Families Can Be Together Forever

Melancholy, that's the word that keeps coming to mind, that's how I'm feeling today.  It's strange when your day starts out normal, and then you hear bad news and things change in an instant.  I felt this way last Friday (the 27), as well.  I woke up that morning, everything was fine, and then I found out from facebook and my sister about the shooting in the theater in Colorado.  It's hard as the days go by and the terrible news sinks in and becomes more real.  You see the people and hear the stories and it becomes all too real and too sad. 

Today started off as a normal day.  I worked my tushy off outside mowing the lawn and doing yard work while Ashton slept in and the girls were at a sleepover.  It felt good making the yard look neat and pretty.  The weather was perfect, cool and overcast.

After I was finished I came in, showered and got ready for the day.  Since the girls had been at a sleepover last night, I took the opportunity to organize a few things in our playroom/computer room.  There was a container that I kept noticing that I thought would be perfect to put a bunch of papers in.  The papers are artwork that Madison and Bailee have done, which I can't bring myself to throw away, so I keep almost all of it.  I'd glanced at this container a few times throughout the day and finally took it down from the shelf.  I haven't looked in this container in quite a while, the dust bunnies can prove it!  There was an old address book of mine in there and some computer pamphlets from our old computer.  I threw away the un-useful stuff and looked through the address book.  There was the name of a girl in there that I used to work with at the Orem Shopko.  We used to be friends, but fell out of touch.  I had wanted to add her too my facebook friends for awhile now, but I couldn't remember her last name.  So, I got her name out of my book and looked her up on facebook and found her pretty quickly.  She's married and has two little boys.  Before she accepted my friend request, I was looking at her profile and found out that one of her little boys, Carson, had recently passed away.  I thought, "No way, this can't be!"  I looked up his name online, found his obituary and found out he'd died earlier this month in a tragic accident.  I did a little more digging and discovered he was the child that was killed when a large headstone at a cemetery fell on him.  They had gone to a historic cemetery in Park City and a 4.5 foot tall grave stone fell on him.  Devastating.  I can't even imagine the pain of losing a child.  I feel so bad for Hilary and her sweet family.  Carson would have been 5 years old on July 31st, five days after Bailee turns 5. I'm thankful that they have a strong testimony.  I know they have gone to the temple to seek peace and comfort.  I know that our Father in Heaven loves them all so much and is blessing them with sweet mercies at this extremely difficult time.  I'm so thankful for eternal families.  Their family is in my thoughts and prayers...

Carson is in the center.

I've been going around this afternoon humming and singing "Families Can Be Together Forever", it's such a nice and comforting song. 

I have a family here on Earth
They are so good to me
I want to share my life with them
Through all eternity

Families can be together forever
Through Heavenly Father's plan
I always want to be with my own family
And the Lord has shown me how I can
The Lord has shown me how I can

While I am in my early years
I'll prepare most carefully
So I can marry in God's temple
For eternity

Families can be together forever
Through Heavenly Father's plan
I always want to be with my own family
And the Lord has shown me how I can
The Lord has shown me how I can