That's a Wrap

Just a couple months ago on Thanksgiving morning, the family was busy making pies, peeling potatoes and basting turkeys; when I heard the familiar text message sound from my phone. "KSL.com page Two" was all she sent. KSL is an NBC-affiliated television/media station located in Salt Lake City, Utah. We dropped everything to read this KSL article written by my talented friend Michelle. It was such a joy to read words written about Jocie, especially on Thanksgiving Day. My heart burst with gratitude for Jocie's life and legacy. 


But you can just imagine our surprise and (dare I say) fright when I received a phone call from KSL just a few weeks ago. Would Dean and I consent to our story being brought to video form and broadcast on KSL's Studio 5 program? I had been out shopping and somehow during the phone call I exited the store, slipped on ice, fell, dropped my phone cracking the screen, and said yes!

The first Monday in February brought a senior KSL producer and her video technician to our home. Irinna had previously sent a list of questions that she would be asking us during the interview process to help us prepare. Many of the questions were difficult, extremely difficult...tell us about Jocie, how does she complete your family. Tell us about the details of the day of the accident. Tell us what it is like to lose a child...then and now. 

What is it like to lose a child...there isn't a single day that I wish we were still innocent of this knowledge. Unless you find yourself in this horrible, awful, no good club...it's nearly impossible to know. And it crushes me every time I hear of another parent losing their own innocence. With tears in her eyes, Irinna listened to the details she graciously pushed us to recount. This would be the first time Dean and I had openly discussed together...what exactly happened that March day nearly five years ago.

After an exhausting interview filming session, we breathed a sigh of relief and Thompson the video guru began shooting various footage in my craft room,

and Jiggystick World Headquarters.

This was the easy part, talking about jiggysticks and actually making a batch while the video was recording.

After about 2 1/2 hours they packed up their gear and left. Irinna asked if we considered ourselves an inspiration. We both emphatically exclaimed "NO"! However, if because of this interview there is one person somewhere, engaged in fighting a similar battle...watching us breath, stand upright, smile, and even laugh...then this segment will be absolutely worth it.

While I know our little video surely is not a blockbuster with a cliffhanger ending. If after all the footage is edited and most of it on the cutting room floor, you would like to watch us...the segment is scheduled to air on KSL Studio 5 Wednesday Feb 20th, sometime between 11:00 am and 12:00 noon (mountain standard time). You can click on the "Watch It Live" button on their site and watch it from KSL Studio 5's website if you don't live within KSL's broadcast range to watch it on TV.

Awesome Avery Orange

Funky, spunky and with a personality that sparkles as much as her eyes, Janette will surely surprise and amuse you.

I met Janette in Oregon at the Hometown Photographer's Workshop...where we instantly became friends. We laughed and giggled and stayed up way too late. Beautiful and confident, she was a natural in front of my camera. But it wasn't until learning of each other's broken mother hearts, that we realized the depths of our bond.

You see, Janette's son Avery passed away unexpectedly just a few short months ago. Oh those freckles, those glistening eyes, and that red hair...be still my heart!

 Avery loved his family including all of his siblings.

He loved to play the piano, play on computers, everything Pokemon and the color orange as it was his signature color!

 Avery loved spending time with his Dad

 and going on fun vacations with his family.

 But Avery really loved his Mom. For every boy's first love...is his mother!

"Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." 

-Christopher Robin to Pooh

Avery's memorial jiggystick designed and created exclusively as a gift for his family and not for sale.

Awesome Avery Orange jiggystick...for Avery, for his family, for his friends, and especially for his Mom. 

Thank you Janette for sharing your photos of Avery and allowing us to honor your sweet boy while celebrating his life and legacy! 

Jiggybars

The jiggystick team has been very busy here at world headquarters.


It's such an exciting process to watch an idea come to fruition. After months and months of planning, crafting, designing, ordering, testing, etc...the "idea" is ready for production.

Mixing and weighing


following the formula precisely as our chemist crafted it.

We had a mold motif designed by our talented graphic artist and then sent off to a lab for specialty molds made to those exact design specifications.

