Happy Birthday in Heaven Dad!

Hello Family and Friends,

It has been such a long time since I posted to this blog.  In fact, it has been 5 months. It got to be a real struggle for me to keep posting.  Today is special day and I feel it is time to start writing again :) To receive these posts directly to your e-mail, simply subscribe to this blog.  Everytime I post, it will be sent right to you !

Today, John Sims would have been 70 years old.  Most of you know that I am a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator (and employee).  I spend a lot of time creating cards and scrapbook pages.  I created this card as a member of a Sketch Challenge Team.  For more information check out my blog at http://www.stamptothemax.blogspot.com/

Seems so unfair that he is not here with us to celebrate.  When I think of how hard this past year has been, it brings me to tears.  Last year at this time, Dad was failing in health and was housebound right up until he passed away on January 16th. 

I joked around with my brother Mike today and imagined Dad saying "I don't look 70 do I?"  Dad looked good for his age and was so fit before he got sick with cancer.  I often wonder how life would have been different for all of us had Dad either not got cancer to begin with or if the surgery would have been successful.  God had another plan!

We as a family miss our Husband, Father and Grandad, terribly.  Not one day passes when we don't think about him, talk about him, laugh, cry, share memories etc.  We as a family are thankful for our faith in God and his Son, Jesus Christ. We simply could not imagine life without this faith.  We look forward to seeing our Husband, Father and Grandad one day and living with him FOREVER :)  Now that puts smiles on our faces and wipes away all tears.

Happy Birthday in Heaven Dad :)

"We love you Dad"

5 Month Anniversary

Today marks the 5 month anniversary of Dad passing away. It totally feels like 5 years since I saw him, since I talked with him, since I sat with him, since I heard him tell me he loved me. This picture was taken a year ago. He is looking ill already but yet to me he is as wonderful as ever.

Life is so precious and so good that the pain felt is a physical pain due to missing him so much. I am devastated that he had to go through what he did, that he had to die so young. Earth was so much better with him here, but I do know Heaven is all the better for him being there.

There is not one day when he is not in my thoughts. Why should there be? Here I sit with tears streaming down my face as I think of all the happy memories we shared. All the laughs, all the jokes, all the kindness, all the fun, all the spiritual talks of life after death! A life far greater than this one!

Will life get any easier without him? I seriously doubt it! I do know it would be much harder than it is if I did not know where he was. It is also much easier knowing he lived a good life. A most rewarding life full of goodwill to all.

My Mother whom I think of every minute of every day........There was no other person on this earth who Dad wanted to be with or loved more. He lived his life for her.

Dad, I know you are happy! I know you with your family and friends and being a great missionary! I KNOW I will see you again and to that day I look forward to very much!

"We love and miss you Dad"

Happy Birthday Sienna

One year ago today I was in England and was so excited to be there for the birth of my youngest niece, Sienna Loren.

Dad wasn't feeling very well that day. but he was so wanting to see his grand daughter that he made the effort. This was so typical of Dad, always making an effort to do things he maybe didn't feel like doing.

We went to the hospital and sat in the waiting room a little while. Samantha and Savannah were really excited to see their new baby sister. Samantha was born a week after I moved to Utah and Savannah was born 2 months before my youngest daughter, Olivia so I wasn't able to be there when they were born. It was a special experience for me to be there for Sienna.

Today also marks the 4 month anniversary of Dad's death. I know all of us wish Dad could have seen our children grow up but I am so grateful that he has been able to see all of them. I know he can now see all of them very well. :)

~John Sims -"Never to be forgotten! Always to be remembered"

"We love and miss you Dad

Happy Birthday MOM!

Hello Family and Friends,

I am so sorry for neglecting to post to this blog. It has been extremely difficult for me and I am so grateful to those of you who have e-mailed to let me know you miss the posts.

