One year older and wiser too......

Friday, September 16, 2011

Turning 26 didn't seem so bad after turning 25. September put me in a funk, and I usually don't like birthdays but I wanted/needed to go out and have some fun with my friends. A few days before my birthday, Cami called me up to confirm a few things. I gave her a list of a few people that I wanted to come to Cheesecake factory with. Well the big day came and I loved getting all the texts, calls, and facebook messages. I got a little confused because a few people that I wanted at dinner had texted me and asked me what I was doing for my birthday. I don't know what I was thinking, so thinking that maybe a few people didn't get invited to dinner I sent out a text to a few people. haha! Little did I know that I was making life difficult for a few people. After work, I had to go to the DMV to get my license renewed. I tried to get this done the day before but after waiting for over an hour I got kicked out when it closed. I ran home to get ready to go out and party. Cami surprised me and decorated my room. Balloons Galore! It was so awesome! Thanks Cami! Cami was going to go early to get our name on the list so she arranged for AC to come and pick me up. My dinner party consisted of AC, Cami, Jessie, Gentry, Kehly, Brittani J, Brittany S, and Talisha. It was so much fun. We waited for a long time but the food was totally worth it.  Cami left early to go get the cake ready at my parents house. I thought it was a little weird but didn't even think much about it. I got me some cheesecake and was not in a hurry at all. We finally left and were heading to my house for dessert and some games. I was the last one up to my door and I told all my friends that they could have just walked in. I walked in and I just about peed my pants. SURPRISE!!! I was so shocked, I honestly couldn't believe it. It seriously felt like time stopped. As I looked around my packed house I saw my friends from high school, my friends from college, and my friends from my singles ward. I couldn't believe the love and support that all my friends through the years had for me. A huge thank you goes out to Jessie, Cami, AC, and my parents. I have the best friends in the world. It was exactly what I needed. I was reminded of how important friends are. I have made some of the most amazing friends and have so many awesome memories from all the people that came. I felt bad that they all waited for me forever. Haha! But in my defense I had NO IDEA (I still don't know how I didnt suspect anything) that this was happening. Best Birthday ever! Thanks for everyone that came and making me feel the love, you will never know how much I needed this! 

Here is a list of some of my awesome friends that made this surprise party a success!

Cami, Jessie, Ac, Lori, Talisha, Kehly, Gentry, Brittani J, Brittany S, Robbie, Luke, Jeff Sned, Dan, Candice, Kay, Chera & Paul, McKell, Cody, Adam, Ben, Kim, Jerilyn, Mychal, Nate, Dora, meg, Chelsea, Callie, Mike, Kaelyn, I know there are a few I am missing right now. Sorry guys. 

Pictures to come....

Whit's Funeral

Whit's funeral was the following weekend. I took work off on friday and headed down to St. George. I got to the viewing and it was so good to see some of my old roommates. They decorated the church so beautifully. They did a huge display about Whitni's life. The guitar we played for hours, the red shoes she always wore, pictures of her with her family and friends. It was amazing. They also had a few of whit's favorite sweets to take. I got to talk to all of her family members. It was a closed casket but they had the most beautiful picture of whit in her wedding dress right next to her casket. Katie, Kara and I went out and got some frozen yogurt after. It was fun to share memories of whit and to catch up. I went over to Whit's friends house after and played games with them. Whit had amazing friends and they were nice to take me in the last few weeks. I stayed at Andee's house that night.

The funeral was beautiful. Whitni planned her own funeral. Such a Whitni thing to do. She was the best planner that I knew. It was amazing and turned out exactly how she would have wanted it. I had been so sick thinking about this song I was about to sing all week long. How was I going to make it through it? The lyrics were perfect! Anyone that knew Whitni was changed FOR GOOD! When her mom told me that Whit wanted me to sing this at her funeral, I was so torn. How do you sing this song at your best friends funeral. After talking to my bishop about it, he reminded me how lucky I was to know her and asked me if I would have rather only known her for a few years or to have never known her at all. Of course, the later. He reminded me what a privilege this was and that she wanted me to do it and I realized that I could do it and I would do because it was what Whit wanted! I think it went well. I held it together as much as I could. Jared, his parents, and whit's family all spoke and shared memories. There were lots of laughs shared and lots of tears. Whitni wanted the last word at her funeral so they taped her testimony and shared a slideshow during her testimony. Her mom read it because whini got really sick really fast. This is when I burst into tears. What an amazing life! What an amazing friend! What an amazing testimony of Christ! Whitni I miss you SO much and I will love you forever! Til we meet again.....

