Busy Summer!!

Well, time sure flies by these days! It has been more than eight months since my sweet Wayne passed away. It is hard to imagine that I have been able to survive that long without him, but I have been able to with the assistance of my loving Heavenly Father, my brother Jesus Christ, and the constant support of all of my loving family and friends. I know that Wayne is so grateful to all of you and your continual love and support. Brody and I have been continually blessed by our Heavenly Father in so many ways and by all of you also. Someone is always giving service to Brody and I everyday, if not numerous times a day. Words can not express my gratitude for everything.

I am so grateful to have an amazing husband that is continually serving others. He spent most of his life on this earth serving others and is continuing that in the spirit world. I continually feel his sweet spirit with me. I love him so much and am grateful for the knowledge I have of the plan of salvation and for the blessing of having an eternal marriage in the temple. I love him with all of my heart and soul.

Brody and I have had a busy summer so far. We have spent a lot of time visiting my family. My little brother came home from his mission on the 5th of June. We are so excited and blessed to have him home with us. Jason is the fifth child of six in our family. He is the only boy and so he came home to his house full of sisters and also some crazy little kids. He was a little overwhelmed at first I am sure. He is such a great example to our family and to our children. We love him so much. We enjoyed spending a lot of time with my family. Brody loves to go up to see my family and get spoiled. All he has to do is ask for something and he has it the next minute. He loves to go spend time with his cousins: Kaylee, Aydrian, and Conner. Kaylee and Brody love to play together, but have their moments when they don't. Aydrian is always sweet. Brody loves to play with Conner. He tells everyone he is his little brother. He loves to play cars and trucks with him, except for when Brody doesn't want to share.

Wayne's sister Holly and her little girl Brielle came to visit from Indiana. We had a great time while they were here visiting. Amber and her kids also came down for a week too while they were here. We don't see Brielle much, but we always watch her on her on the blog. Brody loves it, so he was quite excited to play with her when they came. Brody loves to play with his cousins. He loved to playing with the boys: Kevin, Tyler, and Jaden. He thinks he is big like they are and can do anything they do. He also had a great time playing with Aubrey and Claire. Claire and Brody played with some little toy dogs for hours. We have definately had a great time with all of our family. Brody loves to see everyone and especially play with all of his cousins. He has spent a lot of time with Kevin and Ty this summer. He loves to follow them around and do everything they do.

Wayne's Aunt Jan and her kids came for a visit also. We just love Aunt Jan and the kids. Aunt Jan is an amazing woman and is everyones favorite. Brody loves to drag the kids all over the place with him and also loves to boss them around. I don't know how many times he asked Travis to build him jumps. He also tried to convince Trevor to go on some hills and jumps on Grandpa Bubblegum's four-wheeler with him. He just adores Katelynn. He is always talking about her and making her do whatever he wants. We are excited for Travis. He just received his mission call and so we will be going out to Denver the end of August for his farwell. It will be so fun.

I just want to let everyone know how grateful I am for everyones love and support. It is amazing that Heavenly Father has given us the family and friends in our lives to help us in so many ways. Thanks to all of you for you amazing spirits and for your continual love and support. You truly are our "Earthly Angels!!" We love you!!

LIFE ISN'T ALWAYS EASY, BUT IT IS WORTH IT!!

