JANET'S BURIAL SITE

 DON AND I TRY TO SIT BY CLYDE EVERY SUNDAY DURING SUNDAY SCHOOL.  I LIKE TO KNOW HOW HE IS DOING OR IF HE NEEDS ANYTHING.  CLYDE WANTED TO TALK TO ME AFTER SUNDAY SCHOOL.  HE THEN ASKED ME IF I'D LIKE HIM TO SHOW ME WHERE JANET IS BURIED.  I IMMEDIATELY SAID YES.

 I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE VETERAN'S  CEMETARY AND HE SAID THAT HE WOULD LOVE TO SHOW ME.  HE SAID THAT SHE IS SLEEPING JUST A HALF MILE DOWN THE ROAD FROM HIM.  WE MADE PLANS LAST WEEK TO PICK UP CLYDE AFTER DON GOT OFF WORK.

 IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY TO FIND JANET'S TOMBSTONE AND SEE WHERE SHE IS BURIED.  I TOLD HER THAT I MISSED HER BUT I KNEW THAT SHE WAS HAPPY AND OUT OF PAIN.  I KNEW THAT SHE WOULD NEVER WANT TO COME TO THIS EARTH.

 I WISH I HAD OF BROUGHT SOME FLOWERS.  THE NEXT TIME I GO AND SEE HER I WILL BRING SOME.

  CLYDE  IS 94 YEARS OLD AND IT'S AMAZING WHAT HE STILL DOES.   HE RIDES HIS THREE WHEEL BIKE 3 MILES EVERY DAY  EXCEPT SUNDAYS.

HIS FAMILY CHECKS UP ON HIM  DAILY.

MEALS ON WHEELS COME ONCE A DAY AS WELL.

CLYDE HAD A FRIEND THAT WAS BURIED A FEW DAYS BEFORE.  HE AND DON
FOUND WHERE HE WAS BURIED.  THE STONE WASN'T UP YET.  CLYDE SAYS IT TAKES ABOUT A MONTH TO PLACE THE STONE MARKER.

IT WAS A FUN HOUR THAT WE SPENT WITH CLYDE.  HE SEEMED SO DELIGHTED THAT WE DID THIS TOGETHER AND WE FELT GOOD ABOUT IT TOO.

ALASHA WOULD HAVE TURNED 35!

 IT DOESN'T SEEM POSSIBLE THAT OUR LITTLE ANGEL WOULD BE 35 YEARS OLD ON APRIL 12TH.  DON AND I WENT OVER TO MEMORIAL GARDENS TO SPEND A FEW MOMENTS AT HER PLACE OF BURIAL.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY IT WAS AS WE REMEMBERED THE DAY SHE WAS BORN.  IT WAS ONE OF MY MOST DIFFICULT TIMES IN MY LIFE.  I REALLY HAD TO RELY ON MY FAITH, DON, FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

COMING HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL TO 3 BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL DAUGHTERS HELPED ME  TO DEAL WITH OUR LOSS.  I  HAD TO CONCENTRATE ON MY BLESSINGS INSTEAD OF MY GRIEF.

WHILE WALKING AROUND MEMORIAL GARDENS,  DON AND I TALKED ABOUT MEETING ALASHA MCKAY SOME DAY.  WE HAVE ALWAYS FELT SHE WAS OUR LINK TO THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM.  IF ONLY WE COULD LIVE GOOD ENOUGH LIVES TO MAKE IT THERE.  SINCE DON AND I WERE MARRIED IN THE OAKLAND TEMPLE, WE KNOW WE ARE SEALED TO OUR FAMILY  FOR ETERNITY.  HOW COMFORTING THIS KNOWLEDGE IS TO US.

WE COULDN'T HELP WONDERING WHAT ALASHA WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE OR LOOKED LIKE.  THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN BEAUTIFUL AND INTELLIGENT   I DO KNOW THAT SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSE TO ALL HER SISTERS BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL BEST FRIENDS TO EACH OTHER AS WELL AS TO THEIR PARENTS.   WHAT A BLESSING ALL OUR DAUGHTERS  ARE!!

  KNOWLEDGE IS COMFORTING  AND TIME DOES HEAL.

THE LADNERS VISIT TO GRAND JUNCTION

 IT HAD BEEN 9 MONTHS SINCE WE HAD SEEN REYGAN.  WHAT A CHANGE SHE HAS MADE.  SHE NOW WALKS, RUNS,  FEEDS HERSELF AND UNDERSTANDS EVERYTHING YOU ARE SAYING TO HER.   IT WAS SO FUN SEEING HER AS A LITTLE GIRL.

 THE LADNERS ARRIVED ON ST PATRICKS DAY.  I HAD SOME FUN ITEMS THAT WE HAD FUN WITH.  THE FAMILY ALL HAD GREEN OUTFITS ON SO IT WAS SO FUN TO PLAY AROUND WITH ST. PATRICKS DAY.

 REYGAN DIDN'T WANT TO PUT ANYTHING ON BUT SHE DID LIKE HER NECKLACE THAT LIT UP

 COLDON WAS INTO EVERYTHING.  TAMI WAS ABLE TO COME OVER IN THE AFTERNOON AND ENJOYED IN THE FUN.

 COLDON AND REYGAN LOVED GOING TO THE PARKS.  WE ARE SO LUCKY TO HAVE 2  GREAT PARKS WITHIN  WALKING DISTANCE..

