LAST DAYS WITH JEFF/ 2 WEEKS IN UTAH

This picture is Josh with his brother Jeff and I. As a lot of you know we got a phone call a few weeks ago from Jeff saying that the cancer had spread to his liver, lungs and pancreas despite the chemo and radiation that he just finished and he wanted to see us within the next month. At first Josh thought we would go towards the end of the month, but I felt the spirit so strongly that we needed to leave ASAP, after talking to Jeff's wife about when the best time was to come, we decided to leave that week. We drove straight through with all 5 kids crammed pack in our little mini van with 3 kids sick and 2 kids on antibiotics. It was adventure but we were so happy when we finally got to Utah. The first day we saw Jeff he looked bad but could still walk slowly short distances. He said to me walking up the steps I was always the biggest and strongest and now I can barely make it up these stairs which sent me into a flood of tears (and I stayed in a flood of tears every minute we were with him, he had so many words of wisdom for everyone that were all so true). We visited with Jeff everyday because we didn't know when it could be his last. In our minds we thought he would make it a few months and boy were we wrong. He deterioated so rapidally in that week we were there and on Friday as we left their house, I kissed him on the cheek (I guess I should say that it was just a little peck becuase he was laying on his side on the hospital bed and was too weak to move to try to hug just so you dont think I was wierd ;) and Josh told him we loved him and left there feeling a greater sense of sadness and knew he wasn't going to make it another day. I tried to talk Josh into staying until Sunday, because of the feeling I had, and he wanted to stay too but was worried about a project at work that was going on so he said we needed to leave early Sat. morning. He told Jeff and Cindy (his wife) that we would be by their house (which is on the same street as joshs parents) around 7 am to say goodbye before getting on the road. Josh woke me up early but I just couldn't get moving, so we got out of bed late, we ate and just hugged his parents and sister and said our goodbyes when Cindy called on the phone and couldnt' talk, we all flew out the door drove a few houses down, rushed in and found that Jeff passed away minutes before we got there. It was so heart wrenching to see, we all sobbed and hugged him, we got to spend the next hour and a half as a big family gathered together in their home with Jeff before they took him away. I have been to funerals before after the fact, but I have never experienced in my life first hand being with somone so sick and watching them slip away, it is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. He was a larger than life person who was so generous in always helping others and he loved his family so very much. That last week he told us and everyone else, that he would trade anything, all of his worldly possesions just to be alive and healthy with his family, that the only thing that matters is FAMILY AND FAITH/ OUR RELATIONSHIPS! This man was such a hero to many, he was so loved by all, that was the biggest funeral I have ever been to, he performed much missionary work in his last days and touched so many peoples lives, he never gave up regardless of how much pain he was in or how hard it was to breath, he kept making memories with his family, visited with so many people and got everything in order for what he was leaving behind. His example will live on forever in my heart, whenever I think something is hard or I can't do it, all I have to do is think of Jeff (and of course our brother Jesus Christs example because he suffered all for each one of us) and how he kept pushing himself along until his last breath (literally), and that makes me want to try harder and helps me to recognize how many blessings I truly do have. I saw so many little miracles and felt the spirit so strongly these last 2 weeks in Utah, it was such a testimony builder of the truthfulness of the gospel, eternal families and how short lived this time on Earth can be. My one friend in the Wadsworth ward played football with Jeff back in highschool and he said his memories of Jeff were his hard hits because he was such a huge guy and that he can still feel those hits he took, he also said that it goes to show you how fragile and temporary this life really is, that Jeff was always the biggest and strongest guy around and that something like this can really happen to anyone of us, so hold close to your hearts the ones you love and the gospel of Jesus Christ. This experience has helped our own family, marriage, testimony and faith grow stronger and Jeff will always be in our hearts and we WILL see him again oneday!!

These next pictures were taken 3 days before he passes away

All of the brothers, Josh, James, Jeff, and Jeremy

All of the siblings, Josh, james, Jeff, Jeremy, Tiffany and Traci

Jeff's beautiful family, his wife Cindy and 4 kids, Courtney, Brooke, Jake and Gage

Jeff with gage snuggled into him and his grandma phylis

Jeff with his sweet mom Sally

At the Larkin Cemetary in Sandy. Josh's parents lost a son when he was about 2 1/2 months old. So they had Stephan dug up and brought to the cemetary where Jeff was being buried to have them buried together. Now Jeff and Stephan are hand in hand performing much work on the other side together...

After the service, they had a ton of balloons that people wrote sweet messages on and then let them all go in the air. As Jeff always said no matter how bad it was

"Just another day in paradise!"

Jeff and Cindy's daughter Brooke writing a message to her daddy!

Our sweet Justin letting off a balloon for Uncle Jeff!

His amazing wife Cindy

My awesome Mother and Father in law, Sally and Bruce All of the balloons being let go...

Josh with his brother Jeremy at the luncheon afterwards

Me and Britany (jeremy's wife) sporting our similar suite outfits which was totally unplanned, we must have good taste :)

the day after Jeffs funeral we were so blessed to be there for Josh's sisters sealing at the Oquirrh mountain temple. In this picture from left to right is Traci (joshs sister) Cindy (jeffs wife) Jeremy and Britany, Josh and I, Bill and Tiffany with their daughter Madison and Josh's parents Sally and Bruce. This was an amazing experience, as we were waiting to go back to our session, the temple worker came to Josh and I with tears in his eyes saying he felt the spirit strongly that day that we should be the witness couple. I instantly teared up as well and we said yes of course, we knew Jeff was there that day :) We were so very thankful that we could be here to see Bill and Tiffany and Madison sealed to be an eternal family!! What a blessing to know that this life doesn't end here on earth but is just a beginning to an eternity!

Outside the temple

While we were in Utah, it was Wade's 2nd birthday. We did the usual cake and ice cream and the whole family went to an awesome place called Planet Play, Wade had SO much fun there, he LOVED the go carts, I think that was his favorite, so the next set of pictures are from his birthday party bash!

He loved the cars, he giggled the whole entire race and clapped his hands

Both boys loved this vibrating race car game thing...

Daniel showing off his style with his girl cousins Brooke and Oakley.. I sure do love my Wadester!

He had fun opening presents and making noise with them

He loved his cake and making a mess with that! he loves textures in his hands...

Josh's brother Jeremy and his wife have a bunch of animals, they have horses, pigs, chickens and bunnies, we got to go over to their house to let the kids play around, our family loves farm animals and Natilie and I LOVE horses, we are total cowgirl when it comes to that and hope that we get to have our own horse someday :)

Wade absolutely loved the animals and he loves the outdoors, but he was really mesmirized by the horses, it was so cute to watch, he connected with them instantly and could have just sat on the horses all day. Then I found out from my sister in law and mother in law (who is a special needs teacher) that there have been some studies done that horses are great for Autistic kids, and that there is even horse camps for Autistic kids to go to which I had never heard before but I could totally see it with Wade. Just another reason that I can use to talk Josh into letting me get my horse ;)

Natilie is like me and obsessed with horses, she is my naturel cowgirl

It was so so windy that day...

These last few pictures were from our last dinner with the family before we headed back to Ohio. It was at Asian Star, which is our favorite restaraunt ever..it is so so yummy. We are so very grateful that we had this time with our family and we miss them so very much being so far away from them. We love you Anderson Family!!