Tough September

It has taken me a while to post this month, but it has been a pretty tough month for Shawn and I. On the 12th of September, our nephew Levi died. He was 21 years old.

Levi was in Medford, Oregon at the time, installing security systems with his brothers Ben, Jeremiah and Matt. That Saturday night, Levi went hiking with two friends. During the hike at a place called Lower Table Rock, he fell from a 300 foot cliff and was killed. Shawn and I found out late that night. I had spent a really fun weekend with my sisters at a scrapbook expo (and hadn't had much sleep). I had been asleep for a short time when we got the call. Shawn and I went the next day and spent it with Shawn sister Tracie who is a single mother of 9 children (Levi was her fourth). We spent the next few days after his death with his mother and his sisters while the boys made the arrangements to bring his body back to Utah for the funeral.

We had the funeral on Friday the 18th and he was buried close to his mother's home in Murray.

This experience has taught Shawn and I so much. First, the importance of family. Shawn's family has been such a strength to each other through all of this. Also, the importance of the gospel. The knowledge that his family is eternal is something that is such a comfort to everyone. I can't imagine this experience without the church.

We also learned what great people there are in the world and how loving friends can be. That Sunday after he died, my nephews in Medford were struggling so bad. I was able to call a great friend who grew up in Medford and in a short time she was able to have her old Bishop get the missionaries there to give them blessings and give them a warm meal. Also, the love that was shown to Tracie by people she loved really touched my heart. I will be forever grateful for the kindness shown to everyone in Shawn's family during the experience.

Shawn's sister sent this video to us that week and it was very touching given what was going on.



During that same week, my sister Becky was in Las Vegas for a job interview when she got sick. She had gallstones and pancreatitis. She ended up having 2 surgeries within a matter of days. It was hard to have her out there without being able to be there with her.

The week after that, Shawn's grandma was hospitalized and is in pretty bad shape. She is 89 years old and has several health problems that seem to be compiling and making her more and more sick.

Then, last night I received word that my grandpa, who lives in Denver was again hospitalized. He was diagnosed with terminal cancer about 3 weeks ago. Last night they gave him his 3rd blood infusion in the past several weeks. They sent him home to do hospice care and he may go at any time. I grew up pretty close to my grandparents and visited them often growing up and have so many good memories of him. I am going to get out there sometime in the next two weeks to spend a little bit of time with him.

Through all of these experiences I have learned that family is so important. I knew that I loved my family before all of this, but I can't imagine going through life without the family that I have. I love the last line of that video that says "Never let a problem to be solved become bigger than a person to be loved." Always tell people you love that you love them. You can never tell them that enough