You and I, love mom

Mom wrote this for David. Her birthday is today (Nov.9).

You and I

When first I learned I was expecting

(In those days it wasn't so planned)

I worried about attention

Should you and your siblings demand.

But once you were born and I held you

I really didn't care -

I knew you were very special

You were our baby brother to share .

Love didn't seem to be a problem

There was plenty to go around

You won everyone's heart, right from the start

You were our precious baby brother.

The thing you did the very best

From the very beginning 'till the end

Was snuggle and give the best of hugs

To one and all and especially me, your mother.

Oh, how you loved the show, Dumbo

You were the first of the video generation.

Over and over, again and again –

Casey Jr. and his circus train.

The family wishing for cessation.

Fast forward for flying pink elephants

Mom, they really are too scawe!

But will you sit by me and rock me

And sing Baby Mine was your query.

Later in life your pet “hobby”

One of many I might mention if time.

You and your Grandpa together

Continued to create and enjoy

Your very own...Casey Jr. Circus train.

And on Tuesday night in the neighborhood

The children would anxiously wait

For the signal and whistle and smoke to start

An undertaking straight from your heart.

Our birthdays are a day apart.

For me that always had meaning.

For 32 years we celebrated together

Each year recognizing each other.

This year, this week - I'm all alone,

You aren't here to share.

The cake, the gifts, the memories

That as family we hold dear.

Today, I sit here at your side, under a sky of blue,

With majestic mountains reaching up and fountains tinkling true.

And I remember now, the thing

That as parents we've always known.

Though we tend to resist the knowledge

A knowledge that shows we've grown.

The simple fact that you were not mine to keep

But rather a wonderful loan....

It's been a long year, but now I feel

That wisdom has come with time.

I'm finally able to say “Thank you, God,

For letting him be mine.”

For the privilege of being his mother on earth.

For the lessons he taught me as well

For the example of learning, service and work

For the near perfect son to tell.

You were always so special to all of us

To your siblings, cousins, and friends

To grand-parents, teachers and neighbors

The list doesn't seem to end.

But to all of us the thing we'll remember

Is how you liked “us” best

And wanted to spend as much time with each

Never seeming to need a rest.

I wonder at times if perhaps you knew

That your time on this earth was short.

And that you had to make the best use of it

There were so many things to be learned -

To experience and to have and to hold

An eternal partner and wife.

Then a son and a daughter of your own

It seemed you had the perfect life.

But then it ended in tragedy

Leaving the rest of us to grieve,

And so now we hold on to the legacy

Heavenly Father allowed you to leave.

Happy Birthday, from Liz

Happy Birthday Brother!

What a special day for us to celebrate! We miss you so much, and over the coming years we will miss you more and more. But many of us have felt you very near and we are so grateful for that.

Today is your day! It's my opportunity for me to tell you how much I love you and what I've learned since you left us on this physical earth. It's a hard thing to write and put into words, but I'll try.

I remember the week of your death, I kept asking myself “how will the atonement help me through this? How do I apply it to this situation?” I've been taught all my life how the atonement can help us in all things including grief and comfort– but until that time, I didn't know how.

I decided the place to start looking for answers was in the scriptures. I started in the middle of January with a goal to read the Book of Mormon in 40 days. By committing myself to 40–60 minutes a day of reading I was able to finish it in time. When I was done with that I didn't want to stop, so I set a new goal – to read the entire standard works before your next birthday. The Doctrine and Covenants was next, followed by the Old Testament and lastly came the New Testament. I didn't need a full hour every day, and some days got missed. But I was able to finish it all by the end of August.

Not only did I finish all that (and ahead of schedule), I also read Jesus The Christ, The Miracle of Forgiveness, and about 6 other books related to understanding the scriptures, the atonement, and the temple. To help me apply what I was learning I also went to the temple as often as possible.

