Father's Day

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This is the night that Aaron became a father. I had to put this photo again. I love how proud he looks of our precious son. Here are just a few of my favorite photos of the two of them.






One of the last photos taken of the two of them together.


Aaron Jr. cut some hearts out of play dough and he brought them to the cemetery to leave on Daddy's grave. It was sweet.


This is Daddy's tie that Aaron Jr is wearing. I love it.


When I snapped this photo, I had no idea it would be one of my all time favorite photos I would ever take... EVER. It brings such emotion when I look at it.

It was difficult yesterday watching other kids with their dads. Aaron Jr is still too young to know what Father's Day is, but it is still so heartbreaking watching him and knowing he doesn't have that father / son time with his Dad. At church, all of the primary kids went up to sing a couple of songs to their dads and Aaron Jr went up for the first time ever. He didn't even go up on Mother's Day. He started to and was about halfway up there, but got nervous and turned around and ran back to me. So, Father's Day was his first time and even though he didn't sing with the kids, he was up there waving at us and it was just so sweet. One of the songs was called 'I'm so glad when Daddy comes home'. It has always been such a sweet song, but listening to the words yesterday was painful. He talks about Daddy still and I am so glad. He knows who is Daddy is and that is comforting. When I think back on the two shorts years Aaron Jr was able to have his Daddy here with him, and I look at the photos, I am amazed at the amount of things we were able to do all together in those two short years. It is almost like they were able to spend enough time together in that time to help make up for several years into the future once he was gone.
One thing I think about often is that I don't want him to feel different than other kids when they are talking about the things they did with their dad over the weekend or the things their dad taught them. Those are the times when my heart will break for Aaron Jr. over and over. I pray that Aaron will be with Aaron Jr throughout his life though. I believe he will be... why wouldn't he be?

Happy Father's Day, Aaron...
We love and miss you...

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May Days

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Well friends... I have not done a photo posting for a while now. I would dare say it has been close to a month since I have truly blogged what is going on it our lives. So, I threw together some photos from the month of May and put them into just one posting. Enjoy...


Thought I would start out with one of my favorite photos from the month. You've just gotta LOVE this face... I certainly do. My baby, Aaron Jr.


Aaron Jr has been having fun working in the yard with my parents.


Grandma Sue (as Aaron Jr has started calling her sometimes) gave him a kite. He was SO excited to try it out, so we went and picked up his cousins Hannah, Elise, Stella, and Angus to help us try it out...


We had virtually no wind, so it wasn't a great kite flying day, but the kids still had fun running around to try to make it fly.


My brother John and his wife Tawnie sold their house and they had a few weeks before they could move into their new house, so they stayed at my parents house for part of it. We stayed there as well so that we could have some fun times with them. Aaron Jr had a blast having 5 cousins around so much of the time. Here are a few photos from their time with us. In these photos: John, Thomas, Jack, Aaron Jr, and Samuel


Aaron Jr and Jack eating popcorn on the bench Aaron gave my mom for her birthday right after we got married. Aaron Jr and Sam eating watermelon on the same day.


We went to a couple of Thomas's baseball games during those couple of weeks. It was so much fun. Thomas was so cute standing ON second base when he was the second baseman. SO cute. Emily was sweet to take care of the younger boys who didn't want to watch the game. :)


We went to lunch and to the park with my friend Kerianne and her two boys, Brighton and Bode. Fun times...


My niece Sarah in her ballet concert. She is the one with her hands in the air. She is amazing with her dancing. Aaron Jr 'washing' my dad's shoes. Then Aaron Jr in the other photos.


We LOVED washing the car together...


Aaron Jr was so busy with me. He worked on details.


Then, like most carwashes... it became a 'get each other wet' game. Isn't it just a rule that you have to do that after you are done? I was chasing Aaron Jr around the car and snapping photos. It was a blast.


Leslie and Aaron Jr.


