The first group that came in was Angel Watch. The volunteers at Angel Watch were very loving, caring, [...]]]> While Katie and Cory were going through their experience with little Jayden Dale, who was diagnosed with Trisomy 18, there were three different volunteer groups that came to help them deal with the loss of their child.

The first group that came in was Angel Watch. The volunteers at Angel Watch were very loving, caring, understanding and knowledgeable. They not only provided comfort, counseling and advice, but they also introduced the next two groups to come in and help Katie and Cory.

The second group to come in was Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, which consists of volunteer photographers who provide professional photography services at no cost. Their mission statement is, “To introduce remembrance photography to parents suffering the loss of a baby with the free gift of professional portraiture. We believe these images serve as an important step in the family’s healing process by honoring their child’s legacy.” By following this link to our Gallery, you can see some of the photos of Katie, Cory and Jayden Dale.

The third group to come in was Utah Share. This group is “a volunteer effort of concerned parents and healthcare professionals working together to help families who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss.” After Jayden Dale’s arrival, two young mothers, who had gone through experiences similar to Katie’s, came in and visited with Katie and Cory. They also took molds of little Jayden Dale’s hands and feet and gave them to Katie and Cory. Utah Share provides on-going support and activities to help parents cope with their loss.

I was very impressed with the loving, caring nature of all the volunteers who came from each of these groups. Thank you!

This is a letter that Cory and Katie wrote to Jayden Dale and they asked me to read it at Jayden’s graveside service, which I did:

To our baby boy,

We were so excited to meet you from the day we found out we were pregnant. When we found out you were a boy [...]]]>

This is a letter that Cory and Katie wrote to Jayden Dale and they asked me to read it at Jayden’s graveside service, which I did:

To our baby boy,

We were so excited to meet you from the day we found out we were pregnant. When we found out you were a boy we almost immediately knew we would call you Jayden. The images of who you would be were flashing through our minds daily; what color your eyes would be, how smart you’d be, how caring and compassionate you’d be and of course how you’d be a future disc golf champion. We could only imagine how athletic you would have been just like your grandpa Dale, which is how we decided on your middle name. When we were told about your condition it broke our hearts, and we soon realized that you were too perfect to be on this Earth at this time. We hope you know just how much we love and miss you, its going to be a rough road for a while but we will find comfort knowing that you are with your Father in Heaven now, watching over us. On the day you were born it seemed as if you were ready to come, that you knew it was time. Everything went so smoothly, that has been a great comfort to us. When you arrived and we were able to hold you in our arms and look at you, the first thing we noticed was just how perfect you are. Your nose was just so sweet and those hands and feet were the spitting image of your dad’s. You are our little piece of heaven and you have changed our lives forever. We hope you know how much of an impact you have made on so many lives, your mom and I have had so many people show love and compassion on your behalf, it is just amazing. You will remain in our hearts until the day that we get to hold you in our arms again and see that perfect face. We love you so much Jayden Dale Sharp, goodbye for now.

-Your mommy and daddy.

I’m very proud of both Cory and Katie! They’re amazing people. And I’m very grateful for all the people who were able to attend Jayden’s service. I’m especially grateful that our son, Skyler, and his family were able and willing to make the 13-hour drive from Monterey, CA to be there. Thank you!

If you would like to see more pictures from the funeral, click on “Gallery” in the menu above and then go to the sub-gallery “cory” and you’ll see the link for “jdfuneral”. Or, you can just click here

Congratulations go to our son, Cory Sharp for winning the 2011 Full Throttle Challenge Disc Golf Tournament at Solitude Mountain Resort, August 19-21! Not only did he win the Pro Men’s Division, but he also set the new 27-hole course record at 15 under par! That means he beat the old course record by [...]]]>

Congratulations go to our son, Cory Sharp for winning the 2011 Full Throttle Challenge Disc Golf Tournament at Solitude Mountain Resort, August 19-21! Not only did he win the Pro Men’s Division, but he also set the new 27-hole course record at 15 under par! That means he beat the old course record by 4 strokes. Cool, huh?

Bayard: The Hatter would not have given himself up for just any Alice. Alice: Where did they take him? Bayard: To [...]]]> Here is a quote from Tim Burton’s “Alice In Wonderland” which takes place between Bayard, the bloodhound and Alice when she decides to veer from the path pre-destined for her according to Underland’s Oraculum:

Bayard: The Hatter would not have given himself up for just any Alice.
Alice: Where did they take him?
Bayard: To the Red Queen’s castle.
Alice: We’re going to rescue him.
Bayard: That is not foretold.
Alice: I don’t care! He wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for me!
Bayard: The Frabjous Day is almost upon us. You must prepare to meet the Jabberwocky!
Alice: From the moment I fell down that rabbit hole I’ve been told what I must do and who I must be. I’ve been shrunk, stretched, scratched, and stuffed into a teapot. I’ve been accused of being Alice and of not being Alice but this is my dream. I’ll decide where it goes from here.
Bayard: If you diverge from the path…
Alice: I make the path!

Despite several million years of thinking virtually nonstop about sex, guys have made very little progress toward answering such basic questions about human sexuality as: How can you obtain more of it? How much talking is required? What is the role [...]]]> I want to thank Dave Barry for this insightful blurb. Fruit flies; who knew?

Despite several million years of thinking virtually nonstop about sex, guys have made very little progress toward answering such basic questions about human sexuality as: How can you obtain more of it? How much talking is required? What is the role of jewelry? How important is the size of a guy’s, um, car? For guys, these are uncharted waters. That’s why I am so pleased by a recent Reuters article concerning research being done by scientists at Stanford University into the sex life of fruit flies. This research is significant because fruit flies have many biological similarities to humans. For example, both species eat fruit. The list goes on and on.