Whitni's Obituary

Whitni Nisson Reese

June 11, 1981 - September 4, 2011

After her battle with cancer, Whitni Nisson Reese passed away on September 4, 2011. Whitni was born June 11, 1981, in St. George, Utah, to Bruce and Laurie Christensen Nisson. She was the only daughter among 5 brothers.

Whitni enjoyed her childhood growing up in Washington, Utah. She attended Washington Elementary, Pine View Middle School and graduated from Pine View High School. Whitni excelled academically and musically during those years. It was also during this time when she started to establish a group of friends who remain close even to this day. She also gained a strong testimony of the gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Whitni went on to graduate from Dixie State College and attend massage therapy school, becoming a nationally certified Massage Therapist. She then served in the Zurich, Switzerland Mission where she learned to speak the German language fluently. Upon her return, she delayed her schooling to assist her brother, Blake, in his rehabilitation after a serious accident. This experience helped to direct her interests toward physical therapy and she pursued this career at BYU. However, she became more interested in nutrition and as a result attended Utah State University to complete her B.S. Degree, graduating Summa Cum Laude, in Food and Nutrition, becoming a Certified Registered Dietitian.

Shortly after graduation, Whitni married Jared R. Reese on May 16, 2009, in the St. George LDS Temple. Jared’s employment took them to Roswell, NM, where Whitni became employed at Eastern New Mexico Medical Center as a Registered Dietician. During this time Whitni enriched the lives of many by serving as a Ward Missionary and early morning Seminary Teacher for her church.

Whitni loved to learn, travel and serve in the Church. She had a great appreciation of the Gospel, life, family, friends, music, nutrition and science.

Whitni is survived by her spouse, Jared R. Reese of Roswell, NM; father, and mother, Bruce B. and Laurie Nisson; brothers, Neils Nisson (Holly), Nickolas Nisson, Kael Nisson, Blake Nisson (Missionary in Washington D.C. North) and Breyden “Gump” Nisson, all of Washington, UT.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, September 10, 2011, at 11:00 a.m. at the Washington Stake Center, 446 Mangum Rd., Washington, UT. Whitni elected not to have a viewing, but an open house will be held on Friday, September 9, 2011, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the same location. Interment will take place in the Washington City Cemetery.

The family requests in lieu of flowers that monetary remembrances be made at any Mountain America Credit Union under Whitni Nisson Reese.

Whitni and family wish to thank Dr. Derrick Haslem and staff, Dr. Edgard Badine and staff, and Southern Utah Hospice for their special care and concern during her illness.

Because I knew you, I have been changed FOR GOOD!

"It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me 
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend..."


This was the part of the song, "For good" that I got to sing at Whit's funeral. What a heart-wrencher, right?  I love it though because it puts into words exactly how I feel. Well I remember the first couple of weeks of September like it was yesterday. I got a phone call from our friend Kate, around the first of September telling me that Whit wasn't going to make much longer. My worst fears came true. How was I going to get through this? Was I going to make it down to say goodbye to her? Was I strong enough to see her? It was memorial day weekend, the weekend that we were all supposed to be at the Gorge together, crazy huh. I drove down saturday morning and it was the longest drive of my life. I got to Whits parents house in Washington, Ut, and I went in to see Whit. I don't think anyone or anything could have prepared me. I can't even express the heartache I felt seeing her in the lazy boy. Her mom and her friend trying to help her be as comfortable as possible. They let me have some time with her and Jared. She couldn't talk and her eyes were closed but we all knew that Whitni could hear us. I sat there by her side trying to be strong and fighting back tears. No one wants to see their best friend suffer like that. 


Since I was down there, Whit's mom decided it was a great time to practice the song for the funeral. Whit's mom's friend was singing with me, we started practicing in the living room and I got to my part. It well may be that we will never meet again..... I lost it. It didn't help that I don't like to sing in front of people but the fact that Whit was in the other room made it that much more difficult. We practiced a few times and then planned to practice the next day with our accompanist. Kate was nice enough to let me stay with her over the weekend. Sunday, Kate, Jared, Jared's parents, and I went to church. After I got to spend more time with Whit and her family and friends. I got to witness the sweetest thing. Whit's little twin nephews came over and Holly brought them in to see Whit and Whit put a smile on her face and she mumbled something. It was the sweetest thing and the last time I saw a smile on Whit's face. I felt the spirit so strong in that room. I know it was cause the vail was so thin and I loved that they had hilary weeks music playing all weekend long. 


