Memories

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of ups and downs, crazy emotions, grieving, crying, laughing, and remembering. I do this mostly for myself, but I want to record some of my favorite Linda memories and share some of my favorite Linda pictures to remember my hilarious, fun-loving, best-aunt-ever, aunt.

It was an honor for me to be able to give Linda's life sketch at her funeral on Friday. That was a perfect opportunity for me to gather some of my thoughts and write them out. This is a format for me to preserve them. How about a narration of photos and some thoughts/fun stories (numbered) about Linda from the life sketch? Okay. Sounds good to me. Read on if you wish.

{Aren't we so glad we got these pictures at Christmas time? YES! It was a hassle and everyone was kinda ornery about it, but we had not had family pictures for probably 20 years. And now look--definitely glad to have these! Linda and her sweet family- Brad, Carter, Ryen, and Jack. Baby Charlie was in the womb.}
{All the sisters, plus Grandma and Doyle. They are a funny bunch. Sue, Linda, Mari Ann, and Lisa} {All of the siblings at Charlie's funeral four years ago. Too much loss in our family? Yes. Steve, second from the left, also passed away about a a year ago. Craig, Steve, David, Linda, Susan, Charlie in the photo, Lisa, Lynn, and Mari Ann. Now down too six. So sad.}

1)Linda was adopted when she was two days old by my grandparents and became the 9th child in the family. Linda’s arrival into the family was a surprise- her parents told the other 8 children that they were going to go away for a few days and that when they returned, they would be bringing home something special for them. Upon their arrival home, some of the siblings remember running down the stairs to see what the surprise was- it was a baby! Linda could not have been a better surprise and she quickly became the favorite sibling. Linda was sealed to her family for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake City Temple when she was three years old. Linda was a miracle and truly made our family complete.
{Christmas is a favorite holiday- though you would never know it from Linda's face. Apparently she also refused to wear the top part of her matching jammies with us. I'll forgive. It's classic in our family to give really awesome gifts at Christmas time and Linda was the QUEEN of it.}
{On our trip to Nauvoo in 2005, Brad sat in some sap. Being the good wife that she is, Linda volunteered to get it off right then and there and this picture was born. It's a favorite.}

2) Linda loved to dress up for Halloween as a child and teenager and convinced her friends to so do for many years beyond when is normally considered acceptable. They also would “get stuck” or “run out of gas” often so that they could be “rescued” by boys.
As a teenager, one of her more famous stories happened when she “borrowed” quite a number of political signs from people’s yards (of course just the ones she didn’t believe should win) and was caught, causing her to take a little trip to the police station. My grandma refused to come get her, thinking it would teach her a lesson.

{Witchapalooza at Gardner Village has become an annual family event.}
{Neil Diamond concert. ohhhh yes...all the best stories happen at Neil Diamond concerts. Read on and you will see.}

3) Linda was the “favorite aunt” and made sure to keep her status by inviting myself, my sister Jennifer, and our cousins Cortney and Che’ Lyn for a visit one summer when we were between the ages of 10 and 14. We entertained ourselves at her house while Linda would work during the day. Let’s just say that she was a trusting woman! We fried our brains on a constant diet of talk shows, ate all her food (including a massive 5 lb. brick of cheese), and walked all over town with huge ratted hair and mis- matched outfits. Let’s be honest, Linda was lucky to come home to a house still standing.

One day, someone threw a burning napkin (don’t ask me why we had a burning napkin) into a trash can, which then of course also lit on fire. It was then thrown out into the backyard and hosed down, but it became a pretty large flame before it was under control. Cortney also ran right into her screen door one day, breaking it. Linda had no idea (although she probably suspected) the fiascos that were occurring at her house while she worked. When she returned home, we put on our prettiest smiles and cleaned up really nice to ensure her that all was well. Lucky for us, we pulled off the act well, as we were invited again the next few summers. One of the summers, she took a day off of work to take us all to Lagoon and then to a Savage Garden concert. You can see why she was the favorite aunt! Oh and by the way, lest you think us unkind house guests, we did walk to the dollar store and buy Linda things like cheap lotion and bags of potpourri as thank you gifts. Very kind of us, I know.

{Family birthday party at Maddux on Brigham City. Linda was pregnant with Jack at the time and I was pregnant with Hallie. This is also when the famous van sticker appeared on her car. You know those family stickers? Linda hated them, so Sue put one on her car as a joke. Don't worry, it has stayed there ever since. She really came to love the van sticker afterall.}

4) One summer during our stay, we started to hear about a “special friend” named Brad. They had met in the cart aisle at Smith’s, despite being from the same hometown in Idaho. At first they claimed it was a business relationship because they would carpool home to Idaho sometimes. One summer during our annual visit, we spent each night going over to Brad’s neighborhood to drop off candy bars, cards, and notes on his car. (By the way, this continued into their marriage. Linda would drive around the parking lot of the school looking for Brad’s car so that she could leave him a surprise.) During our summer visits, she continued to claim that they were “just friends” but we were smart enough to figure out that it was a bit more than that. Near this time, she went on a trip to Israel with my mom and grandma. My mom’s main memory from the trip is that Linda was “over the moon” for Brad and that she missed him so much and couldn’t wait to get home to see him. Linda and Brad were married on May 15, 1999 in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple. Theirs was a special relationship. Their pet names for each other were “husband” and “wife” and it was always evident that they have such a great love for one another.

