TWINS

I just wanted to share a few memories I have growing up with my twin sister, Jenni.

Growing up as a twin was awesome. I always had someone to play with, someone to argue with, and someone to tell my deepest, darkest secrets.
As much as Jenni and I were alike, we were that much different. She was the smart on...me not so much...I was more outgoing, Jenni, the quiet type....she was left hand, me right....I was taller...Jenni 2 1/2 inches shorter.

None of that really mattered. We were best friends. When we 1st started school mama and daddy tried to put us in separate classes. Well, that didnt work. We missed each other too much. So we had the same classes all the way until our senior year in highschool.

I was so protective of her. To the day she died i was protective of her. She would call or come home saying someone hurt her feelings or did something to her and I would call and threaten them. They better not mess with my twin sister.

We had our ups and downs. One day we were on our trampoline fighting over a banana....She pushed me off and I ended up in the ER with my arm broken in 2 places......but Jenni got that banana.

Jenni ate oreos and milk every morning for breakfast. I didnt like them so much, but I loved the icing in the middle. So, one day I took all the oreos out of the jar, pulled them apart, ate the icing, put them back together, and put them back in the jar. Jenni cried. I ruined her oreos, but you know me, I thought it was funny (until i got in trouble).

On Jenni and Josh's wedding day...when I put on my dress it was cut 2 inches too short. I couldnt wear my heals, so I decided I would wear flip flops. Jenni wouldnt have it. So, I went barefoot...IN DECEMBER lol

Even when Jenni had her transplants we found ways of having fun; whether it be her standing on the iv pole and me pushing her up and down the hall as fast as I could or us making hot plates together....to us having deep conversations....only the kind twins could have.

Then in January, Jenni told me she had orthopenia (brittle bones) and the Dr.'s telling her she needed to walk 3 times a week. She said Judi I dont have the energy to walk, but if I had a Wii Fit I would do it every day. So what did I do? Bought it. I called Josh and told him to be expecting it. Oh when she got it; you could hear the excitement in her voice. I never got to play it with her.

Im gonna stop here, because im starting to cry...

Jenni, Just know that I would have given you the world if I could have. I love you so much and miss you terribly. I will always carry part of you with me (you are and always will be part of me). And when I graduate in May you will have a front row seat.
With all my love
-Judi (Jenni's twin)

Unforgettable

Jenni will never be forgotten. Her faith, love, and inspiration will remain with us forever. However, it is an unfortunate truth that memories do fade with time. To celebrate all of the best times we had with Jenni and to help hold on to those memories, I want to share some of the fondest memories I have of Jenni. I'll add to this list over time... there just isn't any way to list everything at one time...

• Rolling Jenni around on a hospital pole when we were supposed to be walking
• The Spagettios and Kool-Aid dinner (on a blanket in the floor and candle lit) in Helder Hall after a bad day
• Dressing up and going to a Broadway show just to get turned away at the door because we came on the wrong night
• Seeing the Lion King on Broadway 24 hours later
• Almost dropping her in the dip right after "You may now kiss the bride..."
  
• Watching four episodes of Heroes a day until we finished the first two seasons
• Cleaning the house and cooking dinner for our anniversary because I didn't have enough money for a real present
• Writing papers and playing cards straight through the night at Waffle House, then going to class and crashing until late afternoon
• Watching the sunrise on Christmas morning from a hospital room... twice...
• Driving to Concord for two stops... Sticky Fingers and The Loft...
• The trashcan, the mud, and the puddle... three battles in/around West Hall that I won... (she would disagree, though)
  
• Wooter (water), Ford (forehead), and Deddy (daddy)
  
• "Its a beautiful day in the neighborhood!"
• Me: "Lawson can't be much shorter than me... 6'1 maybe?" Jenni: "No, Josh. He's 5'11." (She was right.)
• Playing games on the laptop while she watched Grey's Anatomy or Desperate Housewives.
• Wearing a hat all the time at WCU so hers wouldn't seem so out of place.
• All of my students who flirted with her (she didn't like it... I thought it was funny)
• Going to all of those Carolina games the first year we were married... Jenni bought us mini season passes for my birthday...
• Dancing in front of all the kids at Rohanen
• Getting accused of beating up on one another after we "fought" during dance practice
• Listening to Casting Crowns songs for years because they were the only CDs she kept in her car 
• Going to the beach with Melissa & Aladdin (and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches)
  
• All the card games she won even though she claimed to not be any good
  
• Seeing Jenni play with Maddie through a glass door because little kids weren't allowed in on 9200
• "That was heavenly..." (when I shared my meatball sub with her in the Asheville hospital after she'd had nothing but hospital food for days)
• Taking her "shortcut" through the UNC campus to get back to the parking deck and getting hurt climbing through a construction site
• The look in her eyes when I gave her Coco on Christmas Eve
• "Boys, boys, boys!" (when the Tar Heels were playing badly)
• This story
• This poem 
• Long walks on campus at UNCP after midnight just talking
• Too many thank you's
• That horrible Willard movie
  
• Our first date... Dreamcatcher and Bojangles
• Second date... Bojangles and Walden Books (we were such nerds)
• Breaking that chair in Pine Hall
• Having to buy Fabuloso because she thought it smelled so much better than the other cleaners
• "Mrs. Cornwell's Prison" at Rohanen Junior High... made with blue tape on the floor
• Taking Ali and Hunter to Hickory Dickory Dock
  
• And many more that I'll add when I have more time...

