Jorma's Memorial

This weekend was a crazy busy, sad, happy, exhausting weekend.  Jorma's memorial was held in Port Orford so Stu and I, among many other friends of Jorma's, drove down to the place most of us have called home at one time or another.  Stu and I arrived into town early and were able to make it down to the beach.

It was the most beautiful day to be on the coast.  I couldn't believe it!  In the middle of January and Port Orford was sunny and almost 70!  And most importantly, NOT WINDY!  I have lived in Port Orford for a while and the conditions are never like this, even in the summer!  It was so great to walk down past Battle Rock, almost all the way to Hubbard's Creek and think about good times.  I broke my ankle on that beach.  I rode on a deflated mattress behind a friend's car on that beach.  I've had bonfires on that beach and watched the most awesome fireworks in the world.  So many memories.  It was just so nice to be down there to celebrate someone's life and have it be so beautiful.

Home.  I see you!

Our youth pastor Josh, his wife Evie, Tyler, Me, Sara, Jory, Amber, and AJ

This is a picture of old high school friend who came to the memorial.  There were a lot more people there but this picture was taken of the people who were in youth group together.  We met Amber in college and Jory didn't live in Port Orford when we were in high school but everyone else spent Wednesday nights in the youth room at Langlois Community Church ;-)

On a Sad Note

Jorma Lee Smith

9/11/1982-1/2/2009

trying on Tyler's bras that she had just bought in the dorms

Right after the Mindless Self Indulgence concert Jorma and Stu went to.

Riding home in the back of the car on our way home from Sacramento

Photo op in the dorms

At a party in Chase.  I don't remember why we posed.  We just did!  Jorma in his "towel" shirt.  He loved that thing!

My senior year in high school at our baptism.  We were baptized together.  So young!

Crashing Bandon's prom in high school.

Jorma and Rob in jail (actually on the other side of mine and Tyler's porch.)

The Port Orford Crew reunited at T-230!  Joel, Tyler, Sara, JJ, Me and Jorma.  I love how there is a wine cooler in the picture too.  we were so classy.

I remember the first time I saw Jorma.  I had been in class, in high school, and someone turned to a friend and said, "Did you know that Jorma is back?!"  I asked who that was and was told that I would know when I saw him.  Later, I was in the hall and above all the heads, I could see this amazingly crazy, bright red hair.  It was the beginning of one of the most important friendships in my life.

We drifted apart these last couple of years, staying in contact through Myspace, never really seeing each other and I apologize for that.  Jorma tried to get together and I was always busy.  I should have been there for him when he needed me but I didn't know what he was going through.  Jorma was one of my best friends, my first real guy friend.  He watched me grow up and Jorma undoubtedly helped shape who I am today.  He was one of my first kisses, he bought me my first beer, we went off to colleges together and no matter what I did, or what decisions I made, Jorma always supported me.  I can't believe that I just let us drift apart like that.  I am sad to think that Jorma never knew how important he was to me.  I never told him.

The only thing that I can do now is to think of all the fun things that we did together.  I want to think of the good times that we had and celebrate them.  

I will always miss you Jorma and I love you.  I wish that I had told you that more. 

I remember emailing each other over and over in keyboarding class, even though we sat right next to each other.

The Fourth of July in Port Orford.

Hanging out in the back room of your mom's house, around those two huge kitchen tables pushed together.

Magic carpet rides in your backyard.

Beach adventures.

Camping at Edison with a tiny tent and air mattress.

Driving around in your mom's minivan.

Tyler.

Sleepovers where we pushed tyler and my beds together in the dorm room and managed to fit 5 people on them.

Dryer adventures.  I remember that your hair started to burn.  Stinky!

Hanging out at Troy's.  Hot tub adventures where I ended up throwing up and had to sit in Troy's livingroom with a towel wrapped around me because my shirt was in the dryer.

Road trips to Sacramento.

Sitting in your apartment watching music videos at like 2 in the morning.

Easter Beer Hunts with Pabst cans painted red and blue.  I remember you couldn't remember if the paint was toxic or not and we still drank them anyway.

T-230 and three man

Getting Fire and Spice together.

Razools.

Our nicknames we gave each other.  I was Jacque-Snow and you were Jorma-smallcock.  I don't remember why.

Parties up at the river.

Monday Night Dance Parties on the wall at Battle Rock!!!!!

Randomly driving to Coos Bay in the Ravy just to get out of Port Orford.

Theater together.  I remember, you guys were in charge of the lights and sound and I was in charge of kissing Joel.  Weird!

*There will be a memorial held for Jorma at the Sixes River Grange on January 16th, 2-4pm.

Christmas Adventure

For Christmas this year, I went to see my family in New Mexico like I do almost every year.  It was really fun to catch up with my younger brothers and to spend some time with my mom and everyone.  This year, the weather was pretty bad so we spent most of the time inside playing board games but even so, it was nice to just spend some down time with my family.  This is the only time of the year that I get to see them so it means a lot to get to spend a week there.  

My family: brother Jake, Mom, me, brother Jeremey, and Stepdad George.

Stu surprised me this year and gave me a trip to WALT DISNEY WORLD for my birthday and Christmas so after I made it back from New Mexico, two days later, we were on a plane to Florida.  It was an awesome trip!  Our hotel was great and we were actually on the resort so we were in walking distance to most of the parks.  The first night we didn't get into our hotel until 11 but were so happy when the man at the desk told us that the Magic Kingdom was having "magic hours" until 3am that we could get into because we were staying at one of the resorts!  Even though we were exhausted from all the traveling and being up since 4:30 in the morning, we still went and had a blast!

A view of our hotel on the walk to Hollywood Studios

Florida is three hours ahead so we were able to sleep in until 10 there (7 oregon time) almost every morning and then stay out in the parks until like 3am (really only midnight for us) when all the other people were gone.  It was awesome.  We had great food and got to see some pretty cool stuff.

The second night we were there we decided to stay in and eat at Kimono's, a sushi place in the hotel next to us.  It was the best sushi ever!  The waitress saw me taking a picture of the delicious sushi and asked if we wanted our picture taken.  We look a little wiped out.  We were pretty worn.

We were pretty tired every night from all the walking we did.  There were shuttles everywhere but we discovered that we could walk to Epcot or Hollywood Studios in the time it took the water shuttles to get there so we pretty much walked everywhere.  It was awesome to be in almost 80 degree weather after being in Oregon with all that snow!  I was wearing tank tops and wasn't even cold!

Sleeping Beauty's castle in the Magic Kingdom at night.  It was beautiful!

It was definitely sad to have to leave the park the day after New Years.  The people and fireworks had been so awesome the night before!  But we were pretty tired and ready to get back to the ferrets and life in general.  I have posted a lot of other pictures from our vacation on Facebook if anyone is interested.