DAD 1944-2010

I never fully realized the limits of the English language until this happened in my life. There are no words great enough to describe how much you really love someone and there are no words descriptive enough to explain the emotions that go along with the process of losing someone you love.

I was told on July 3, 2008 that my Dad had cancer. and on June 24th, 2010 was told that he passed away in the home I grew up in.

My father said from the very first diagnosis that "He felt good about things." he would follow that statement with "I don't know what that means, but I really do feel good about things."

My Dad's words were always a great source of comfort and wisdom. Whenever there was a crisis(or at least, what I thought was a crisis) in my life, I would call to chat with him. He had the ability to help put my challenges into perspective and calm life's"storms."

In true form, my father continues to teach me and ease my mind. I was reading some of the letters that he sent me while serving my mission in Mexico. I found this letter and have included a portion of its contents:

We are all doing fine and enjoying the blessings that Heavenly Father so regularly sends. We are proud of each family member and the progress you are each making. Heavenly Father has truly blessed us with great children, each of whom we love more than words can express. How fortunate we are to be so blessed, and to live at this time in the world.

May the Lord bless you in your labors and sustain you during those discouraging and trying times that will come. May he bless you with that great joy that comes only as we obediently serve him regardless of obstacles placed in our path. We love you Bizzy and pray for your protection and success each day. Work hard and be happy.

Love, Dad

I knew the Plan of Salvation was true before losing my father and only know with more surety of it's truthfulness after his passing. I have been overwhelmed by the kindness shown to my Dad, Mom and family throughout these past couple years. I am amazed and can see the Lord's care in the countless acts of kindness that have continued to be shared with our family during this time.

How lucky I am to know you are my Dad forever. I love you Dad.

SWIMMING LESSONS

Drew and Sommer both took swimming lessons this summer. We have the greatest teacher! Drew learned the back stroke this year and did such a great job. He has a knack for swimming and catches on really quick.

Sommer loved the dogs, jumping to make a big splash, and doing the alligator. She did great this year and learned a lot.

Thanks Marianne for your great lessons!

AUBREY is almost ONE and more updates still to come

Since it has been such a long time since an update I thought I should also include a few shots of Aubrey as she gets closer and closer to her #1 Birthday.

Eating a little lunchWe no longer need assistance to walk. She and her fancy hair are officially walking all over the place.
Chillin' with her sister and brother.
What Aubrey's hair looks like if you dry it with the blow dryer.

Having lunch with Grandpa Poss during an Idaho visit:

A bit of what SOMMER has been up to: stitches, Gma Moss, messy lady, and Earrings

First, Sommer was the first kid to need stitches. She was running up our basement(unfinished) stairs and fell and sliced her chin on the stair. Luckily, she only needed 3 stitches and she was super brave. (photos to come soon because I need to download them from my phone)

Next up are some cool photos with Grandma Moss during an Idaho visit. They dressed up in their most beautiful faces.

Being messy: She is such a cute girl and can make the biggest messes.

Here is an example of a simple spaghetti dinner with our Sommey Sue.

She has wanted to get her ears pierced for a little while now. So, while we were in Idaho, we decided to do it along with her cousin Katelyn. Here she is getting all prepped for the big moment.

She looks a little more serious as the actual piercing takes place but she never shed a tear.

DREW-Soccer, Basketball, Kindergarten Graduate and MUCH MORE....

Drew played Basketball again this year. His team was The Shooting Stars which was mostly made up of friends and neighbors, which was super fun.

Lo coached Drew's soccer team again and they had a great year. The Rockets ended up winning 16 out of 20 games.

While playing soccer and basketball, he also managed to become a Kindergarten Graduate.


Miss Elder giving him his graduation certificate.

and now for the much more......Drew's first BIG story of the summer is the Golf Cart incident. While golfing with his Dad and Uncles, he attempted to jump a canal at the Teton Lakes golf course in Rexburg. Drew is now famous at the course and already has a "greatest golf story" of his short 6 year career. I was glad he was okay and still wonder(Lo?) why he was driving the golf cart all by himself in the first place. He somehow escaped this mishaps with only a few bruises and Lo and I escaped a bill for a golf cart because the cart was miraculously undamaged.

Grandma J

It has been too long since I have updated my blog and the thoughts of updating it have overwhelmed me because of all that has gone on during my hiatus. This has been a summer to remember and I have learned and grown a lot through all of the changes.

I don't really know where to begin. One of the first major events was the passing of my Grandma Johnson on May 14, 2010. She was almost 91 years old when she passed away and lived every second of her life to the very fullest up to the very last moment. She was still weeding her flower beds, planting her plastic flowers, attending the temple, drinking Pepsi, and making plans for more parties right up until her last day here.

Here is her famous bathtub full of her flowers that never die.

The flower bed in front of her house that she had just put the finishing touches on.

Grandma J posing with her 90 pepsi cans at her 90th birthday celebration last year.

She was an energetic, fun and most importantly, a faithful lady that made a lasting impression on her entire family. I called her a few weeks before she died to see if she could help with my Relief Society lesson about strengthening the family. She sent me a letter that included her thoughts on this topic. In the final part of her letter she said

"I'm 90 and as I look back on the product of my Dad and mother I'm grateful to them for the teachings they taught us as a family and I see these things carrying on throughout the 51 now that are my family. I pray that everyone will realize that through the gospel and its teachings we have a plan to a happy life. I'm the last of my family and the last of my husband's, but look back with great satisfaction. We did o.k."