Sketch Drawing of Jace

A student of mine drew a pencil sketching of Jace for me.  I have been admiring her work all year long, so I finally asked her if she would do something for me.  I think she did a great job.  I will treasure it always.

Celebrations

When I got home from school on June 5th which was Jace's third birthday, I found beautiful flowers on the kitchen island.  They were for Julie from Melanie, Heather, and Natalie.  The girls have always been good friends in addition to being sisters.  I am glad their devotion to each other continues as they grow older. 

On the kitchen table there was a big box that Julie had unwrapped.  It was from a perfect stranger that had heard of Julie's loss.  She sent a beautiful frame with a tender message on it along with a church book and a clear glass vase.  The card indicated that every time Julie had a remembrance of Jace she should put a penny in the jar.  I don't think it will take too long to fill the jar up! 

After I looked at Julie's flowers and gifts, I took her to Panera Bread.  We enjoyed some quiet time together and shared stories of Jace.  We took a picture of Sheldon when he was a baby to the store for framing.  Julie is giving Carol the baby picture back as a late Mother's Day present.  Julie and I went to several stores to buy some of the things she wanted for the SLC trip we will go on this weekend where we will be remembering Jace at the cemetery.

When Julie and I got home from shopping, Heather Jones came over with a chocolate cupcake with green icing.  Jace's favorite!  Heather also brought a drawing that one of her boys made depicting "Angry Birds."  That was a favorite game of Jace's on Julie's Nook. 

The messages on Facebook were numerous and many prayers were said that Julie would be able to go through this birthday with peace and love in her heart for the sweet memories of her little boy.  Our house felt peaceful and loving memories of Jace were shared.  God heard our prayers.

Chad, Heather, Kyra, Skye, and Dane had a party remembering Jace also on June 5th.  Because they can't be in SLC this Saturday for the remembrance that Julie has planned, they created their own remembrance.  Their party looked like what I have envisioned for SLC on Saturday.  I think it is very sweet of them to send pictures and to keep the memories of Jace flowing.

Flowers from Julie's sisters and
a cupcake and drawing from Heather Jones
and her sons

Gifts from a stranger who also lost her
husband a few years ago

Skye, Kyra, and Dane making cupcakes

Heather, Skye, Kyra, and Dane
having McDonald's chicken fingers, fries,
and orange drink. (Jace's favorites)

A pirate-themed party
(exactly what Jace wanted for his third birthday)

Kyra, Skye, and Dane
looking like pirates with those patches

Jace loved his trampoline.
It seems fitting that his cousins bounced on
their trampoline to remember Jace.

Jace loved trains.  Playing trains was a great
way to end a remembrance party honoring Jace.

Remembering Jace

Tomorrow, June 5, 2012, Jace would have turned three.  I think it will be a hard day.  Julie has planned a remembrance for Jace in SLC this Saturday at the cemetery.  Here's the invitation she sent out to her sisters and to Sheldon's family.

Happy Birthday, Jace.  Grandma GG loves you.

Elizabeth Smart Speaks

Yesterday Debbie Simpson, Spring Mountain Stake Relief Society President, called and invited Julie and me to a special meeting where Elizabeth Smart would be the keynote speaker.  Debbie graciously gave us some extra tickets so we could attend the meeting which was held this morning at the stake center.  Elizabeth gave an hour-long talk describing some of the things that happened to her.  She was poised and eloquent in her presentation.  Elizabeth is a beautiful woman who has overcome great trials to be where she is today.  Since her ordeal of being kidnapped she has gone on a mission and been married.  She is a true inspiration of someone who has great faith.  She talked about how she felt her grandpa had been her guardian angel through her ordeal and how she was able to forgive her abductors.  She was humorous in the right spots and tender in other spots.  It makes me feel like I should count my many blessings and name them one by one.  God is really mindful of each of us and He will help us as we live our lives here on this earth if we permit Him to do so.  I am grateful to Debbie for giving the tickets to us so we could attend this special meeting.  It was truly inspirational.

Here's a short article that I got off the Internet about Elizabeth Smart when she was finally rescued in Sandy, Utah.

"The Desert News reports that Smart was kidnapped in 2002 when she was just 14. She was held for nine months by Mitchell and his wife Wanda Barzee. Smart’s testimony in 2010 helped convict Mitchell of kidnapping and rape. Mitchell is currently serving a life sentence. Barzee received a 15-year sentence for her role in Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapping.  Since her escape, Smart has worked as a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in France and has formed the Elizabeth Smart Foundation to advocate on the behalf of children.  Smart writes on her foundation’s home page:

“Too many families experience the nightmare of having a child go missing. I know what it is like to be that child. I know what it is like to think that one false move may lead to not only your own death but the death of family members as well.  Every child in the world deserves to have a life without abuse in any form.”

