I feel almost irreverent continuing on with my posts. Learning to figure out what our new normal is is a bit strange. But we're all trying.

Saturday night Matt and I ordered Chinese food for the two of us and made something at home for the kids. I wasn't terribly in the mood for it but since I opted to be the one to pick it up I knew that going two places so we could each have what we wanted sounded like a lot of effort. So I settled for the vegetable noodles and psyched myself up for it.
Mason being the best eater of all our kids was going to share with us (under his condition that he could eat with chopsticks). We dished it up and headed downstairs to watch a movie as a family. Mason had his in a bowl and was attempting the art of chopstick eating. I found it kind of funny to watch but boy was he determined. After a few minutes Mia who had been watching Mason asked, "Mase, what are you doing?"
Mason: "Eating with chopsticks."
Mia: "What are you eating?"
Mason: "Chinese food. Now that I'm getting older I need to start eating food from different religions."

haha. I hope our religion has some good dishes that others who believe differently can enjoy............We should introduce them to funeral potatoes. :)

PS: after psyching myself up for the veggie noodles, the place got my order wrong. BLAH.

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Last week Mason came home and we were talking about his day. He was talking about recess and mentioned that Annie has a lot of people who gather around her now ever since Grace passed away.
Mason: "Ever since all this happened with Grace, kids are always gathering around Annie like, like....a new pair of shoes. And I know what I'm talking about too. I know all about girls and new shoes."

Ok.

Grace's Viewing

The viewing started at 6pm at our church. People started showing up around 5:30. The funeral director ushered them into the chapel where they watched a DVD that Matt (Kirsten's Matt, not my Matt) had put together of pictures of Grace. Thanks for doing that Matt. It was so well done and I know you spent countless hours putting it together. We'll all cherish it forever. Row by row they were led down the hall to the Relief Society room. There were so many people who came to show their support. Some waiting as long as an hour or two in the chapel and in line. We are so blessed to have such great people in our lives.

We can never thank the sweet ladies who put up the displays. There were so many pictures and things to display and they laid it out perfectly! Thank you, thank you for all your hard work.

I love these next three pictures. I think they show the peace and love that Amber and Gary emulate. They comforted those people who had come to comfort them. It was so uplifting. I know they are sad and miss Grace but they understand completely where she is.

I love the smile on Gary's face here.

Amber. Isn't she pretty.

I love these two people.

This is Gary and his Dad closing the casket for the night after the viewing. They handled it with such Grace.

And then carrying it to the hearse. A long, wonderful night.

Family

I needed to do a post quickly with pictures of family. This way I can remember who was there. Here's my brother Dan with Annie, Ashton and Abbie. Dan's the favorite Uncle (shhhh don't tell).

Dan and Staci made the trek from New Hampshire. We wish they could have stayed longer but we'll take whatever we can get to spend time with them. MAN, I miss these guys! Russ and Laura were on a trip back East to visit Dan and Staci when Grace passed away. It was comforting to know that they didn't have to be alone without family members when they heard the news. It felt like a year had passed before they got here.

Here's Mattie and Brendan. Brendan and Ruth live in Eagle Mountain but I'm telling you, it might as well be New Hampshire for how long it takes to get out there (hehe, love ya guys).

This is Gary's sister Pauline she flew in from Texas. His parents are on a mission in Palmyra, NY and flew in Wednesday evening. His brother and family came up from Cedar City. It's always fun to see Gary's family, they're all such nice people. Joe and Tiff are standing by the casket. I couldn't find a picture with them facing forward, sorry Jiff.

This picture is so sweet! Lucy and Jack. Does it get any sweeter than that?

Celeste, me and Grandma Marva. This is probably one of my more flattering poses.

Dan, Staci, Kirsten, Russ, Ruth and Brendan. We have such great family....EVERYWHERE!

Here's Kirsten and Matt and their "mouthful-of-cuteness" Landon. Couldn't you just munch on that sweet face? Yes, I mean the baby's.

Grandpa Rigby, Brad, Tyson and Laura. I was so proud of Tyson. When the cousins sang I am A Child Of God at the funeral he went right on up with the rest of the kids. I love that boy so much!

Here's Jayme, Tyson, Brad, Carter and Shaun with Gary's dad Stick playing with them.

Thanks family, Love you all!

Funeral

I have been taught so much from the events of this last week. I've learned that I don't have a clue what people around me are going through. I've learned that I need to serve people better, that I have so much more to learn about loving others, that life is fragile and not ours to be too selfish with, that Heavenly Father wants us to be happy, that I have an amazing family, that my little sister and her husband are some of my biggest examples of Christ-like love and that I have so far to go to get where I need to be. I'm thankful for ALL these lessons. This picture was on the front of the funeral program. It's from the morning of her 1st birthday. Amber said she had just finished opening her presents and was tired. Time to snuggle and find her thumb.

This picture was on the back of the program. I LOVE this picture.

Here's some of the gathering before they closed the casket for the family prayer. Gary's Dad gave the family prayer and did such a great job. Bishop Norman conducted the funeral. Annie started it off by reading the obituary and adding her testimony at the end. I was so proud of her, she did so well. Then all of Grace's cousins sang I am A Child Of God. After that my Dad spoke about the Plan Of Salvation which brought the spirit in even stronger, something I didn't think was even possible. Following my Dad all her Aunts and Uncles sang Oh My Father. The final speakers were Amber and Gary. They told some cute things about Grace and testified of how they KNOW they will be with her again and can't wait for that day. I was so impressed with their strength and depth of their testimonies. What great people.

Here we are afterwords loading into the cars to head to the cemetery. The funeral was amazingly spiritual. I loved being there and feeling the peace and comfort.It help remind me that this is only part of a big picture.