It has now been six months since my sweet Wayne passed away. The time has flown by so quickly for me. I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father that has made it easier by speeding up time for me. I am so grateful for the eternal perspective that Heavenly Father has blessed me with these months. I have contemplated on why my sweet husband would be called home to our loving Father in Heaven at such a young age. This is what I have been blessed to acknowledge.
I know that the second coming of our Savior Jesus Christ is sooner than we realize sometimes. Can you imagine how many spirits reside in the spirit world? I can't. It is incomprehensible to me. I know that Heavenly Father has so much work to complete in the spirit world. He needs so many faithful and strong soldiers to teach his children. A lot of the time we think of missionary work in this life, but don't acknowledge how much there is in the spirit world also. I know for me, if I were to leave this mortal stage of life without the gospel I would like to be taught by someone who understood me.
I would want to be taught the gospel by someone who understood how it feels to live today. To face the challenges of this day and age. I am sure that there are many faithful spirits from other time periods of the world that have a great influence in the spirit world, but they might not understand how it feels to have the challenges of life today. That is why our Heavenly Father needs these amazing soldiers to help him. I know that Wayne is assisting in bringing many souls unto Christ. I am so honored that he was willing to make such an amazing sacrfice to assist in bringing eternal salvation to his brothers and sisters in the spirit world.
Only our Heavenly Father knows when we are finished with this mortal life. For some life is short, for others more than a hundred years. Heavenly Father knows when someone has completed all that they can in mortality and is ready for the next stage of our eternal progression. It doesn't mean that it is always fair, but if it was we wouldn't be here on earth. We would have chosen to follow Satan in being forced to make right choices, thus resulting in not coming to earth and receiving a body.
Satan is very cunning and is the father of all lies. He will do anything to destroy everyone he can, especially families. He will do anything to make sure that we don't become eternal families. He loves to have people be miserable just like himself. He loves to make people think they are of no worth and that there is no way back.
We are all children of a loving Heavenly Father who presented a plan for all of his children to return home to him someday. He loves us. We are his children. Can you imagine the love he has for you and for me? For all of us. It is unimaginable! Families are the center of everything. At times we might not always get along with members of our families or may have our differences, but I truly believe that we chose our families in the pre-existence. That we loved each other so much and that we wanted to spend eternity together. That doesn't mean that we all would be perfect and not make mistakes. I know that as we strive to make our families stronger Satan will be working harder to tear us apart. He will do anything to turn families against each other. None of us are perfect. I know that I am definately not. Sometimes our family may offend us or hurt our feelings and that is when we should truly apply the atonement to our lives and forgive.
Forgiveness is not easy. It is one of the hardest things we face in mortality. It is a continual process. I know that if we can learn to forgive others and ourselves of our imperfections that we will be able to truly come unto Christ.
I am so greatful for a loving Father in Heaven who watches over me and for my eternal companion that is my guardian angel. He is always trying to help me to have patience with our amazing little boy. I am grateful to have Brody. He keeps me strong and reminds me so much of his daddy. I love Wayne with all of my heart and am so honored to have such an amazing man to help me and our son achieve exaltation.
Thank you for all of your continual support and love. I don't know how I would survive this mortal existence without all of you!! We love you all!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WAYNE!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SWEET WAYNE!! Today is Wayne's 34th birthday! I am going to be making it a point to make a big deal out of his birthdays from now on. This is why...When I met Wayne he was 26 and I was 19. To some people they might think that is a big age difference, but to anyone that knows him he doesn't act or look his age. That didn't matter though, Wayne HATED his age. Of course, I would be a brat and always tease him about it. He hated it when I would tell people how old he was. He loved to have people guess his age, which always was much younger than he was, and then he would just say that they were right. Anyway, I am sure that Wayne was so grateful to Heavenly Father for keeping him at his young age of 33 years old. Well to his disappointment I am not letting him stay 33. He will get old just like me. So today he is now 34....sorry honey! I just can't get old without you! I am making your favorite....cheescake. Brody said he will blow out the candles for you!

Wayne and I met on a blind date. His sister Amberly set us up. My parents had moved to Riverton will I was going to school up at Utah State. So when I came home for the summer I got to know our new next door neighbor, Amber. Wayne lived with her and her family. Wayne and I never met before our first date because like me, he was never home. I didn't like the idea of my parents moving me away from all of my friends in Kearns, so I was rarely home. He too was out with his friends a lot or riding his motorcycle. When Amber told me about Wayne she said he was very shy and I would end up doing most of the talking. Well, that was not how it was at all. He talked and talked and talked. We were so comfortable with each other and it was as if we had know each other for years.....which in reality we had. Wayne always told me "the reason we were so comfortable and didn't take long to get to know each other was because we have been together since the pre-existence. I totally agree. We were engaged in October and married on May 10, 2003 in the Mount Timpanogos Temple for time and all eternity. It was one of the most amazing days of my life!!

We were so blessed to have our busy Brody born on August 7, 2005. Wayne is an amazing father. His relationship with Brody was always so important. He would do anything he wanted. Even if that meant that it was going to make me mad. Brody always new he could get his way with his dad. Wayne loved to take Brody on 4 wheeler rides. He was just as much of a kid as Brody. If they could find something to climb then they were as happy as could be. Brody loved to get in the bobcat or the tractor with his dad too. He thinks he is a professional at it now too, just like his dad. Wayne loved to take Brody for bike rides. They would find any hill to climb on their bikes too. Wayne was always so patient with Brody and is the best dad in the world. He is constantly helping to guide me in the right direction in raising our son. He helps me to have patience when I am having a mean moment with Brody. He will always be there to help me raise Brody.

Words can not express the love I have for him. I am so honored to have an amazing husband that is doing the Lord's work. He is the perfect person for me. He was always so sweet to me. He never wanted me to be unhappy. He would do anything to help me in any way he could. Even if it meant cleaning the house or going to help someone I asked him too. He always knew how to make me laugh and knew just what to say when I was sad. I miss that! I know he loves me and will for eternity. I will love him for eternity and can't wait until the day I am reunited with him. It is definately not easy though. I am so grateful to have the love and support of our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ. Without it I would not be strong enough to endure to the end. In a few days it will be 5 months since Wayne passed away. The time has flown by so quickly for me. I am so grateful for that. It makes it seem a little easier to endure.

I love you Wayne and I can't wait to be reunited with you in your loving arms. I know that the moment I see you I will be running to greet you! I am so excited to spend eternity with you and our beautiful son. I am so proud of you! I will love you for eternity!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY.....THE BIG 34!!!!