Mango butter, macadamia nut oil, and this gorgeous hemp butter

are combined with beeswax from our apiary along with jojoba, olive, and fragrance oils.

Mixing is very precise...right down to the tenth of a gram.

It's all very exciting at this point.

And the smell is simply divine!

Each bar must be filled to the exact

specified weight.

The engineer and the chemist look for bubbles in the lotion bars that form around the tiny bee in the mold.

Once cooled, the lotion bars are unmolded and then carefully wrapped up, and placed in hexagon containers.

Add a label and there you have it! Jiggybars! You can find them at jiggystick.com.

That was a great idea you had there Dean. 

Face of jiggystick

PRESS RELEASE...

 Glamorous Los Angeles Juris Doctor Candidate Dione becomes the face of jiggystick.

Sporting new lululemon workout gear she is clearly on the edge of fashion

as well as the cutting edge of lip balm products!

I sound so official don't I?

Finding Meaning Amidst March Winds

March is here...thirteen days of it so far. The slight breeze sweeping along winter brown grass brings a  promise of Spring days to come...along with a clear memory of that breezy March day almost four years ago. The reminders are fiercely forefront in the air, the soil, and my Mamma heart. Yearning for The Red One swells.

Gorgeous, brilliant eighteen year old Allisa passed away from a brain tumor just two months ago...meeting her parents both warmed and tore at the scars of my heart. As new members to the Lost Child Club, Allisa's Mom and Dad appear strong, vibrant and thriving. They are amazing; focused on the important details of living a genuine life after such devastating loss! In keeping with the purpose of jiggystick we surprised them with a unique memorial jiggystick honoring their daughter, a small gift for her friends and family. A one of a kind label designed just for Allisa...favorite colors, favorite berry, and favorite flower...Gerber daisies. Jocie's favorite too!

We discussed the life and death of two young beautiful girls and the impact of a legacy cut short but immortal just the same. And finding meaning in a world absent of our daughters.

A big thank you to an incredible group of on-line photography friends from Snapshots of A Good Life.  Their encouragement, love for me and support of jiggysticks has been overwhelming. They are the dearest, sweetest girls I've never met!

The Alissa Berry Berry jiggystick...just what I needed on this breezy March day. It's bright and cheery...filled with love...just like Alissa!

Adorable November

Today being the last day of November, here are just a few things I found adorable during this month of gratitude.

Lately, Henry has been going by the nickname Hammyburger...and now we know why. A toy hamburger patty has become his new favorite thing at Nana's house. Not sure why...I guess he just loves meat!

Olivia finding a comfy place to sit. This is what happens when Nana is tending.

Henry...adorable, sweet baby Henry. The back story on this photo...digging through storage boxes of old toys, we came across this hat. Dean bought one for each of the girls during one of his many trips to Russia. Cass, Dione and Jocie wore these hats for years.

Scrunchy nose face!

Shooting photos with the babies is always adventuresome and adorable. Add freezing cold temps, fresh wet snow, a snowman whose Oreo eyes were eaten by the dog, and then throw in a live chicken just to really create mayhem!

You know those babies must think we are NUTS!

And that 's the end of the photo shoot! Sorry Henry...but even your pout is adorable! By the way, the cards turned out great...I can't wait to find one in my mailbox!

Ah...sweet tender moments of Olivia and Papa snuggling on the sofa...love her adorable little belly!

A birthday cupcake surprise from Jocie's friends...Autumn, Sid, and Lindsay. They spent hours making them...aren't they gorgeous? Love you girls...truly, madly, deeply I do!

Getting ready to send out a few orders of jiggysticks...adore...adore...adore! A big thank you to everyone who has supported our adventure so far. Dean continues to send me a text every time he receives one of your orders...he adores it completely!

The latest jiggystick flavor...Raspberry Vanilla. I love how this label turned out!

Taken with the iphone 4s...not bad.

And finally...The Teenager on the first day of the ski season Saturday. As he stepped into those new Line skis and headed down the mountain, I couldn't help but sense Jocie skiing right along with him; smiling and proud of her totally legit baby brother!