What a week

Oh wow what a roller coaster not only this past week has been, but also the past 2 years. We have been AMAZED at all of the outpouring of love and support we have received.

I know a lot of you have seen this already, but I thought I'd post the video for any of you who wanted to see it. The quality isn't quite as good as the DVD, but you'll get the idea.



Holly and I gave Jami's life sketch. This is pretty much the talk we gave. I hope you enjoy these memories of Jami as much as I do :)

One of the things Jami absolutely hated about funerals is that during the ceremony people would only talk about the very best things people did and they would go on and on and on about things that weren’t always true. Being the loving older sister that I am, I’m going to try to make sure that not only are the best qualities of Jami shown, but also the more human aspects of her too.

Jami Margaret Petersen was born to Russell and Sharon Petersen on July 6th 1982.

From the time she was a newborn she would almost constantly make little noises and squeak sounds, hence the nickname of Squeaky.

Jami went to McKinley Elementary. She loved to run around and be silly and would frequently come and play with Julie and her friends at lunch and breaks.

Growing up, Jami wasn’t much of a “can I?” type of a gal. Instead she would say “I can” For example, mom, I can jump the motorcycle off of that ramp.

Jami’s motorcycle had two speeds, off, and full throttle. One time at full throttle she hit something on the track we’d set up and she went flying over the handlebars. Normally when people fly off they’re frantic and are flailing their arms….not Jami, she had her hands by her side and looked just like a crash dummy. Jami didn’t like it when Julie couldn’t quite laughing about that one.

We frequently tried to share a room. It usually went really well until Jami got mad and then she’d throw all of my things into the hall and tell me I had to figure something else out for a bedroom because this wasn’t going to be mine anymore.

She went to Bear River Middle School where she first started learning to play the flute. She loved the flute and even more, the flute loved her. The tone she had on the flute was amazing and even the Professor at Utah State where she ended up taking lessons, would compliment her.

By this time I was driving so, we’d drive back and forth from Logan in Marshmallow (my first car, a white citation). The radio didn’t work through most of the drive because of the mountain so we’d sing together instead. This wasn’t your normal singing either, this was a contest to see who could sing the worst. The favorite song was a high pitched “it’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to”

Jami went to Bear River High School. She wasn’t much into studying, but she did enjoy protecting the parking lot. Jami was pretty short , but feisty. Nobody messed with Jami. Part of it might have been because frequently her over 6 foot tall cousin Bubba was standing behind her.

Jami would frequently get her words mixed up which was hilarious. For Example
One time we were putting up the swamp cooler after a long summer and she was getting mashed behind. Suddenly we hear this little voice say “We better hurry…I’m getting colostrophobie”
When staying with her Aunt Marilyn she loved to help Marilyn with medical stuff, including her dressings. Jami was so excited one day and asked Stephanie “When do we get to change your mom’s salad?”
One day Jeff and I were fighting in the car and Jami (being the peace maker she is) said “now now children…don’t we remember the primary song “Share said the little stream…share o share…share o share”


Jami’s first Job was working at ShopKo in the main store. She LOVED it there! She’d go to work excited and come home even more happy. She loved helping customers.

Jami spoke her mind and you never wondered if she really liked you or not. One day her manager came up to her quite frustrated and said “Do not under mind my authority”
Jami responded with “well, if your authority was right, I wouldn’t have to under mind it”

Jami taught primary for many years. The kids loved her and even more, she loved the kids. She had a church bag stuffed full of goodies and crayons and paper because you just never know when you’re going to get the urge to color. She loved the gospel and loved sharing her testimony with the kids.

Jami loved animals. Her guinea pigs were so spoiled, all she would do was speak a little sound and the guinnea’s would begin squealing uncontrollably. She could get Julie’s dog Sophie so riled up and whenever Julie and Jami would fight, Jami would tell mom how they should go get Sophie because certainly Julie didn’t deserve her.

One of Jami’s many talents was that she could cut up paper and make a pile of cute clippings faster than anyone. She had more scrapbooking supplies than pretty much anyone we knew, yet, she didn’t scrapbook…she just enjoyed cutting up paper.

Jami started working Graveyard shift with Jeff at ShopKo and that was a huge bonding time for them. They were pretty much inseparable. They were both living at home and would get their food from the same freezer. One time Jami took the last Michellinas and didn’t tell Jeff. Oh boy he was upset. In order to make her brother happy the next time Jami took the last one she left notes EVERYWHERE in the house saying “Psst…jeff, I took the last michellinas”, why there was even a note under the toilet seat lid

You never would have known it to meet her, but Jami wasn’t really a touchy feely kind of person. Her charisma was intoxicating though and so she got many many hugs. These ranged from her family, to a really large coworker they had nicknamed “Stinky”.

Jami got her pharmacy technician license and went to work at what she called “the evil empire” otherwise known as Walmart. She loved the people she worked with.

In September 2007 we discovered Jami had a beach ball size tumor in her abdomen. Instead of crying woe is me, she gussied up and named the tumor Fred. We would frequently chant “Drop dead Fred” and sure enough…he did.

Even sick, Jami would keep people entertained. When she was in palliative care she began telling us in a breathless voice about how the night before she had fallen…she fell like a heifer…then she realized not only was she on the floor, but she was nakie…Neighbor Dave was sick so we had to call the young chap Tony to come and help…oh and she was nakie.

J is for jester because she loved to entertain
A is for animal lover
M is for mischievous
I is for inseparable – Families are forever. I love you squeaky!!


I can't believe I've had the amazing opportunity to grow so incredibly close to my family through all of this. I tell you that for as many trials as we've had we have had soooo many more blessings. Growing up Jami and I didn't always get along, but I'm very happy to say that the past couple of years have been the best years so far. I loved helping with her and would do it all over again. Jami, we are going to miss you so much, you never ceased to make me smile and for that I am forever grateful. You taught me courage and how to just keep smiling no matter what is going on. Love you so much and I can't wait to be with you again some day!

I'm going to keep blogging about our family adventures (the blog is named after me after all), but I just need to get through the next few days.