So much to say...so little time...

I've had so much running through my mind the past few weeks. Lots of different thoughts to sort through, but things have been so busy, it's hard to find time to write.

As some of you already know, a little over two weeks ago we received the unfortunate news that Joseph's dad had passed away at the age of 62. The news was very unexpected and came as a complete shock to us. He suffered from type 2 diabetes and his health was declining, but we thought we would receive the news of an early retirement before we received this news of his death. He was still traveling extensively around the globe until the time of his death, this past year he taught in the U.S., Panama, Nicaragua, Malaysai, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Manila, Brazil and he was scheduled to present at an Executive Leadership Summit for Franklin Covey again in Malaysia this week. It's interesting how life's events unfold.

Things like this make us feel bad we live so far away from family. We pulled things together and waited for a storm to pass and then headed to Utah to be with family members and to participate in the funeral. Joseph feels like he was afforded many tender mercies from the Lord and has felt peace during this time. The day we arrived in Utah we took the kids to the Draper Temple open house and then after he was able to help some of his brothers dress his dad in his temple clothes in preparation for burial. Because of the circumstances of the past few years, this event held special meaning for him. The week was spent making preparations for Blaine's proper farewell and visiting with friends and family. The funeral services were done very well. I really think Blaine would have been proud of the way his children honored him. Joseph gave a life sketch and was able to capture Blaine at his best. Additional tributes were given by Blaine's brother Roland, and his son's (Joe's brothers) Ben, Josh, and Isaac. Music was a huge part of Blaine's life and also a big part of the funeral services. His children are very musical and performed heartfelt musical numbers he would have loved.

At best, I remember Blaine for....

*always liking red gummy bears

*always having really messy hair that stuck up in every direction in the morning

*mopping the floor every Saturday night when he lived in Salem

*never getting ice in his sodas

*enjoying Pavarotti

*eating grapefruit

*passing around bowls of carrot sticks and apples

*surprising Joseph and I with overnight stays at Sundance Resort, The HomeStead Resort, and Daniels Summit, complete with dinner vouchers for restaurants we could never afford, a basket full of goodies, and gourmet breakfast in the morning.

*playing the piano while all the boys sang along.

*telling stories about all of the places he had been and the people he had taught.

*always sitting under a giant shade tree at Priest Lake with his guitar, straw hat and a long sleeved shirt in the middle of summer, just so he wouldn't get a sunburn

*calling my parents at 12:30 a.m. every date night, "This is Blaine N. Lee, is my son Joseph still there?...."

*visiting us and all of our favorite places in Spokane

*his messy LandCruiser, then Outback, then Highlander, he must have used his backseat as an office, it was always full.

*the way he traveled on business, he would wear a solid colored Polo shirt with the same solid colored sweats, I always thought it was very odd

*singing and playing the piano at our wedding dinner for two hours while they waited for us to get there (pictures took a long time and then we didn't know the address for the venue, we had to stop and a 7-11 to look in a phone book, no one believes us, but that's the truth)

*being interviewed on "Good Morning America," for his book, "The Power Principle"....I was in love with his son, so I taped the interview while I was at Ricks, my roommates probably thought I was crazy

*He loved his work and he was good at what he did

*always giving us the simple advice, "Always do what you'd be glad you did."

Someone asked me a few years ago what Joe's dad was like...I think I said, "He's very smart, very talented, very muscial, and very intimidating." :) He was all those things to me, but in the last couple of years he became much less intimidating as I saw a more human side of him. He was a very complex person that in some ways I never really began to understand.

I know Joseph looked up to his dad and respected him professionally, he loved getting advice and validation from his dad about school and work. When Joseph received an offer for his current job, he was happy to share the news with his dad and was pleased with the encouragement and belief his dad had in him. It was a converation at Priest Lake between Joseph, Matthew and Blaine that ultimately led Joe to choose the path of law school. Joseph never really had a burning desire to become an attorney, but Blaine shared an article from a business journal about how many businessmen had law degrees and how it helped them to become better critical thinkers and succeed in the business world. We are so grateful for our law school experiences which shaped us and helped us grow in ways we never would have imagined.

We've lived far away for the past 6 years and really haven't seen much of him because of his travels, but this past year we were able to see him as a family in between trips and Joseph was able to sing with him at the piano with some of his brothers for what would be the last time. Those will be good memories for him to hold onto. Joseph loved his dad, even though he wasn't perfect. Since hearing the news he has had some sad moments, he has shed more tears than I have ever seen, but he feels peace and has felt some closure in his own way. Writing and reading his life sketch for the funeral was a comfort for him. He was able to draw from all of the good memories he had from his dad. I was very proud of him. He's handling it all very well.

On a funnier note...Joe's dad was honored with a 21 gun salute for his time in the ROTC and his time teaching at the Air Force Academy while he was in the Air Force. After everything at the cemetery was over, we put roses on his casket. Abby really wanted to take a rose home. She came up to me with puppy dog lips and said, "Mom, if I take a flower will the men with the guns shoot me?" It was followed by a much needed laugh. We love our Abby.