In Loving Memory

Tomorrow, January 17, will be the 2 year mark of my mom's passing away. I wanted to take this opportunity to say a few things about my mom. She was an incredible person who taught me so much. The past two years have been so hard without her. There have been so many time that I have thought to pick up the phone and share something with her and then realized I can't. She was a very intuitive person. When Brad lost his job in 2002 we tried not to tell anyone for a while hoping to make a quick turn around and not make a big deal of it. Well, it didn't quite turn out that way. After several weeks and still no job she called me up one day and asked me what was going on & that she felt that there was a problem. I broke down and cried and cried to her. But I so appreciated her "Mothers Intuition". It was shortly after that she was diagnosed with colon cancer. She fought long and hard and finally went into remission. We were overjoyed! Then, later, it was back. When she told me that it had returned and that there was nothing they could really do I asked her what she was going to do. She said "We are going to Hawaii!" She wanted to go out "LIVING" and she did!
She had a great attitude through the whole cancer ordeal. She lived by the following motto:

I can say that she truly endured to the end! In her ward she was the ward music coordinator. She wanted to fulfill her calling as long as she could. She planned all the music for Sacrament meeting through March and she passed away in January. She also took the last few months of her life to write her personal history. It's such a treasure in my life now as I realize that so many memories are gone and she was one to remember many things. Well, enough memories. I just wanted to share a few pictures of her that mean a lot to me:

My first Easter. Mom would have been 27 years old.

Mother's day with Mom and Grandma Beckstead. It was my
last one with Grandma. I surprised them both by flying up to
Utah to be with them. They had no idea that I was coming for
a visit. I'm so glad that I did that now!

This picture was taken the day after Christmas 2006 and it

was just a few weeks before Mom passed away. Lindsay so badly

wanted Grandma Betty to meet Logan before she was gone.

I love the way they are looking at one another. It brings tears

to my eyes to realize that she never got the chance to know my

sweet grandson.

My mom had a deep and strong love for the Savior and for His gospel. Even with all that she went through she never doubted Him or gave up on the covenants that she had made with Him. I know that sometimes that love was all that got her through many of her struggles. She found great joy in worshipping him through music. She loved singing and loved sharing music with everyone around her.

Her favorite scripture was found in Isaiah and brought her peace in the dark moments:

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour, Fear not: for I am with thee.

Mom, I have felt you with me many times in the past two years just like you promised!

I love you and miss you so much!