Happy Halloween
From my favorite Super Hero!
I'll miss dressing you up today Captain Caleb.
I'm sure you are busy being Heaven's Hero!
xoxo
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
A Wink of Autumn
“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.”
Dear Caleb,
I can only imagine the golden splendor of Fall where you are!
You are tucked in our hearts on these magical Autumn days.
I love you my sunshine boy.
Love
us
Sunday, October 7, 2012
A "Joy"ful WInk
This past week sweet Joy would have been 7 years old. We haven't met her family personally but our hearts are knit together in sweet and tender ways. Joy's family decided to share 7 smiles for her birthday, and one of the smiles they shared was for us! On their blog they wrote:
We ended our adventure by going to Joy’s grave. The cemetery, to us, is a lovely, wonderful, beautiful, happy place. While we were there, we shared our last smile of the day–actually, it was a wink. Although we don’t know them personally, we have been deeply touched by the story of Caleb and his family and we thought it would be fun to give a wink from the Tetons, but the kids wanted Joy to be able to join in, too–so we did it from her marker. I know she joined in…
Thank you for sending us a wink on Joy's special day! We were touched more than words can say- we love you.
You can read more about Joy's 7 smiles and her amazing family here!
We ended our adventure by going to Joy’s grave. The cemetery, to us, is a lovely, wonderful, beautiful, happy place. While we were there, we shared our last smile of the day–actually, it was a wink. Although we don’t know them personally, we have been deeply touched by the story of Caleb and his family and we thought it would be fun to give a wink from the Tetons, but the kids wanted Joy to be able to join in, too–so we did it from her marker. I know she joined in…
Thank you for sending us a wink on Joy's special day! We were touched more than words can say- we love you.
You can read more about Joy's 7 smiles and her amazing family here!
Friday, October 5, 2012
Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice
Every six months we have the opportunity to listen to our living prophet, apostles and other church leaders during our General Conference. During each conference my heart is touched, my testimony is strengthened, and my prayers are answered. Even if you are not a member of my faith, I invite you to listen. I promise you will be lifted, your prayers will be answered, and you will feel the love of our Heavenly Father. Our last general conference took place just 2 months after Caleb passed away. The quotes below really touched my tender heart:
(Ronald A Rasband)
“For reasons usually unknown, some people are born with physical limitations. Specific parts of the body may be abnormal. Regulatory systems may be out of balance. And all of our bodies are subject to disease and death. Nevertheless, the gift of a physical body is priceless. …
“A perfect body is not required to achieve a divine destiny. In fact, some of the sweetest spirits are housed in frail frames. …
“Eventually the time will come when each ‘spirit and … body shall be reunited again in … perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame’ (Alma 11:43). Then, thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can become perfected in Him.”1
To all of you who have challenges, concerns, disappointments, or heartaches with a dear one, know this: with infinite love and everlasting compassion, God our Heavenly Father loves your afflicted one, and He loves you!... You can read the entire talk here.
(Richard G Scott )
Relationships can be strengthened through the veil with people we know and love. That is done by our determined effort to continually do what is right. We can strengthen our relationship with the departed individual we love by recognizing that the separation is temporary and that covenants made in the temple are eternal. When consistently obeyed, such covenants assure the eternal realization of the promises inherent in them...You can read the entire talk here.
You can watch or listen to General Conference live here, or you can read the transcripts within a few days. Happy listening!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
The Empty Bed
The weeks following Caleb's funeral we donated most of his medical equipment and supplies. It was a sweet opportunity to meet wonderful families and to share our love in small and tender ways. At that time there were a few things I wasn't ready to share yet... Caleb's bed and his wheel chair.
We kept Caleb in a crib for as long as we could but as he grew we could see he really needed something more. He needed a bed that could help with positioning, yet hospital beds were so expensive. We were blessed with a wonderful doctor who pleaded our case, and we ended up getting the perfect bed covered by our insurance! I knew in my heart that Caleb's bed was a direct blessing from a loving Heavenly Father.
Caleb's bed blessed our lives in so many ways. We were able to keep him much more comfortable. We could elevate his upper body to help his little lungs and his tummy during his night time feedings. Caleb's brother's spent hours in bed cuddling and talking to him. Every day Matthew crawled into bed with him to get his "morning snuggle."
After Caleb died I often found Mitchell quietly sitting in Caleb's bed hugging his stuffed animals. I would find Josh in Caleb's room when he needed some quiet time. Every morning I would walk into Caleb's room and lay my head in his bed to tell him good morning and that I love him. For months I could still see the print of his head in his blanket. Matthew, however, couldn't even go into Caleb's room; it broke his heart to see that empty bed.
