Goodbye for now

Two weeks ago I kissed my husband and son for the last time. The last two Saturdays were wonderful tributes to our life together and the beautiful lives they lived. I miss them so much. Sheldon and Jace's final resting place is on a beautiful hill overlooking Salt Lake City with the University of Utah "U" on the hill above them. I feel so much peace knowing that they are in a beautiful place together. Thank you to everyone who has helped me through two weeks of the most pain a person can ever experience. I love you Sheldon. I love you Jace.

Thank You

 I am so thankful to family and friends who have helped me and supported me at this time. I miss Sheldon and Jace so much. I love them and it is my greatest privilege to be Jace's mother and Sheldon's wife. I know we can be together again and I am so grateful for my testimony of the gospel. I am so thankful for our Savior and his Resurrection. I am so thankful for the donations that helped cover the funeral costs and are helping me get started on this new path my life has taken. I am so thankful for every kind word, note, letter, action, done in my behalf. I am so thankful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to be part of a ward family, past and present, who love and care for me.  I am especially grateful to the searchers and dive team volunteers who found Jace and Sheldon. You are all my angels carrying me through this tragedy. -Julie

Thank You

Words cannot express how thankful I am for the outpouring of love and support that I have received these past few days.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  The kindness and generosity is carrying me through each hour that I am living without them.  Thank you for the blog put together by one of my best friends, Heather Jones.  I  feel so grateful to read those kind words about Sheldon and Jace and for the donations received that will help pay for their funeral.

www.jaceandsheldon.blogspot.com    

17 Beautiful Days in March

My family was able to enjoy 17 beautiful, happy, wonderful days in March before they were taken from me. I am writing this post remembering those last 17 days. My last post was at the end of February and I am writing this post to document those 17 days, before I write or share anything about what a happened on March 17th, which I don't think I will be able to for quite a long time. If you comment, please do not write about their deaths. This is about those last days we had together.

Here is Jace enjoying his Angry Birds bedroom.

Richard and Roselle came out for the first weekend in March.  We had a hot dog roast and watched a movie together.

We shot some golf balls into the lake too.  Sheldon's went really far!

I made Jace some sensory bins.  The pink one is a treasure chest, the brown one is a dinosaur bin, and the white one is an ocean bin.  We played with them non-stop for a long time.  Jace's favorite was the treasure chest because it had pink rocks.

Jace and I colored with some markers and he decided to draw on his face.  I told him to look in the mirror, and everyday after that when we colored, he drew on his face and looked in the mirror.  He wanted to make sure I got a picture of it too.

Dinosaur Bin

Ocean Bin

Treasure Chest

We went to mount Rainier the second weekend in March with the youth group in our ward.  Jace got to come along too.  We had so much fun tubing and playing in the snow.

Sheldon popped this green tube.  :)

Always a fun time with daddy!

We couldn't believe how high the snow pack was.

One day, after I got out of the shower I looked in the living room and saw Jace had taken an ENTIRE roll of toilet paper and emptied it around the house.  He decided to get out his race cars for a fun race track.

We went to McDonald's one day this month before mutual at the church.  Jace, for the first time, climbed into the tunnels and went down the slide.  We stayed for two hours and he did not want to leave.

My friend and I met up in Tacoma to go to the children's museum there.  Jace loved the water room so much.

When we got home he told me his favorite thing was painting.  I told him we would buy him some paints.

On Friday, March 16th, I made a yummy lasagna dinner for our family with chocolate cupcakes for dessert. We watched a movie on Sheldon's projector and all cuddled on the couch.  I remember thinking how lucky I was to be sitting there with my handsome husband and my beautiful son.  I really was lucky and I am so blessed.  

The next day, on my birthday, Jace asked for another chocolate cupcake and I even let him have TWO.  He was so excited.  Jace also put on his shirt all by himself that day.  After he put his head and arms through the holes, he stood up and jumped up and down clapping at what he had done.  These are the last pictures of Jace while he was alive.  What a beautiful and happy life I had and I am so grateful I was so meticulous in documenting it.  I love you Sheldon.  I love you Jace.  Thank you for giving me the best life imaginable.