Forever In My Heart

I have been thinking about Sheldon and Jace all day today.  Since it is Memorial Day, my remembrances of Sheldon and Jace seem heightened.  Not a day goes by really that I don't think of them, but today it seems more tender.  I am grateful for these two amazing people that blessed my life.  I'm thankful to God for his plan for each of us.  Knowing there is more to this life than just what we can see, helps me cope with the terrible loss of losing a grandson and son-in-law.

I thought about going to the cemetery where my parents and brother are buried, but it just felt like more grief than my soul could handle today.  They, too, are family members that I miss yet I know they are safe in God's hands. 

Sheldon, Jace, my parents, my brother Wayne, and my sister, Barbara, are gone for now, but they remain forever in my heart.  I love them and look forward to a grand reunion.

This picture was taken on January 1, 2012.
This is the last trip Sheldon, Julie, and Jace
made to Las Vegas before the accident in March.

This is my mom and dad one year
after they were married. 

This is exactly how I remember
Barbara at the time of her untimely
death.  She was a beautiful woman.

Melanie's Home for the Weekend

Melanie flew from Dallas to Las Vegas Friday evening. It was so fun to have her home for the long Memorial Day weekend. We began our fun by going straight from the airport to Cafe Rio which is one of our family's favorite Mexican restaurants. It was nice to catch up on all the news and to see Melanie and Julie enjoying each other's company.

Saturday morning Melanie, Julie, and I headed for the gym. Both of the girls are training for the marathon that will be in January of 2013 in Orlando, so they were anxious to get some gym time over this holiday weekend. I haven't been going like I should so I stayed on the treadmill for over an hour walking four miles. I was proud of myself! We then headed to the women's section of the gym which is downstairs and worked on four or five different exercise machines. Sunday morning I could tell I had been exercising some muscles that I hadn't used for awhile! After exercising we headed back to the house to shower and get ready for our pedicure trip, shopping, and out to dinner with Natalie. It turned out to be a great day. It went by much too fast.

Sunday I went to church for the three-hour block while Julie and Melanie watched a movie at home. Later that afternoon Melanie, Steve, and I headed for the park where we walked around the track in the heat of the day and the sun scorching down on us. That probably wasn't our best move, but we managed to stick it out for almost an hour. When we got back to the house, we fixed a yummy grilled chicken dinner. Natalie and her family joined us for dinner and visiting as well. We decided to play cards later that evening, but I was so tired I lasted for three rounds and had to call it a night.

When I woke up Monday morning, I was very happy that I didn't have to go to school. I must admit that I am counting the days until summer vacation. There are only eight more days until I can enjoy the freedom summer offers. Steve and I fixed a delicious waffle breakfast before driving Melanie to the airport. It's always sad to say good-bye especially when plans seem uncertain when we will all be together again.  For now, I am grateful that this holiday weekend brought us together.

Natalie, Julie, and Melanie enjoying their pedicures

Cali's first pedicure

Cali was so excited to be hanging out with the girls.

Aunt Melanie with Weston and Ben

Melanie, Natalie, Julie, Weston, and Ben

Aunt Melanie, Cali, and Ashton

Melanie and Julie ready for breakfast

Steve and Melanie

Melanie and Steve right before
heading to the airport

Mother's Day 2012

This was a bittersweet weekend as we celebrated Mother's Day.  We managed to have a good weekend although it was difficult thinking about Sheldon and Jace.   As I reflected on the meaning of Mother's Day, I felt happy for my own amazing mother and grateful for my amazing daughters.  The sorrow, of course, comes from the loss of Sheldon and Jace and the pain that we seem to be engulfed in at this time.

All of Steve's stake meetings were cancelled so we were able to attend our ward meetings together.  He helped me with Primary which was especially nice since one of my counselors was out of town.  After church we went to Tony Roma's for a very nice lunch.  Earlier he had given me a bouquet of orange tulips.

