I’ve always thought that January was a fleeting month. Somehow it always passed very quickly, usually without any special fanfare or memory making activity. We welcomed the new year, 2017. We made some New Year resolutions. Bam-its February!
Utah was blessed with plenty of snowfall- 167% of normal for January. Blessed in that we need the water. Maybe not so blessed in the hazardous driving conditions, constant shoveling of driveways, or the many indoor recesses at school.
Not only did we get snow, but it was COLD!
So, even though January was mostly a frigid-snowy-blur-of a month, there were some significant events that took place.
On one of the warmer days we found time to play out in the playhouse. It was a fun break from being cooped up inside.
We also returned to Idaho for the sad occasion of attending the funeral of my brother-in-law Travis. I wrote about our visit with Travis shortly before Christmas. You can read that post here. Right after we returned home, he was put on Hospice Care.
He passed away on December 29, 2016.
We lost both of our parents right before and just after Christmas in 1987/1988 and it made the holiday very difficult for us. (And each new year continues to bring back those bitter-sweet memories.) We all prayed that Travis could make it through Christmas and that they could have a peaceful time with their family. My sister Julie is one of those people who always looks on life with a positive attitude and she decided that they were going to find the sweetness and joy in the situation and just enjoy spending time together taking care of him. His pain was mostly managed and she said it was a beautiful, sweet experience.
Travis was a hero right to the end and Julie was his special ministering angel!
It was a lovely funeral with many friends and family attending.
You can read his obituary here.
So, while January flew by at record breaking speed, it will hold some powerful memories for me, and remind me to live each day with a little more courage and grace.
We sure love these beautiful ladies!
We will all miss Travis!
Thank goodness families can be together forever.
JoAnn
3 comments:
What a beautiful post. I wish I handled loss so positively. It's hard but there is beauty among the ashes and I hope you all are finding that to be true. I wish I had a little cottage for my kiddo play. Looks like they are having fun!
No kidding on how January just wizzed by!!!! Sorry to hear about your great loss - such a testament on how to be gracious at a time like this.
Your little playhouse is just precious. Did you build it? This is something we would so like to make for our granddaughter and have been looking for designs. I just love the cheerful colours and decor. What fun!!!
JoAnn, I am so sorry I missed this post. My sincere condolences on the loss of your brother-in-law. I read his obituary and saw that had a wonderful, interesting and faithful life, but gone too soon, as well as his son. May they rest in peace and love of our Lord in heaven.
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