Please share your own fondest and funniest memories by posting comments below, and feel free to post again and again as you remember things and return to the site.

Jennibugg's Blogg Tutorial

I mentioned a while back that I intended to create a tutorial showing others how to create a blog like this one. That project has begun, and you can find it at http://jennibuggtutorial.blogspot.com. It will take a while to explain each step in detail, but the basics are online at least.

I'm backdating this post so that the memories posts will remain at the top of the page. Those are the most important, in my opinion. Please continue to contribute.

Receiving Friends & Funeral Arrangements

We now have arrangements for the receiving friends and funeral. Both will be in Rockingham, NC (Jenni's hometown).

Receiving Friends
5:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Thursday, March 26th
Carter Funeral Home
705 South Caroline Street
Rockingham, NC 28379

Funeral
4:00 pm on Friday, March 27th
Beverly Hills Baptist Church
110 Kimberly Street
Rockingham, NC 28379

A Few More Posts

There will be a few more posts, but not many. I don't have the time or energy to write them yet, but once they are finished, I am finished. Some people have expressed interest in continuing to follow me, but that shouldn't be done here. I can't speak for Judi or Layne or my mom, but I want this site to remain focused entirely on Jenni.

I will not remove this site, but I doubt I will post anymore once I wrap a few things up. I still want a memorial post so that we can all share fond memories, a tutorial so that other families in our position can do this, and a final thank you. People will still be able to post comments, but there won't be many (if any) more page updates.

I've heard that many people want to continue keeping up with me, but this site just isn't the place to do it. For those who are interested, I write occasionally on http://crazyteachermusings.blogspot.com (which needs a major face lift), so you can check me out there if you want. I won't be offended if you don't, so don't feel obligated. Jennibugg's Blogg has exploded beyond anything I ever intended or expected, but thinking about the number of people Jenni's story has touched brings me joy even now.

Honored to Be Jenni's Mother-In-Law & Josh's mom

As I write through tears, I know that my words will in no way express all that I want to say or all that I feel.

I have many "thank you's" to express and the first is to Jenni.

"Thanks for being the best daughter-in-law ever". I am so thankful for all the fun times that I had with Jenni...visiting Josh and Jenni at Pembroke, visiting at their house in Rockingham, and celebrating their new home in Hickory. I was so honored that Jenni asked me to help take care of her through her two transplants. We spent many days at the clinic, hospital, apartment and Caring House and I treasure the closeness that we had together. I told her many times what an inspiration she was to me and to so many. Her faith and her courage were unbelievable. Through everything, she never complained. I thank her for loving Josh and being so devoted to him. I can't count the number of times that through her ordeals, she was worried about Josh. I am so thankful for the time that I had with her. I am glad that I could be a "stand-in-mom" until she was able to be with her mom again. There are no words to express the love that I had for her and how much I will miss her.

Thanks to Josh for being such a wonderful husband and son. Josh, you have amazed me with your faith, strength and courage through some difficult times. I have watched you take care of Jenni and many could take lessons from you. Your love and devotion to her has been evident to all. I love you and am so proud of you.

Thanks to all of you who have kept us going. Your words of encouragement and your prayers have helped in more ways than you can ever imagine. Please know that we have appreciated all that you have done whether it was a prayer, a phone call, a card, a hug, a comment on the blog, a donation, money slipped into Josh's pocket...whatever you did, we thank you. The outpouring of support from the blog and from family and friends has been overwhelming.

A thank you to all those that we have met in the waiting room, who have given us support. Our hearts go out to the families that we said good-bye to when they lost their loved one. Please know that you are all still in our thoughts and prayers. For those who are still waiting for a loved one to recover, our prayers are with you.

This special note to Selena's family: We still think of you and pray for you. Mary, I have read all your messages on the blog. Your words of encouragement have meant so much and we still think of your family. My email address is debbieroach@hotmail.com I hope to hear from you.

Keep praying, as the next few days will be very difficult. We trust God to see us through and we are comforted to know that Jenni is healthy and happy.

Jennifer Rae Wallace Cornwell

Just a few moments after 9:00 Jenni passed. She went peacefully, surrounded by family and friends.

Grace and Peace
Layne