Sooo, Garrett's birthday is coming up next week.

We've been thinking about what to do to celebrate and remember. He would have been 8 years old this year!

Maura, naturally, thinks we should get a bunny because when you turn 8 you get baptized and you get a bunny.

Dallin wants to gather some friends and have a marsh-mallow gun fight.

They both agree on the cake and ice cream part of a celebration.

I have a movie my sister made of Garrett. I have never watched it.

It's been sitting in a little box with other things that belong to Garrett. Pictures, a favorite shirt, pieces of his favorite blanket, school work, trophies, and so forth. It's been nagging at me for a long time. I've always felt guilty that I haven't watched it.

She gave it to me right after Garrett died. I think it is a montage of pictures with music. I think we are going to watch it. It's been three years. I can do this. I know I'm going to cry and I'm okay with that. I'm actually pretty excited. I've thought about watching it several times and I've decided I'm going to wait until his birthday.

Now all we have to do is decide on what kind of cake to make...

Wish us luck!

I've been thinking about Garrett and my mom all day.

My sister, Gina, is so good about remembering to go to his grave to clean it up and bring flowers and such. I'm so grateful she does.















Reese remembered that Garrett had a Winnie-the-pooh blanket that he loved to sleep with and she wanted to get him a little Winnie-the-pooh bear.














Today is also my mom and dad's 42nd wedding anniversary. Dad went to visit her and took some pictures while it was snowing.















I sure do miss them both.

Edit:
Just got some photos from Gina that she took. Thanks, Geen!

Reese, Jeff, Brady and Brannen helped decorate!

I think about Garrett all the time but it's not the same as before. I don't have the gut-wrenching feeling of loss. I feel....peace.

BUT, I still think about him.

What new event would we be celebrating? End of school? Turning eight?

What would he look like? Still blonde? I hope so! I'm a little out numbered.

Would he be kind? Whiny? Tidy?

Would he still have that silly haircut? or would he want long hair like his brother?

I don't blog about it as much as I did. Not sure why.

I still miss him, but not as much. Mostly I wonder about him.

What is he doing now?

Does he hang out with Grandma Jones and Great Grandpa Jones?

Is he a missionary?

Can he read and write his name?

Does he watch us and wish he were here with us as much as WE wish he were?

Mostly I just look forward to when we will be together again, because I know we will.
The knowledge of the plan our Heavenly Father has for us, gives me the peace I finally feel.

I was looking through some old pictures and found a few that made me laugh.

Dallin and Garrett were such great friends. They would play together for HOURS. They would come up with some pretty creative things to do too...

On this day, they were just having fun in the back yard. Playing in a sprinkler I think.

They unscrewed the sprinkler head and made a mud swamp and threw mud bombs at the wall,
Instead of yelling and getting mad I took a picture and chalked it up to "boys".


















Going back inside I got busy doing something and the next thing I heard was a little rap on the door. Opening it, this is what I saw:




















And then I made them pose like this:


















I'm so glad I got a good picture!