Grandpa Steve and Steve Jr took Aaron Jr with Steve and Christa's kids (Malia and Isaac) to go fishing one Saturday. Aaron Jr had a blast and they got these great photos from their adventure.


Isaac and Aaron Jr. Aaron LOVED LOVED LOVED to fish. He would have taken Aaron Jr fishing SO often if he were still here. So, I love that he will get to do this with Aaron's dad and brother. It will be a special thing that they can do together to remember and honor Aaron.


A newspaper guy was driving past them and stopped to get a photo for the Salt Lake Tribune. It was in the next that next week. This is such a great photo, I wish taking a photo of the newspaper did it justice, but here you go. :) Gotta love it!


More random shots of Memorial Day. We went to the cemetery with my parents and my niece Julia. While we were there, John and Tawnie and their family showed up. We also went to the gravesites of my mom's grandparents.

Throughout that weekend, most of our families were able to visit Aaron's site. I am truly grateful for that. I feel such gratitude when I know someone is remembering Aaron because I love him so much. Thank you to everyone who was able to go and those who wanted to but couldn't.


Leslie and Aaron Jr.


Aaron Jr. found a worm at our family barbeque then carried it around for a while. I drew a picture of Aaron Jr and he was coloring it to leave for Daddy on his grave. He also loves to put his hands in his handprints on the stone.


After the barbeque, we decided to enjoy the favorite American pasttime of yesteryear and play some baseball. It was so much fun watching all of the kids get to hit the ball and run the bases. SO much fun.


Me... playing first base... Me... swinging... how is my form? Probably horrible. :)


Aaron Jr. had a blast hitting the ball and running the bases. The last photo is him in a HOT bath relaxing from the day's rough activities.


Malia and Aaron Jr at the fountains at the Gateway in Salt Lake. Such a fun place to go.






We met some cousins at the park for lunch and play. In these photos: Lily, Angus, Sophie, Stella Samuel, Jack, Michael


Aaron Jr.


Aaron Jr. and the kids playing soccer in the front yard. (with a couple of my brothers)




Some of my nieces and nephews and Aaron Jr. after they built a swing on the tree using rope and an aligator teeter totter. :) GREAT times. In these photos: David, Kristina, Matthew, John, Emily, Thomas, Jack, Samuel, Aaron Jr


And last, but certainly not least... I think I have expressed my love for the moon before. I have always talked about wanting a camera that could capture the true beauty of the moon. I am just so intrigued by the moon and the mysteries it seems to hold. My sister and I have always shared this love for the moon.
Aaron knew of this love I had for the moon while we were dating. He gave me a sweet gift... a decorative stone with the moon carved into it. I love it. So, here is a photo I took the night that the kids were playing soccer in the front yard. If you click on it and look close, you can see contours on the surface that are so beautiful and amazing. Anyhow... enjoy... I sure have.

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Suddenly, My Problems Seemed So Very Small...

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I have not posted to my blog since Memorial Day. I have just been having such a difficult couple of weeks. The past few days especially have been awful for me. I am not going to go into details, but I am just so lonely, so heartbroken, and sorrowful. I have been crying a lot because of my sadness and I have just been feeling down in the dumps. Missing Aaron so much... every day...

Well, today, my sister sent me a link to a video on youtube that made me cry tears of sorrow for someone else. As I sit here crying, I figured I should share this video with as many others as I can... not because I think there is much each of us can do for these kids on our own, but to help other people... like it helped me... realize how blessed each of us really are. I needed this today... I needed to focus on someone other than myself to help me see that the loneliness I feel each day (though it is painful for me) is nothing compared to the loneliness these kids feel and the abandonment they experience. The least we can do is be grateful for what we have and pray for people who are so very less fortunate than we are. My heart has broken today for these kids and kids like them all over the world. These precious children of our Father in Heaven.

Just a few seconds into the video,
Suddenly, My Problems Seemed So Very Small...

please watch this video... and once again, pause my music to the right while you watch...



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