The GORGEOUS casket and flower spray.

Here's Lucy, Eliza, Annie & Livie in the limo ready to go to the cemetery. Amber told me she wouldn't have changed that limo ride for anything. The girls had so much fun. They even got to take off their seat belts and look out the windows. The funeral was a spiritual experience that I don't think anyone who was there will soon forget. It was so uplifting.

Cemetery

After the the funeral we loaded in our cars and in a procession headed to the West Point Cemetery. The forecast earlier in the week said Friday was suppose to be cold and snowy. Look at the beautiful blue sky in all these pictures. The weather could not have been any better. The perfect fall day :) The pallbearers were all 4 of the guys that were at the house helping with the trampoline hole when Grace passed away. Gary, his good friend Tom, our nephew Brennan, and Gary's Brother-in-law John. What a tribute to the great people Grace has in her life.

After Gary dedicated the grave my Mom and Dad surprised them with balloons for all the cousins to let off. It was such a happy way to end the graveside.

Here's Amber and Gary looking up at the balloons. The sun was so bright & the weather was beautiful!

Here's Annie and Mason watching theirs disappear. The balloons were such a fun way for the kids to participate and celebrate all that we love about Gracie.

The luncheon afterwords was phenomenal! They had the church decorated in such a happy, beautiful way. It felt like a real celebration. The food was fantastic. Their ward really went above and beyond. It just goes to show how much they are loved.

It was a fun way to end the events of the day. Aren't you just exhausted and HUNGRY after a funeral? The food was great, the atmosphere was happy and it gave us all a chance to visit with our loved ones. Thanks 10th ward for caring so much for my sister, her great husband and their beautiful girls! We were definitely in good hands.

People Are AMAZING

There were so many amazing and thoughtful things people did for Amber and Gary in memory of Gracie. Here's mentioning just a few: The casket was made and donated by a sweet couple in Southern Utah, Merlin & Stacy Figgins. They've never met our family but when they heard the story on the news they offered to donate a casket to give Grace a beautiful place to rest. I promise you this picture does not do it justice! It's beyond gorgeous. It was lined with beautiful white silk and the daintiest purple flowers pressed here and there. Even the funeral director commented on what a well made, beautiful casket it was. I hope one day to meet this amazing couple who perform such a labor of love.

This quilt was put together by the neighbors and ward members. Each family made up their own quilt block and then ladies from the neighborhood spent countless hours putting it together. When the stake presidents wife went to Sew & Save to buy the material she was asked what it was for. When she told them the story the store offered to stay open late the next day and quilt it all for free. It is such an sweet keepsake.

Cindy Woodward who's husband is on the City Council called and offered to buy all the girls dresses for the funeral. This picture is only of Livie and Lucy but Annie's and Eliza's were just as beautiful. They gave them each a beautiful dress, shoes, tights, hair pieces and little golden lockets to put Grace's picture in. When they stopped by the house to give them to the Hills I could tell they were apprehensive about coming in. I know they didn't want any credit for getting them and they just wanted to drop them off and be gone. We insisted they come in for a minute. As soon as the girls saw the dresses they were so excited. Their eyes lit up and they each took them proudly to their various bedrooms. They couldn't have been more excited!

This beautiful statue of Christ was given to them by some friends and neighbors. It's so gorgeous and will be displayed proudly in their home. People are so kind. So many other countless things were done for them and given to them. Bracelets for Amber and the girls to help them always have a sweet reminder of Grace. Gary even got a tie pin. Tile plaques, books, dinners, desserts, cleaning, organizing, visiting, nursery's donated a couple of trees to them, flowers, plants, money, emails, cards...I could go on and on. What an amazing outpouring of love. This is such a tribute to the kind of people Amber and Gary are. I have to agree and I feel fortunate to be a part of their lives.

Last Saurday Nov 7th our sweet niece & cousin Gracie passed away from injuries sustained in an accident at her home. We will miss her more than words can express. We are fortunate to know where she is and that we get to be with her again. It's pretty great that our family gets to have such a perfect little angel helping us from the other side. We miss you Gracie.

Here's her obituary. I think it's written perfectly.

Grace Hill West Point, Utah Our sweet Gracie returned to her Heavenly Father on November 7, 2009 after 15 too-short months with our family. She passed away with her mother and father by her side at home. Grace was born on July 9, 2008 in Davis County to the great joy of her parents and four (yes, four) sisters. Gracie is the 20th grandchild of Mark and Darline Elggren of Kaysville and the 15th grandchild of Stick and Melba Hill of Bountiful. Few children have been blessed to be loved by more caring sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandparents. Gracie loved animals, picture books of all types including "Goodnight Moon", all kinds of music, pictures of the Savior, and especially her sisters and mom and dad. We in turn have treasured her hugs, giggles, "moos," "meows," kisses, and snuggles. Our hearts are full but broken. Gracie is survived by her parents Gary and Amber Hill, her four sisters, Anne, Livia, Lucy, and Eliza, 35 cousins, 22 aunts and uncles, four grandparents and three great-grandparents. She was preceded in death by her Great-Grandma and Grandpa Hill, Great-Grandpa Jensen, Great-Grandma Rigby, and Great-Grandma and Grandpa (Pop) Elggren, all of whom we are sure greeted her with joy when she passed through the veil. Funeral services will be held Friday, November 13, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at the West Point 10th Ward chapel, 2850 West 300 North, in West Point, Utah. A viewing will be held Thursday, November 12, 2009 from 6-8 p.m. at the same chapel in West Point. A short viewing will be held the morning of the funeral at 9:30 a.m. Online guestbook and condolences at http://www.russonmortuary.com/