On the 10th Day before Christmas.....

On this the 10th day before Christmas I am grateful to my sister Angela when she mentioned to me at the beginning of this year that she thought we should give Scott a surprise birthday party.  I was not very interested in the idea.  I told her that I wanted to wait until Hayden got home from his mission and besides 57 is such an odd number of a birthday to celebrate.  I thought we should wait until he was turning 60.  She continued to tell me she thought we should still throw the party and that she would help me organize the affair.  I am so  thankful that I took my sister's advice for obviously I would have regretted waiting to throw him a party.

We put a party together for his birthday on Feb. 18th of this year at my mother's home.    We made it a salute to a "Great All -American Guy"with a patriotic theme for this election year.  My niece, Adle, helped me put together a DVD of Scott's life with music and subtitles.  Priceless to have now. We invited the best men from our wedding and asked them to say a few words.  It had been years since those four were together at the same time.   Several men, who were young men when Scott worked with them in Scouts and the YM organizations came to help celebrate.  We had lots of family and friends come to show support.

HeartLee put together a memory book for Scott, of all the experiences people remembered about Scott.  We have some great stories and tributes to him.  Scott so loved to read through those letters.  He even got a letter from his High School principal and Bishop as a youth, who was about 90.  It was a great celebration of his life, even though he had to come sick from the Flu shot he received at dialysis.  HeartLee got him to come in his pajama bottoms and jacket for I was already at the party.  We had to move a recliner chair for him to sit in and receive guests.  I almost called and cancelled the event when we was not well that morning.  I am glad that we proceeded with everything and that Susan Stidam was there to take pictures of the event for posterity sake.

I reflect upon how that whole birthday party seemed under  he hand of Providence and I am indebted to my sister's inspiration and help.