My Favorite Memory of Ben...

I have been trying to decide how to go about posting all our summer activities and adventures. I have been downloading all the pictures (tons of them) and trying to organize everything. I realized that I should just start at the beginning.

My first post - and the hardest - is that of the sudden and tragic death of our 15 year old nephew, Ben, in a car accident that happened the first day we got to Utah. I have been debating on whether or not to post, since it has been a really difficult thing for our family, but I decided that I wanted to take time to remember him in a way that I felt I needed.

Their family lives in Arizona, and they were on their way up to Utah to spend a couple of days with the family. They picked up a screw along the freeway, which caused them to blow a tire, flip and roll off the side of the freeway. Ben sustained head injuries which caused his death.

I remember when they used to live in Pennsylvania we had gone to their home for Thanksgiving - in 2002 - and I was helping Annette with different things to get ready for dinner, and Ben just wanted to help with everything. If he saw me doing something new, he would ask if he could help. No matter if it was cutting tomatoes, doing the dishes, or feeding Cameron (which he did, and since Cameron was such a messy eater they both ended up getting super messy - it was really cute to watch that one!) I remember that so well because I remember thinking "wow, what a great kid" - he loved just sitting and chatting with me while we worked, and he was super responsible - as were all their kids.

One thing that gave everyone - especially their family - huge measure of peace, was that they were able to do Ben's temple work within a few weeks of his death. (for more info on our Temples go to:(http://www.lds.org/temples/purpose/why/0,11581,1953-1,00.html) Awesome!

I am just super grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who gave us a way to return to live with him - with our families - forever, and for the knowledge that there is a life after death - that this life isn't the end. Having the gospel in my life has been such a blessing, and has helped me deal with so many different trials - I am forever grateful.

Ben will always be missed, but we know that we will see him again, and that even though his time here on earth was short, it made an impact on many lives - and now he is where he is needed the most. LOVE YOU BEN!!