Pennies from Heaven

I am missing my brother today. It's been over 18 years since I have seen his face or felt his warm bear hugs.  There are days were I have a sweet reminders of him and other days, like today, where I miss him so much that I remember the moment I found out that he was ripped from our lives.

I was giving change back to someone today and realized that I didn't have any quarters left in my drawer, so I gave her .60 in dimes and .03 in pennies.  I apologized to her about my lack of quarters and she started to tear up.  I felt a little awkward until she said, "it is said that when you see dimes and pennies, it means that angels are near.  Thank you for giving me a handful of them." In those two sentences, I recalled a sweet memory of my angel brother.

When I was growing up, my brother threw pennies away.

He didn't like them.

He didn't want to have them.

When I found this out, I begged for him to give them to me instead.  And, being his favorite (and only) sister, he did.

This exchange of pennies went on for a couple years. 

Shortly after he died, I remember hearing what sounded like a handful of pennies fall on the concrete. I looked down and noticed, not a handful, but one penny lying on the sidewalk in front of me. Around the same time, on the same day, my mom sat down at her desk at work, looked up and saw a penny balancing on the edge of a binder that was sitting on a shelf above her desk.  These two experiences were a sweet reminder that while he is no longer with us, he was and still is aware of us.

So, next time you see a penny, or dime, lying on the ground or balancing on a shelf, it could be that someone you love is watching over you.  If you feel it's not for you, leave it for the person behind you because they may have been praying for peace and answers in that moment.

My favorite layouts

I was looking through my photo albums and I have picked a few layouts that are my favorite. Every time I see them, I have to stop and admire them. They each have a different reason as to why they are my favorites. It could be the story, the pictures, the technique, color or subject matter. I hope you enjoy these layouts, as I have, while I share them with you.

I would like to start with the story. (sorry about the bad pictures- I am not a photographer and don't claim to be.)


This first one is about my brother. I had made this about five years after he had passed away. I actually sent in into a magazine for a contest. I didn't win anything, but I am glad that I made this.

This layout was done after an activity that I was part of due to my brother passing away. TCF (known as the compassionate friends) is a group of people who have lost loved ones due to death. In 2001, the annual conference was held at the Grand America Hotel in SLC and I was able to be a part of it. This particular event, was a picnic where we let balloons go after writing a note to our loved ones and tied them to the balloon.

This last one is pretty funny. Twice a year, my mom and I go to the Original Scrapbook USA Expo at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy. This particular time, Jason (the DJ, host, mic guy) posed a question to the attendees. He asked them how far they would go for several hundred dollars worth of Cropper Hopper product. Dozens of women ran to the stage, until the hair clippers came out. Then, all but two backed off. I had the chore of shaving one of the ladies heads whom I later found out is a good friend of one of my neighbors.