I couldn't miss today. We celebrated Mothers Day here in the US and my dear Mom celebrated her birthday. I call Mom on a daily basis and today was another one of 'those' hard days. I so wanted to be with her and all I can do is think of last year at this time when I flew over to surprise her for her 70th birthday. That visit was the last time I saw my Father alive.

Not only is she my Mother but she is my dear friend. I know how hard it is to be without my Dad and I cannot even imagine what she is going through. I am looking forward to June when Rebecca, Gary and their children come to visit us and then in July when my Mom comes to visit.

Today I gave the lesson in Relief Society and part of the lesson was about the power of healing. I really wished Dad could have been healed completely of his cancer but I do realize that God knows all and one day we will see him and live with him again. I often wonder who will be the first to see him.

~John Sims - "Never to be forgotten. Always to be remembered" ~

"We love and miss you Dad"

A Butcher's life for Dad!

I am really looking forward to the weekend. I have been working long days to make up hours so I can take off Thursday and Friday. I have been invited to a Retreat with my friends in St George (Southern Utah). I am really looking forward to it.

I MISS MY DAD SO TERRIBLY!!! I am so heartbroken that he is no longer with us and some days just seem so painful to bear. I thought of how hard he worked during his life. He worked hard to provide for his family and he worked even harder to serve God. The word lazy would never ever be a word to describe Dad. He barely ever sat down. He loved to work hard and the pleasure in his life came from serving God and his fellowmen.

Dad spent many years as a butcher. We were very fortunate growing up as we ate a lot of meat and it was cooked by our Mom who always made great meals. . I remember going into the butcher's shop one day and he was cutting up a pig. As a young child I was just so mesmerised at this. On another occasion when I went in the shop, he had put a pigs foot up his sleeve and went to give me a hug. I about fell over.
As I got older, I would often call him to ask what meat to buy when I was at the store. He loved it when I asked his opinion.

He was such a good Dad. I simply cannot wait to see him again ;)

~John Sims- "Never to be forgotten - Always to be Remembered"

"We love and miss you Dad"

A Special Blessing

Life without a headache...still puzzles me :)

I wanted to share a very special experience. I don't often talk about this because it is something very special but I want to write it down so that one day when John is old enough he will be able to read this and appreciate this special blessing.

In 1993, I was just starting one of the hardest parts of my life. It was the beginning of a divorce. My Dad was always good at asking his children if they would like a blessing when we were sick or 'just because'. Dad came over to my house one day and said he would like to give me a 'Father's blessing'. In this blessing, he told me that my Heavenly Father wanted me to know that a son was waiting in heaven until the time he could be born into our family. Now I thought this was a very strange thing to say, especially considering the timing. As soon as Dad said "Amen", I immediately asked him why he had said that. He told me he did not remember saying it and seemed somewhat sad as if he had offended me. I knew why he did not remember saying it.......it was something he had not himself planned to say.

When I was pregnant and went to the Doctor for the ultrasound, I told the technician, I knew I was having a boy. I told him it would be my parent's first grandson. (They had 2 grandsons, but this would be their first biological grandson). Brad, the technician asked me how I knew and I just smiled. Sure enough the ultrasound proved I was carrying a son. There was no denying it ....:)

The blessing my Dad gave me was TEN years previous to this. This has been and always will be a very special experience for me.

~John Sims- "Never to be forgotten! Always to be Remembered"

"We love and miss you Dad"

A Migraine and a Scripture

If you have been following this blog closely, you will remember I posted a while back that my Dad NEVER ever had a headache. I just can't believe that. Not for one minute do I think my Dad would not tell the truth but I just cannot imagine a life without headaches.

Today I have had the nastiest migraine. I am going to go to bed and hope that tomorrow will be much better.

For now, I will share my favorite scripture, Doctrine and Covenants 14:7

"And if you keep my commandments and endure to the end, you shall have eternal life which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God"

~John Sims. "Never to be forgotten! Always to be remembered!"

"We love and miss you Dad"