That night we went over to start working on whit's casket. Jared came over and spent some time with us and then we got a phone call that she wasn't going to make it much longer. I am so glad that Jared was able to make it back to be there. We got a call and they invited us over to the house. It was nice to share tears and hugs with whits family. Whitni looked so peaceful and beautiful. I was so hard to kiss her goodbye but she was in a better place now. 
Words cannot express the love I have for Whit. I always told her she was my Ultimate Best Friend. She always had great wisdom for me, we never fought, we were so similar but in many ways so different. She was my sister. She made me a better person.  It is rare when you find a friendship like that. It is such a hard thing for me to lose a friendship like that. I am so grateful that I Heavenly Father crossed our paths even though it was cut short. I am so grateful that I had Whit in my life. Because I knew her I was changed for good.  She continued to teach me through out her cancer. Not once was she mad at God. She was a huge strength to me and she will continue to do be with the memories that I will cherish forever. 


Monday, I went to Jill's parents house and we worked on the casket. It turned out so beautiful and it was so nice to be around people who were feeling the same way I was. I am so grateful that I was able to share this weekend with Whit's family and friends. 

"I thought the rockies would be rockier than this...."

My last vacation of the summer was a trip with my family to see Mike and Katie. We drove and it was kind of a long drive but it was fun to spend time with my family. We stayed in a little mountain town to break up the drive. One thing that I loved right off the bat is that they had elk crossing signs. Awesome right! I have never seen one before and I loved it. The mountains were beautiful. Katie lives just a few minutes outside of denver and so it was great to stay with them. We went and saw the Red Rock Amphitheater. I totally want to go see a concert there sometime. It was so pretty and it has a great view of Denver city. We also went to the Buffalo Bill museum and grave. It was a great look out point into the mountains and city. We went to a baseball game, which was so much fun. We ate in a little city called Golden. This is a cute little town and home of the coors brewery. One of my favorite things was that we went down to Colorado Springs. We went to a place called Garden of the Gods. It was awesome. It is a city park with red rock formations everywhere. It was fun to walk around even though it was super hot. We tried to go to the north pole but it was closed. sad day I know! We went to my cousins Kimra's house on sunday for dinner. My cousin Troy and his family also came down to see us. It was so great to see them and their families. A few of my favorite cousins. It was a fun trip. I am so glad that we fit it in before school started. 

At the Ball park

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs

red rock amphitheater

Having fun with my camera at a small lake by katies house

Park in Golden, CO

Up at the Buffalo Bill museum

Roswell, NM

Well I got home from Europe and a few days later I got a phone call from Whitni. It had been a while since I had talked to her but I went to Europe feeling optimistic. I left the country knowing that chemo had worked and the whole time just thinking that Heavenly Father could keep it away. That phone call was heartbreaking. She had been back in Salt Lake getting treatments. The cancer came back with a vengeance and came back fast. She also found out that she had brain tumors. Really!?! I just sank and didn't know what to do. I was at my cousins wedding shower but I was able to go down and see her that night. It was so good to see her. I panted her toe nails and I had so much time just being with her. She could always put a smile on my face even though she was in so much pain. Her and Jared where heading back to Roswell in a few days after she had radiation on the brain tumors. I knew I wanted to spend as much time with her and I still had one more month before I had to go back to work. I can't remember if it was my idea or hers but we cooked up a plan for me to go down and help her out. It worked out that I drove down with them and then flew back. They picked me up at my house that thursday (July 21st) and we stopped by Sam's Club. She found the beef jerky that she loved and I will never forget how excited she was to have me coming down. They took me to a delicious pizza place in Spanish fork and then we were on our way. We spent the night in a small town in northern New Mexico. We spent some time in Albuquerque the next day. They took me to the zoo, which was awesome, and we also went and saw the temple. On our road trip we listened a lot to wicked. The song 'For Good' came on and she said that she thinks of us when it comes on and she said she wanted us to sing it at her funeral. I told her as long as she was singing with me! It was so fun to see their house. It was so cute and definitely had the Whitni touch. Whit was supposed to start chemo that week which is a big reason why I went down so I could help her out. With how things worked out they couldn't start her that week. So while she still felt like she could work she worked most of the week. So I lounged around and did nothing. And I went down wanting to help her out but she did more for me. She was so sweet, she would bring breakfast to me in bed! She said you are vacation.....oh whit! Whit always looked for ways to make other people happy. I was so glad that I got that time to spend with her.  

2011

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..... What a year. I always thought that line was so clique, but it truly expresses my feelings of 2011. I tried to make the most of 2011. I was able to do a lot of traveling, I got the summer off, and I got to spend some precious time with my best friend. Although I had  the best of times with friends and family, 2011 was filled with a lot of heartache and a lot of tears. Losing a best friend has been one of the hardest things that I have ever had to go through. I am going to finish blogging about 2011 even though its over. Here's to the new year!