It has been over four months since my dear sweet Wayne passed away. I can't believe that time has flown by so quickly. These last few months have been full of many experiences. Both my father in law and my dad had bypass surgery on their hearts. They are both doing great and recovering well. I am so grateful that they were able to find out what was wrong with them before something worse happened. I also broke my arm falling on the ice. Of course when Brody tells the story of me breaking my arm this is his version..."my mom was coming down the stairs at my grandma's and she was carrying a piece of cake. She slipped and fell and she sat in the cake." I am not sure whether I landed in the cake or if I sat back into it...either way I did sit in the cake. I didn't know it and was sure surprised when I got up to have my father in law and Dusty give me a blessing. It was a good laugh though!! I was sure it wasn't broke so after 5 days I decided I better know for sure. Sure enough it was. Lucky for me it was just a hairline fracture so I am just wearing a brace. Even though my life has been full of many experiences I am so grateful for them.
I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that blesses me everyday. That gives me strength that is beyond my own capabilities. I can't imagine going through this life without his constant guidance and love. Our Savior has suffered every pain, sorrow, and grief that we have. He knows everything we have gone through and every will go through. I am so grateful for his eternal sacrifice that makes it possible for us to become perfect through him. I love him so much.
I am so blessed to have amazing family and friends that give me constant love and support. I am grateful for my active son that makes me go, go, go all day. It is so nice to be so busy. It keeps me going. He is the light of mine and Wayne's life. He is so much like his dad and I am grateful for that. I am grateful to have the sweet reminders.
I love my sweet Wayne more and more each day. I know that is hard to imagine, not having him physically with me anymore, but it is so true. I am so honored to have such an amazing husband that is faithfully serving our Heavenly Father and our brother Jesus Christ.
Thank you for all of your constant love and support!! We love you!!

SNOW DAY

Beth and Dusty invited Brody and I to go "Rabbit Hunting" with them a few weeks ago. Brody is all for doing anything that involves going with Kevin and Ty somewhere. We mostly spent the day playing in the snow. It was very fun and Brody loved it. Brody thinks that since Kevin is a 6 foot 12 year old that he should also be his horse to ride on. Kevin and Ty are so good to Brody and he just adores them. Wayne wasn't a big hunter and neither am I. Brody hasn't ever had the desire either. He has now changed his mind and thinks he is a HUNTER now. He wants to go and shoot a deer. He is very excited to go hunting with his Uncle Dusty and cousin Kevin and Ty this year. Kevin and Brody decided to try sledding down a hill while Ty and Dusty were looking around for something to shoot. Beth and I had a great time watching them. Beth and Dusty are an amazing brother and sister to me. They are continually doing everything for Brody and I. We love them very much.

Brody and Kevin playing in the snow

THE HOLIDAYS

Brody and I had a great Christmas! We were blessed by so many people. We loved putting Wayne's Christmas tree up on his grave. We decorated it with ornaments that show his personality. Brody painted some blocks to put on his dad's grave with his Aunt Megan. We of course had to take him his Christmas presents. I had bought him and Brody matching toy motorcycles. I always had to buy them each one because Wayne is as big of a kid as Brody. We took him his motorcycle and of course a Mountain Dew. Brody had to drink some of it first though. He said his dad could have the rest. Brody loves to make special things for his dad that we can put on his grave.

We spent Christmas Eve at Beth and Dusty's house. Brody just loved waking up Christmas morning with Kevin and Ty. He is their little shadow. Wayne and I had bought almost all of Brody's Christmas before he passed away. Wayne had to get him a GIGANTIC remote control 4 wheeler. I had to inform him it wasn't for him and that he couldn't do any modifing to it because it was Brody's. Brody loved opening it Christmas morning and loved that it was from his dad. I know Wayne was there with us that morning just wishing he could be driving it around in the snow too.

We spent New Year's at Grandma and Grandpa Whittle's. We had a great time playing with Conner, Kaylee, and Aydrian. Brody loves to go up to my parents because he is so spoiled. He loves to talk my dad into taking him to McDonalds, even if dinner has already been fixed. He still gets his way....his chicken nuggets, fries, and don't forget the annoying toy.

The holdiays were not quite the same without my sweet Wayne, but I know he is not far from us. I continually feel his sweet spirit with me. I am so blessed to go to the temple often to feel his presence there with me. He has been my eternal companion since the pre-existence. I am so honored he chose me to spend eternity with. I can't wait to spend eternity with him and our beautiful son. I know he is having an amazing influence in the spirit world and that he is serving the mission he always wanted to. He will always be our "daddy angel" watching over us.

Thank you to all of you for you constant love and support. We love all of you and are so honored to have all of you in our lives.

We are a Happy Family!!

I am so blessed to have an amazing husband waiting for me on the other side of the veil. I am so excited for the day I can be reunited with him for eternity and we can be an eternal family. I am so grateful to have an amazing little boy to keep me going. He is mostly Wayne, and I am so blessed to have him to remind me of Wayne everyday! I am so blessed to have amazing family and friends. Thank you to all of you!