After lunch I came home and packed an overnight bag.  Julie had made a hotel reservation at the Green Valley Ranch resort in Henderson.  That's about 10 or 15 minutes from our house.  She went early and spent four or five hours there swimming with Natalie and enjoying a Mother's Day buffet.  When I arrived, we exchanged a few gifts and then walked around The District.  Both of us bought a Brighton bracelet.  We were so full from lunch earlier in the day that neither of us wanted to eat dinner that night.  We opted to head for our room where we rented "The War Horse."  I watched about half of it and fell asleep.  I was tired and couldn't stay awake for the whole movie.  Julie said she watched all of it.  Steve and I had seen it a few months ago, so I'm glad I knew how it ended!  I definitely am not a night owl, but sometimes I wish I were.

Monday morning we got up and went to the spa where Julie had made both of us an appointment for a massage.  It was absolutely fabulous!  It was a great mother's day present and one I won't soon forget.  After our massages we enjoyed the indoor jacuzzi and outdoor spa pool. 

Julie and I both received a pot or bucket full of goodies from Melanie, Heather, and Natalie .  Julie's theme for her gift was "bucket of sunshine" and the theme for my gift was "pot of love."  Everything in my pot was red and everything in Julie's pot was yellow.  It was very creative and much appreciated.

We scoped out the spa on Sunday as we wandered
around the hotel.

There was soft, pretty music playing outside as
we walked up to the spa.

The pool had a sandy beach.  It reminded me of the
pool at Desert Shores where Thomas and Natalie
used to live.

Ths is my card from Melanie, Heather, and Natalie.

Here's Julie's "Bucket of Sunshine" and my "Pot of Love."

This is Julie's card from Melanie, Heather,
and Natalie.

This is Monday morning as we walked from our hotel
room to the spa.  The resort was really fancy.
I kept saying to Julie that she was treating me
like I was the Queen of England!

No one was in the pool yet Monday morning as we
walked over to the spa..  The outdoor area seemed
very peaceful and really set the stage for our quiet,
relaxing upcoming massage.

This is the lobby at Green Valley Ranch.

Our hotel room was great.
The bathroom was big and spacious.

We could see the pool area when we
looked out our hotel room.
Our stay celebrating Mother's Day
was wonderful.  Thanks to my wonderful
family for making me feel so special.

I Bought an iPad

I have been wanting to buy either an iPhone or iPad for probably two years.  Two weeks ago I was called to be the Primary president in my ward.  That was the extra nudge I needed to purchase an iPad.  It seems like it will help me run Primary efficiently with everything I need at my fingertips. I have high hopes of doing everything paperless. I'm excited to give it a try.  Tomorrow is my first day to conduct and also my first ward council meeting after our ward's three-hour block.  I am so happy to be the proud owner of my first Apple product!

Disney on Ice

Steve and I took Cali and Ashton to "Disney on Ice" at the Thomas and Mack. It was a fun afternoon. They dressed up in their favorite Disney outfits. It was pretty cute. A lot of people that walked by us commented on how adorable they were, but of course, we already knew that! The ice show was great featuring all of the famous Disney characters. Our favorite segment was probably "It's A Small World." After the show we stopped off at Sonic and had a hamburger and a slushy drink. It was a great afternoon, and hopefully one the grandkids will remember.

Adorable!

Headed into the show at UNLV

What would an outing be without refreshments?

Some of what we saw

"It's a Small World"

It was a fabulous production!

Ashton Turns Three

We celebrated Ashton's third birthday at Natalie and Thomas' house on April 10th, 2012.  We had pizza and bread sticks for dinner.  The kitchen area was decorated with a "Cars" theme.  It was really cute and Ashton was sooo excited.   After dinner Ashton opened his presents, and then we all enjoyed yummy cupcakes.  Happy Birthday, Ashton! 

Everything looked so festive!

Ashton was very anxious to open all his presents.

We gave him a toy gun that he had been
wanting for a long time.

He loved his cupcake!

The Twins Are Blessed

Weston and Ben were blessed at the Ellsworth's home on Sunday, April 29, 2012. Thomas blessed Weston, and Steve blessed Ben. After the blessings we had a delicious meal prepared by Grandpa Clark. He served a yummy breakfast. It was a special occasion. I was very happy that the little outfits I bought for the boys when they were first born fit them. The twins can now turn over and are getting more and more active. I still can't tell who is who. Hopefully, I will get better at that as they grow!

Grandpa Steve, Thomas, Grandpa Clark,
Ben and Weston

Natalie, Thomas, Ben, and Weston

Ben and Weston

Natalie, Ben, and Weston

Thomas, Natalie, Cali, Ashton,
Weston, and Ben

Grandma Jerry, Grandma GG,
Weston, and Ben