A Funeral, A Bunch of Family, and Two Amazing Friends

Aunt Frances and Uncle Bob

When I was 16 I received a phone call from my Aunt Frances. She asked me to pick her up at the airport the following day. Frances lived in Idaho and she normally only came to visit twice a year, so it was odd that she was coming. We learned later that her friend Bob had broken his hip, and Frances came to Arizona to keep him company while he was healing. Frances never went back to Idaho. A couple of days after she got here, she informed us that her and Bob were getting married.

Uncle Bob was the most amazing man I've ever met. When you talked to him he made you feel like you were the only person in the room and the most important person in the world to him. Next month it will be 3 years since Bob died. His death left a void in my heart. Bob had turned into a grandpa figure in my life, and I still miss him so much that it makes my heart hurt.

After Uncle Bob's death, Frances moved back to Idaho. We saw her a couple of times a year, but not nearly as often as we wanted to. Last Saturday we received a phone call that Frances had peacefully passed away in her sleep.

That phone call started an extremely long week....

At 5:00 Wednesday morning, the parents and I, along with Isaac, took off for Idaho. 15 hours later, we drove into Pocatello Idaho and straight to the viewing at the mortuary. Not only were we exhausted from such a long drive, but we were emotionally spent from the whole week.

Sitting in the parking lot of that mortuary was my friend Easton.

Easton and I have been friends for about 5 years. He lives in Weiser Idaho and when I told him Frances died, he said he would come to Pocatello to be with me, help with Isaac so that I could be with my family, and so that I would have a shoulder to cry on and a hand to hold. He did more than that. Easton made the entire thing easier for me. He took charge of watching over Isaac and making sure that I could be with my family instead of chasing the baby. He held my hand when I needed it, he let me cry on his shoulder most of the time I was there, and he made me laugh and smile at the perfect times.

Thank you Easton for being the man that you are. Thank you for caring enough to drive that distance to merely be there for me. I love you more than you'll ever know!!

Thursday morning we gathered at the funeral home for family prayer and then we went to the cemetery for the service and burial. It was a beautiful service, filled with love and laughter. I played a flute solo of "Abide With Me, 'Tis Even Tide", and my father dedicated the grave.

While saying goodbye to somebody you love is never easy, I am grateful for my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. I know that I will see Frances again. I'll get to hug her AND Uncle Bob, as well as all those that I have loved that left this mortal life too soon.

Our final goodbye to an absolutely amazing woman

My sister-in-law Sharon, my brother Mike, and my cousin Jay

The Spirit was with us that day. Each of us has happy memories of Frances, and we all have a deep love for her. We were all reminded that the Lord is in charge and that He called Frances Home.

I know that my Savior loves me, and that's why He sent this woman, who showed up at the PERFECT time...
As we released the balloons at the end of the service, a red SUV pulled into the graveyard, and I FINALLY got to meet Holly and get a hug that I've waited so long to get!

You see, Holly and I met in a Mormon Mommy group a long time ago. Since we never lived anywhere near each other, we never had the opportunity to meet. But, through our association in the group and just between each other, we became very close friends. Holly is my biggest cheerleader. She always reminds me the I'm a Daughter of God, and she always seems to text or call me at the EXACT perfect minute that I need her. She is one of my best friends, and to finally be able to hug her and sit talking face to face was the highlight of my year!

Holly and I and her two GORGEOUS daughters!

She's such a gorgeous woman, and has an amazing spirit about her!

This is Brynlee
She's going to marry Isaac
They are going to make super cute grandbabies for Holly and I to love!

So, while this week was sad for me because I had to say goodbye to Frances, the Lord also put huge blessings into my life to help make that loss easier to handle.

I am grateful for my loving Father in Heaven and my Savior. I'm grateful for my knowledge that death is not the end, and that life goes on beyond the veil. I'm grateful the Lord put people like Holly and Easton into my life to love me and to support me through good and bad.