Sunday, May 28, 2017

Stacey

I never dreamed that I'd be writing about the loss of another sister so soon after loosing Amanda, but here I am.
The last time we saw Stacey, was at Amanda's Funeral. She was healthy, and vibrant. She was there with her husband Nathaniel, and her children. She didn't know Amanda very well, but she went to the funeral to show love and support for our family.
Shortly after returning to Albuquerque, Stacy started experiencing some health issues. She had no energy, shortness of breath, sometimes her heart would race, and sometimes it would miss a beat.
She went to a specialist who told her that she had a heart murmer, probably caused by a virus and that she needed to "take it easy" and get lots of rest to allow her heart to recover and heal. None of us got the impression that that the problem was life threatening. After all, Stacey was still so young and otherwise seemed to be in good health.
Nathaniel had an out of town work trip scheduled, and after praying and giving Stacey a blessing, he felt like it would be okay for him to go on the trip. Arrangements were made for Adam's mom to go and help Stacey while Nathaniel was away.  Stacey rested while Deanna took care of things, but even the smallest effort was causing Stacey to get very weak. Mom Gurr let Adam's dad know that Stacey was really not doing well, so he drove to Albuquerque to be with her and help in anyway he could.  Five minutes after he had arrived, Stacy collapsed. After dialing 911 and  telling Deanna to take Stacey's children into another room, Malan held her and then watched helplessly as the medics (who had arrived within a few  minutes) tried everything they could to revive her.  They were unsuccessful.
At around 8:30pm on Saturday May 12th Adam received a call from his sister Heather, telling him that Stacey passed away and our hearts were broken, all over again.
Adam and his siblings drove to Albuquerque early the following morning. They spent the day morning together and with their parents and Sacey's husband and children. They clung to eachother and comforted eachother the way only siblings and parents can.
Stacey loved serving others, she was always smiling, and excited about life. She loved her husband, children, parents and siblings. She will be missed by so many of us.
Her funeral was in Albuquerque the following Saturday and then there was a memorial service for her in Mesa the next weekend.
We know we will see Stacey again. We also know we will miss her so, so much. We pray for Nathaniel, Evelynn, Grace, Mary and Grant. We love them all so much and hope that the comforting power of the Holy Ghost gives them peace.

Before the funeral, we took all the cousins that were old enough to the Temple in Albuquerque to do baptisms for the dead. We all felt the spirit so strongly while there. It was a blessing to get to go.

This photo was taken while traveling back to Arizona after after a long, hard day of grief in Albuquerque.
It's a perfect exsample of how with our families, and the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can find joy even in the darkest of times.

Friday, May 5, 2017

Piano is My Jam

Caleb and Sarah played beautifully at their Piano recital last night. Caleb played Christofori's Dream and Don Juan.  Sarah played Fur Elise and Revere. 
We are so proud of these two and the dedication they give to become great piano players.
After the Recital their piano teacher Miss E,  gave each of the students are t-shirt that says "Piano is my Jam". The kids love the shirts and they love Miss E!