town. She is like a little tornado! (Check out the hair do's courtesy of Mom)
Dad had big plans for us girls after he bought the older girls musical instruments he had visions of us being the next singing sensations as I recall "The Spence-ettes"

He thought we were has good as the Lennon sisters. We would sing I'm Looking over a Four Leaf clover, Hang down Your head Tom Dooley, I know there were many songs we would practice that's about all I can remember of the short lived dream. Sorry Dad.

Another June Birthday!

This is Kacy's dream of a husband!! Look at those *eyes* yes they are really that blue. Brent is the new guy in the family. But most of all I love how he loves Kacy and the Haddie Bug.

YouTube - Hey Good Looking by Payton

YouTube - Hey Good Looking by Payton

BIRTHDAY GIRL!

Happy Birthday Payton (Pickles)
You are a wonderful person, a great big sister to Paige, a singer, horseback rider, and most of all you are loved by many!
CLICK HERE FOR *HEY GOOD LOOKIN* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jxr4CGX0ISk

At Heavens Gate

I would like to think that Dad was
able to meet Noah and that their
paths had crossed at one point.

Newest clan member

JD,Jen and big brother Alex welcome Noah
into their family!

wedding day with the clan

And the story goes..

Jennifer,Jd and Alex

They say it's your Birthday!

Hope it is a happy one!
It is hard to believe that
34 years ago tomorrow you entered
our life. We love you, Dad and Mom

The Dream

Thirty four years ago Dennis
was made by me yes,I admit by me to give up a dream.
After being awakened in the middle
the night with the sound of his two friends
propping him up to my front door loaded up on drugs
with his shoulder and arm in a sling.
I was filled in to what had taken place. He had gone up to Freedom, Wyoming
to ride a bull.The bull won and Dennis got a dislocated shoulder that was so
bad the doctors up there could not fix it and sent him loaded up on drugs
with his two friends driving him all the way back to Utah to the McKay Dee Hospital.
From what I was told by his friends as they tried to drop and run for fear that
I might take my anger out on them at 3:00 in the morning
the Doctor had to put is foot into Dennis"s arm pit
and gave it a good shove!
I was very upset to think his life could have easily been taken
and I would be left alone with my newborn son
When he came TO the next morning still loaded up on drugs
I cuffed him up side the head and told him that
was the last time he was going to do that.
In some ways I felt a little bad so a couple of Christmas's ago
I thought I would make it up to him and made this picture
for him. We took some old barn wood and his bull riding gear and
framed it up. So now he can at least look at his dream.

TRAUMA XERIC

What the heck is Trauma Xeric?
This is Dennis's new name and why he has gotten this new name you ask! ( I wonder do they secretly have Jared there making these up?) when ever you enter and ER room not quit knowing who you are and why you are there they get to make up a name for you .
Dennis landed up at the UofU ER room Friday night has is rodeo skills are not has good as they used to be.
The family that watched as the event played out they said "he all most made to the buzzer" but at the last second he tried to dismount at the same time Tombstone (yes that is his real name) decided to launch Dennis into outer space.So a few stressful hours later he was released with a good concussion bruises and a funny walk Thank you God it could have been much worse . I could go on and on about the story but it gets bigger and better every time the kids tell it, kind of like the the fish that got away stories we have all heard. Yes it was very scary since we all had witnessed my Dad's death not that long ago it brought back all those memoires. As Dennis says " I just don't bounce as good as I used to" The hard part will be keeping him off the horses until he heals

Memories by Kari

Kari my daughter-in-law made up this little
photo show click on the link hopefully it
work. Thanks Kari it is wonderful!

Make a Smile box scrapbook

AJ'S Big Ouch

This is AJ one of those kids that is becoming well known at
the doctors office. Notice the front tooth that
is missing that is a permanent one or not so permanent anymore
he lost that a few months ago when his head had a collision with
another head. This picture is a collision with the ground he told me
he has a wire holding his teeth in place hopefully
they will tighten back into place

in big trouble

You know that sweet little bit of heaven I wrote about earlier I am thinking that over twice after she has shredded three of my tapes!

A Little Bit of Heaven

A LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN

HIS LAST JOURNEY HERE ON EARTH

WAS SPENT WITH HIS FAMILY BY HIS SIDE

FROM THE YOUNGEST TO THE OLDEST

WE STAYED WITH HIM TILL THE LAST GOODBYE

A CHANCE TO SEE

THE GATES OF HEAVEN OPEN

TO LET HIM IN

A PEACEFUL TRANSITION

IN THE EARLY MORNING LIGHT

YES A LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN

TO SEE HIM ON HIS WAY

A Little Bit of Heaven

A LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN

(HADLEY JO)

HER FIRST JOURNEY HERE ON EARTH

AS WE WAITED FOR HER TO COME

A CHANCE TO SEE THE GATES OF HEAVEN OPEN

AND PLACE HER IN OUR ARMS

A PEACEFUL TRANSITION

IN THE EARLY MORNING LIGHT

YES A LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN

THAT WAS SENT OUR WAY

This has to be one of the most heart breaking pictures
But I would bet money that Dad is grinning over it!

