Temple Trip and my Dad

The week after Christmas, my family got to do a couple really special things together. The first was visiting the Temple together. Jason still isn't old enough, so he and my cousins Kailey and Bethany stayed at the Simmons with Jude and Mason (Lance was still in California).

The lights were still up from Christmas and it added such beauty to that amazing building.

Glenn, Mom, Amy, Stephen, Chad, me, and Laura

Me and George. It was so nice to be there together.

The siblings (minus Jason).

The whole group. Aunt Linda and Uncle Rob came, too.

I love visiting the Temple and being reminded that our family is forever!

The following day, the whole family made the hour trip out to visit my dad's grave. On the way there, Mom brought out a little book where the kids had written down memories we had of dad or things we remembered about him and we spent the hour reminiscing, laughing, crying, and feeling close to Dad.

We read a few more memories standing next to him, sang a couple songs and said a prayer. It was nice to be there as a family and remember what an amazing man Dad was and is. This sounds strange, but it was nice and relieving to feel the loneliness and longing to be with him. We were not standing there alone--we were together, all feeling the same, all knowing that we were there for one another and always will be. The pain never really goes away, or even weakens. Life and time have a way of enabling us to put the pain on the back burner and go on with life. It's nice, though, to bring it forward every once in a while and just remember. Remember what we lost, remember the good times, remember the love, and know that one day we will have him back again.

We love you, Dad. Thanks for being the best father anyone could ask for.