Several weeks ago my dear friend Emily called to see if we had decided what to do with Caleb's bed. Her son is one of Caleb's best buddies, and he has a very similar condition and prognosis. Hunter had been struggling and needed something to help him be more comfortable. She asked if we would be willing to sell Caleb's bed to them. My heart and eyes were over flowing as I explained we wouldn't sell it but would be honored to give it to them. We knew Heavenly Father provided a way for us to have it when we needed it most, and it would be an privilege to be able to do the same for someone else- especially someone we love so much!
It was tender for me to think of Caleb's room with out his bed in it. I knew it wouldn't be the same, and I worried how my boys would respond. I gathered them in my room and asked them who they thought Caleb's best friends were. They immediately thought of Hunter. I asked them, "What if Caleb was standing here with us and we told him that Hunter needed his bed so he could be more comfortable?" They said, "Caleb would want him to have it!" I then explained that Emily called to see if they could buy Caleb's bed and Matthew responded, "But we wouldn't sell it to them would we? We should give it to them!" The other boys excitedly agreed. I cried as I saw them reach their own conclusion-responding just the way Caleb would have wanted them to. What wonderful brothers they continue to be for him.
When Hunter's Dad came to pick up the bed we were touched to see they brought Hunter's bed to put in it's place so his room wouldn't be so empty. I was moved as I watched Matthew help take it apart and load it up. And my heart broke when Mitchell fell into my lap and cried when they left.
Letting go of things that hold countless memories is hard. Yet seeing sweet Hunter in Caleb's bed was healing. It wasn't meant to be empty.
For the first time Matthew has been spending time in Caleb's room, and he has spent several nights sleeping in the bed Hunter gave us. Mitchell still cries sometimes when he walks into Caleb's room, but tonight he and Josh are tucked in Hunter's bed with tender memories of their brother and sweet dreams of Hunter. My heart is full as I think of both beds being filled with the little boys who needed them most.
We kept Caleb in a crib for as long as we could but as he grew we could see he really needed something more. He needed a bed that could help with positioning, yet hospital beds were so expensive. We were blessed with a wonderful doctor who pleaded our case, and we ended up getting the perfect bed covered by our insurance! I knew in my heart that Caleb's bed was a direct blessing from a loving Heavenly Father.
Caleb's bed blessed our lives in so many ways. We were able to keep him much more comfortable. We could elevate his upper body to help his little lungs and his tummy during his night time feedings. Caleb's brother's spent hours in bed cuddling and talking to him. Every day Matthew crawled into bed with him to get his "morning snuggle."
After Caleb died I often found Mitchell quietly sitting in Caleb's bed hugging his stuffed animals. I would find Josh in Caleb's room when he needed some quiet time. Every morning I would walk into Caleb's room and lay my head in his bed to tell him good morning and that I love him. For months I could still see the print of his head in his blanket. Matthew, however, couldn't even go into Caleb's room; it broke his heart to see that empty bed.
Several weeks ago my dear friend Emily called to see if we had decided what to do with Caleb's bed. Her son is one of Caleb's best buddies, and he has a very similar condition and prognosis. Hunter had been struggling and needed something to help him be more comfortable. She asked if we would be willing to sell Caleb's bed to them. My heart and eyes were over flowing as I explained we wouldn't sell it but would be honored to give it to them. We knew Heavenly Father provided a way for us to have it when we needed it most, and it would be an privilege to be able to do the same for someone else- especially someone we love so much!
It was tender for me to think of Caleb's room with out his bed in it. I knew it wouldn't be the same, and I worried how my boys would respond. I gathered them in my room and asked them who they thought Caleb's best friends were. They immediately thought of Hunter. I asked them, "What if Caleb was standing here with us and we told him that Hunter needed his bed so he could be more comfortable?" They said, "Caleb would want him to have it!" I then explained that Emily called to see if they could buy Caleb's bed and Matthew responded, "But we wouldn't sell it to them would we? We should give it to them!" The other boys excitedly agreed. I cried as I saw them reach their own conclusion-responding just the way Caleb would have wanted them to. What wonderful brothers they continue to be for him.
When Hunter's Dad came to pick up the bed we were touched to see they brought Hunter's bed to put in it's place so his room wouldn't be so empty. I was moved as I watched Matthew help take it apart and load it up. And my heart broke when Mitchell fell into my lap and cried when they left.
Letting go of things that hold countless memories is hard. Yet seeing sweet Hunter in Caleb's bed was healing. It wasn't meant to be empty.
For the first time Matthew has been spending time in Caleb's room, and he has spent several nights sleeping in the bed Hunter gave us. Mitchell still cries sometimes when he walks into Caleb's room, but tonight he and Josh are tucked in Hunter's bed with tender memories of their brother and sweet dreams of Hunter. My heart is full as I think of both beds being filled with the little boys who needed them most.
(Sweet Dreams Hunter)
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