Payton and Great-Grandpa

Payton is my little grand-daughter she belongs to Kyle and Kari.
She and my Dad shared a special relationship.
She could always bring a smile out on Dad.
On his 75th birthday we threw a surprise party for him
this picture was one of my favorites after he died
I was really drawn to it wondering about what
they might be saying to one another.
I sent my thoughts off to Kacy Jo
and she worked her photo shop magic and put this together for me.

Death

Dad would tell us he wanted to live to be 104, how we all would get a chuckle out of it.I wish he could have made it.
One day Kyle was there at the house when he got my cell phone and took Dad's picture and recorded Dad saying "Go away". Fourteen months later I still listen to it just to hear his voice.

The New House

These are early pictures of the house.The picture of Dad is the day he moved in, it was not every day you could get that old guy to grin !

The Property

What can one say about a piece of property?
This was the first land my Dad owned, his father had it previously, it had been in the family for some time. There was a very small home there , the ultimate in recycled you might say Grandpa got big wooden crates from an air force base and constructed the house out of those, with windows that came from an old school house that was being torn down.

I would say that by today's standards it would be a very small garage. One closet for two adults and four girls to share. We had cats , dogs , roosters one mean one that would not let us out of the house, Billy goats, horses, lots of other creatures deer, fox and lets not forget the skunks.I my self have lived three different times on the property, from birth to first grade, my senior year of high school till I got married then back again as a mom of two small boys that would soon be followed by my one and only daughter.
Once we got Mom and Dad back home from California Dennis and my sons JD,Jared, Kyle and lots of help from extended family and friends built a new home for them to enjoy. It took us a year working nights and weekends I can still see the smile Dad had the day he moved back home.

Dad loved this place he held on to it no matter what even during some hard years and with family help it remained in the family. Even after him and Mom moved to California he would tell her that is where he wanted to die and if by chance he was still in California when that happened she was to load him up in the car and head back home. He just wanted to be home.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Written by Kacy Jo Broderick. See original post here

Forecast for today...rainy with a chance of Sunshine.

A wise old man once told me..."NO NECKIN!"

What I love:

*Driving Grampa to Smith's with only my learners permit in moms green explorer. I was so nervous, yet he was so calm. With his hand on the dashboard.

*Having my hair twirled

*After he had a scolding from Grandma, the little smirk and wink he would give me. God, I loved that.

*Being the only place he could come for a haircut AND a kiss

*My mother, our Rafiki (as JD named her), holding my daughter up for my grandpa to see, when I wasn't strong enough to do it myself. One of the hardest, yet most wonderful things to experience. A little bit of Heaven to see him on his way.

*Surrounding my Grandpa with all of his beautiful family, laughing and crying, near and far, telling stories, playing with his hair, telling him how handsome he looked. Watching Grandma, always with her hand on his chest, telling him over and over she loved him. Waiting with him for the sun to come up, when fishing would be the best.

My words are frozen and no more thoughts are coming without tears. I miss the old man. As much as I hurt, miss him, and mourn for my gramps, I also know that I am happy to have loved, known and cherished him.

Love this picture of him. He looks like he knows he is the luckiest guy in the world, surrounded by his beautiful girls. Father of 4 girls and loving it.

Last Moments

My First Post

For those who do not know me for the last 14 months I have been dealing with my Father's death. It has been a hard journey. I feel that his death was the result of two doctors that were supposed to taken care of him, instead they misdiagnosed the signs of a broken neck. It was not until we had him transferred to another hospital that we found out about the extent of his injuries. The shock and horror we felt as a family when the neurosurgeon came and told us what his out come would be. Dad had told us that he did not want to be on life support and we had to respect his wishes . He passed a few hours later in the early morning light with his family gathered around him, and as my daughter stated " It was a little bit of Heaven to see him on his way" You can read about the sweet memories of Dad on Kacy's blog http://manysizesofjo.blogspot.com/2008/04/forecast-for-todayrainy-with-chance-of.html
One of the hardest things in my mind is when my Mom had to look into his beautiful blue eyes and tell him he could not be fixed, for months I would see his eyes in the clouds when I looked up, at night when I would be drifting off to sleep, it has been haunting. I do not try and pretend to be a good writer or a poet I struggle with words and spelling but there have been days that I did nothing but carry a piece of a paper and pencil writing thoughts that had taken over my mind. It is very hard for me to keep things in order which I am sure you will soon find out . I have people who have helped me with the things I write, THANK YOU! you know who you are. The first poem is about his last hours at the hospital, it is a unbleiveable experience to be with someone when they pass just six weeks earlier I was at this same hospital watching the birth of my granddaughter both were life changing events for me.