 I HAD FUN TAKING LOTS OF PICTURES AS THE CHILDREN PLAYED.

 WE WANTED TO HAVE A PIRATES BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR REYGAN SINCE HER BIRTHDAY IS NEXT WEEK AND WE WON'T BE WITH HER.  I ASKED DON IF HE WOULD SET THE TONE FOR THE PARTY BY COMING IN SINGING AS A PIRATE.  WE PRACTISED SEVERAL TIMES AND DON REALLY GOT IN TO IT.  I LOVE THE WAY DON IS SO WILLING TO DO  WHAT I WANT HIM TO DO TO MAKE THINGS SPECIAL.

 COLDEN THOUGHT THE BIRTHDAY PARTY WAS JUST FOR REYGAN BUT WE SURPRISED HIM BY TELLING IT WAS FOR HIM TOO.   HIS BIRTHDAY IS APRIL 14, AND WE WON'T BE ABLE TO BE WITH HIM ON HIS SPECIAL DAY TOO.  NEEDLESS TO SAY, COLDON WAS VERY EXCITED!!

 I HAD 6 TREASURE CHESTS ON THE FLOOR  THAT WERE NUMBERED.  COLDON WOULD FIND THE CHEST AND THEN WOULD HAVE   SOMEONE  READ THE NOTE INSIDE THAT WOULD GIVE HIM DIRECTIONS TO  FIND THE GIFTS.

 ONE OF THE GIFTS WAS AN ADORABLE CAKE FOR REYGAN AND COLDON'S BIRTHDAY.  I FINALLY FOUND ONE AT WALMART THAT DECORATED IT JUST THE WAY I WANTED AND IT ONLY COST $20.

 REYGAN LOVED WATCHING ALL THE ACTIVITIES.  SHE ENJOYED OPENING HER GIFTS AFTER COLDON WOULD FIND THEM.  SHE DIDN'T WANT TO WEAR THE PIRATES HAT SO TASHA WAS WILLING TO WEAR IT INSTEAD.

 I HAD TOLD TASHA  MY PLANS FOR THE PARTY AND SHE TOLD ME THAT COLDON HAD A PIRATES SHIRT HE COULD WEAR THAT DAY.  IT LOOKED PERFECT WITH HIS HAT.  A BIG THANK YOU FROM COLDON  AT THE END OF THE PARTY..

 COLDON PICKED RED ROBIN FOR THEIR BIRTHDAY MEAL.  WE HAD A GREAT DINNER AND HAD SUCH A GOOD TIME.

 WHENEVER  I SEE MY GRANDCHILDREN,  I HAVE TO TAKE THEIR PORTRAITS FOR MY GRANDCHILDREN WALL.  THEY CHANGE SO MUCH AND I LIKE TO KEEP CURRENT WITH THEIR PHOTO'S.

 COLDON AND REYGAN  CO-OPERATED SO BEAUTIFULLY FOR ME.  THEY SEEM TO KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO ME.  I LOVE THIS PORTRAIT OF REYGAN AND COLDON TOGETHER.

 ONE OF THE BIRTHDAY TREASURE CHEST HAD LOTS OF QUARTERS IN IT FROM MY PIG BANK.  COLDON COUNTED IT AND  IT CAME TO $50  FOR REYGAN AND COLDON TO SPEND WHEN WE GO SHOPPING.  THIS IS ALSO A TRADITION FOR ALL OF MY GRANDCHILDREN.  THEY GET TO COUNT MY QUARTERS AND THEN THEY HAVE SOME SPENDING MONEY WHILE THEY ARE HERE IN GRAND JUNCTION.  THEY ALL LOVE  THIS TRADITION.

 WE ALSO COLORED EGGS ONE DAY WHILE THEY WERE HERE.  THIS WAS FUN FOR ALL OF US.

               COLDON AND I WITH THE FINISHED PRODUCT.  AFTER DON AND JEFF
               GOT OFF WORK, THEY HID ALL THE EGGS FOR OUR OUTDOOR EASTER
               EGG HUNT.  TAMI GAVE THE CHILDREN EASTER BASKETS SO THEY
               HAVE SOMETHING TO PUT THE EGGS IN.

                    A FAMILY PICTURE AFTER ALL THE EGGS WERE FOUND.

 THEN IT WAS TIME FOR THE CANDY AND  GIFTS HUNT INDOORS.  TAMI, TASHA AND I HID ALL THESE THINGS.  THEY LOVED  FINDING  ALL THE CHOCOLATE AROUND OUR FRONTROOM.

THAT NIGHT TASHA AND JEFF WANTED TO TAKE US ALL OUT TO DINNER AT OLIVE GARDEN.  THAT WAS A GREAT WAY TO END OUR DAY.

                                          REYGAN LOVED GRANDPA DON!
                                           ESPECIALLY DURING THE MOVIE
                                           MIGHTY JOE YOUNG!!

 A CUTE PICTURE OF TASHA AND JEFF WHILE BEING PROTECTED BY OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH DOG IN THE WINDOW.

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AS YOU CAN TELL, WE HAD A WONDERFUL  FEW DAYS WITH THE LADNERS.     I WAS ABLE TO  CAPTURED  ALL OUR  MEMORIES WITH MY CAMERA.

  WHENEVER I GET HOMESICK FOR MY FAMILY I JUST LOOK AND READ  MY SCRAPBOOKS.



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