What a wonderful period of time that was for me – I learned so much! One of the ways I was able to do this was that I was willing to ask specific questions as I studied. I had a journal/notebook I wrote in almost daily. Sometimes I would write a summary of what I read, sometimes it was a question I had about what I was reading what I wanted to learn more about. Sometimes it was my testimony and how it was being strengthened. And sometimes it was words of gratitude for the blessings in my life.

The day I finished the Book of Mormon, I wrote down some things I had learned about “Death and the Atonement”that I'd like to share:

• Life is eternal
• John 11:25-26: I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believeth in me shall never die.
• The Savior can heal, comfort, and strengthen those who weep for lost loved ones.
• The Algebra of Affliction: Things dont always “add up” because we don't have all the numbers.
• The Lords timing
• Proverbs 3:5: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart.
• He knows ALL our pains as individuals. Just as he visited with the Nephites one by one, he knows us the same way.
• When we reach for him, he reaches back. Our pains are in the nail prints.
• Because of the atonement, death is not an end or a tragedy. It is a beginning of a new journey. If we can draw close to the savior He is our constant companion who experienced our pain.

This was just the tip of the iceberg for me. A few pages later, I wrote the following: “Why is the story of The Creation and The Fall used in the temple ceremony? What am I to learn from it in relation to the covenants we make?” Although this isn't a direct question about the atonement, I felt I needed an answer. I won't tell you here what answers came to be, but I will say they came. Almost too fast to process. I took more notes in my journal and eagerly attended the temple several more times to solidify what I was learning over the coming months.

As I came to understand more and more about the temple, the plan of salvation, forgiveness, and service – that's when the atonement started to click for me. It's all related, and it's all in the gospel.

If anyone reading this wants to know the answers to my questions, I encourage them to go on their own journey of investigation. Write down your questions and earnestly seek to find the answers where ever they may be. The Lord will answer them for you.

But to my David – thank you! I have felt you guiding me to increase my understanding of the scriptures so that I can then strengthen my testimony. If there was one thing you would want from me for your birthday, it would be to come closer to the Savior so that when my time comes to find you in heaven, we can go together to learn even more about what is to come. I love you so much and am happy to be your sister.

Love, Liz  

Virtues

"It is good to look upon the virtues of those who have gone before to gain strength for what lies ahead." - President Gordon B. Hinckley

Get ready to be amazed!

Last February we launched this blog. At that time we invited anyone and everyone who loved David to do an act of service or personal improvement goal in honor of David. Our hope is that we would all recognize that we are better people because of him and find a way to "pay it forward". If you participated in this event and would like to tell us about your experiences, please send your written story to us. You can email it to either Laura (laura.whipple@gmail.com) or Liz (ekirkby@kirkby.org). Attach any pictures that you'd like us to include and we will post it for you on the blog. 

Check our blog often during the next 6 weeks for regular updates. We hope to have a daily post for 30 days to share with everyone. One of the reasons behind our timing of this event is to help Cris, Jimae, Bruce, and others get through the difficult time of the holidays, Dave's birthday, and the anniversary of his death. So please help support us and send us something over the next 6 weeks. You can send it as early as today or as late as needed. 

Also, if you have any memories, stories, or pictures you'd like to write down you can send those to us too. Julia Davis is compiling a book of our memories and we will pass them on to her and also share them on the blog if you'd like. 

Upon the Rock of our Redeemer

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the^arock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your ^bfoundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty ^cstorm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

Heleman 5:12

Happy Halloween! :D

About a year ago we were at the family Halloween party with David. David and I were both hippies, and we took a picture together.
That same night, David,Christina, Rick, Cindy, Alex, Lexi, Spencer, and I went to a haunted house. We had so much fun together. :) Earlier David had painted his teeth black, so in the haunted house picture he made a funny pose with his teeth. :) I'm so glad I have this pictures, because they are the last pictures I have with him.
Anyway, missing you David, thanks for the fun memories!!!

Love, Alyssa 

Beam Me Up

Ten months today David, "just beam us up!"