{One of the last times I saw Linda. At the baby blessings of Jace and Hudson. This is her with Brad and Jack.}

{Also a classic picture. In between the wedding and dinner at my mom's wedding. Everyone was starving and it was a good thing Sue had a lot of quarters! We sure bought out the vending machines.}

5) Brad and Linda loved to tease each other. Brad knew that Linda hated the texture and feel of cotton balls, so he would stick them under the door handle of her car on occasion. When she would go to get into the car, she would be surprised to find them there. She even refused to take them out with her hands, but would remove them with her keys.
Brad loved Linda so much that he named one of his prized cows after her- Lady Linda. He would also help Linda with her great affection for Rabbit Poop Ice- the little pellet ice- by driving across town to Arctic Circle to get it, then when they moved to the other side of town, by driving back to the other side to Sonic, which was her new preference. He would also buy large bags full for her and keep them in the freezer for during her pregnancies.

{On our visit to see Linda 2 weeks after Jace was born. This is the only picture I have of her and Jace, but it's perfect. I love it.}
{I was so sad that the quality of these pictures is so low. But, oh well, we have it. The group of us when Che' and I went to see Linda and Mari Ann at her house after the boys were born.}

6) More than anything, Linda was always kind and thoughtful. I remember getting emails from her when I was in high school, just to check in and to see how my dates were going, how school was going, etc. My parents often traveled for my dad’s job and were usually gone on my birthday. One year, Linda was babysitting us while they were gone and threw me a huge birthday party, decorated my room with balloons and candy, and made sure I had a really special day in the absence of my parents. I know she put so much thought and effort into it, and to this day, it is the birthday I remember most because of how she made me feel.

Linda would often text members of the family just to check in. She was faithful about sending funny birthday and graduation cards and some members of our family even received cards from her postmarked the day before she passed away. In our family, we love to color and it is tradition that when you color a page, you write your name and age. My best birthday card came from her a few years ago, Linda sent me a card in the form of a coloring page that she had printed from online and colored. It said “Happy birthday” then in the corner, she had written, “by Linda, age 36.” I definitely saved that one in my scrapbook.

Linda hated to see other people struggle or suffer in any way. I remember she had such concern over a co-worker’s son who had a brain tumor and then later had the same concern for my sister Jennifer’s husband Chris when he also battled a brain tumor. Linda had a soft heart and wanted to help in any way that she could. Even recently, she told me how difficult it had been for her to watch Chris suffer in the way that he did.

{Linda and I at Witchapalooza. She was always trying to get away from the camera- she hated it- so I am sure that is what she is doing here. That stink.}
{Enjoying the show with Che' and Carlie. Carlie's face is pretty great if I do say so myself.}

7) I can’t talk about Linda without mentioning her sense of humor and her quick wit. Linda is one of the most hilarious people I have ever known. One classic story happened at a Neil Diamond concert. The four sisters, including Linda, have been Neil Diamond’s biggest fans for many years. One year, we surprised each of them with tickets to go to his concert in SLC. Upon arrival, the sisters were cornered by a newscaster from FOX News. He asked what their favorite Neil songs are and while Susan and Linda respond, then my mom takes over while Linda is clearly mortified and is attempting to hide her face in the corner of the screen. She always claimed to be a “closet” Neil Diamond fan (though she was actually die-hard like the rest) and certainly did not want anyone seeing her on the news at the concert. Little did they know their brother Lynn was home that night and happened to be watching the news when the face of his sisters popped up on the screen singing a few off-key renditions of Neil Diamond songs. Somehow, one of Linda’s co-workers got a hold of the clip as well and started playing it one day while Linda was going about her work. She banned all copies of the clip from then on out, but don’t worry, it still exists. (haha, I have it HERE on my blog in fact)

{Apparently my spacing is no good. You'll have to forgive me, I'm too tired to go fix it.}

8) A few years later, there was another Neil Diamond concert, and this time the nieces were invited. We had a great time, complete with homemade t-shirts, glo-sticks, the whole bit. At one point, during the serious song, “You don’t bring me Flowers”, the audience was really feeling it and the arena became silent. Neil sang the line, “You don’t bring me flowers anymore…” when from the complete silence, we heard a voice shout, “I WILL NEIL!”We all looked down the row, shocked to find that the yell had come from none other than our own Linda.

9) One of Linda’s favorite stories occurred after that same concert. It was getting late into the night at our hotel room and everyone was having a hard time winding down. For some reason, the discussion turned to the state quarters that some people collect. Linda said, “Some people come into the credit union (where she worked) and pay three dollars for one of those quarters! It is just the stupidest thing! It’s only worth a quarter!” After a second of silence, Susan piped up, “Well, I order mine online and pay $17.50 per quarter!” Linda looked at her for a split second in disbelief and then started laughing so hard she began to cry. And cry. And cry. From then on, all we had to do was mention the Quarter Story at any given point, and Linda would again be reduced to tears of laughter. On our recent trip to Wicked, we discussed the quarter story and even though it has been years, the effect was the same on Linda.

10) The most important thing to Linda was her family- her husband and children. At her funeral I shared some quotes from her blog and her journal about each of her children that I won't share here since they are not mine to publicize. Just know that she loved each of them immensely- they were her world. She was an amazing mom who went all out on birthdays and holidays to make her kids feel special. She is one of a kind, that's for sure.

{Here is beautiful Charlie. Linda went through so much in her pregnancy to get Charlie here. She is one sweet little girl. She can still use your prayers if you would like to offer some up for her. She is off the oxygen now and breathing completely on her own, so yay for that, but there are still some challenges ahead. One thing is for sure- we love her and I know she will be such a blessing to our family. She is such a tangible reminder of her mom. What a beauty.}

Words escape me to describe the loss that I feel. Linda influenced and shaped my life a lot and her death has left such a vacancy in my life. I look forward to the day when we can be reunited. Until then, I love you Linda.