The Amazing Donor Quilt

April 8, 2011 we attended The Donar Recogintion Ceremony dedicated to organ, eye, and tissue donors, and their families who made the precious donation even possible.  I know that Randy was smiling that night because he was a part of the amazing gift that he was able to share to save or improve the life of a very grateful recipient.  We heard some tearful stories that night from receipients who tried expressing some of their feelings how more precious their life has become because someone out there (complete stranger to them) cared enough to become a donor.  I don't think there was a dry eye in the house.  There was a video shown which was called "A Video Tribute to Heroes" showing all the photos of the donors for 2010.  (Each family received a copy of the video)  I was extremly excited to walk around and look at all the quilts from each year with patches sent in of the family member they lost during the year.  Keep in  mind, I do not sew or quilt but with help from all the kids we selected a good photo of Randy and a designer at work and Courtney heped me put this altogether and one of his favorite sayings, " So many Mules, So little Time,"  that he had made on a sign and bolted on his horse trailer.  I miss my hero!

Special Tribute to All Organ Donors

I remember Randy and I discussing "organ donor" topic and expressing to each other how grateful we would be if either of us needed a donor and there would be someone who had stepped up to the plate and had made that decision to donate an organ at the time of their death.  Randy was absolutely sure that he would not have an organ left worth donating when he left this life on earth.  There were not many times he was wrong, but I am happy to say his beautiful hazel eyes were donated to Utah Intermountain Donor Services in April, 2010.  Our family will be attending a recognition ceremony this April to acknowledge all the donors this past year.  What a honor this is for me, and I know he is smiling, that he gave a part of himself to help someone else to see.  We do not know if his eyes were used as a transplant or for educational purposes, but whatever they are used for, Randy would be thrilled to know he helped someone else see the beauty that surrounds us or maybe even be able to see to hop on a horse and go explore in our beautiful mountains.

Happy New Year family and friends

As I begin this year 2011,  I can not help but to reflect back on my experiences lived in 2010.  What a year it was, not only our physical being challenged but mental too.  I keep asking God and many others do the same, "Why God?"  "Why did you take my soul mate, my best friend, husband, father of our children, grandpa to eight beautiful grands, cowboy and freind to many  away?"  Don't you know how much he meant to us all?? Iit took us almost 40 years to get to the place where we wanted to be in our relaionship, and how could you let this happen?  Yes believe it or not, I still ask why??  Now , as time flies by me, I am beginning to think, OK,  I have two choices I can make;  I can either give up too, (which some days are very tempting) or I can keep believing in God even when it doesn't always make sense to me.  I read this phrase that makes alot of sense to me,  "Faith means something when it's exercised in the darkness."  I have my faith, and  I believe my  faith means something when I don't understand the whys, (and I have had alot of whys lately) I do think God understands why I ask so many questions, but His only hope is that I don't ever question the who, which leads to my verse for the day, which I try to hold on to one each day and make it mine, and through the day I keep repeating over and over throughout the day at work or driving or doing chores:  Here is the reason for who.

      "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No man comes to the Father but by me.  I am the resurrection and the life.  He who  believes in me (that is where the faith comes in) though he were dead, yet shall he live again. (John 14:6, 11:25)  And that is the whole thing in a nutshell, believe in God and you will live again for everlasting, which is forever!