Happy Birthday T

I'm crashing Di's blog again for any of our good friends, I just wanted to share a couple of feelings from this past week. I spent the week up at Aaron's camp. 19 years ago T and I were in the same district together and stayed in the same little tent and talked each night away. Just like on campouts and in our back yards from our whole lives. Matt, Nelson, Jarom, and other good friends were up there that week. I rarely sit under a starlit sky and not think about those times and how lucky I was to have such great friends growing up. Travis loved Aaron's camp and it has to have been the most special week I ever spent with him. We truly came to know our Savior for the first time there and we felt and recognized the spirit so strongly that neither of us could deny it and we talked about for the rest of his life.

All week up there with boys with their best friends was both heart warming and heart breaking for me. Especially on testimony night when they were all talking about how grateful they were that their best friends that they had grown up with their whole lives were there. I cried through the whole thing and missed him terribly. This whole year has been harder than I ever imagined it would be. I have learned some important lessons though.

1. The soul is eternal and those we love never really leave us.
2. Father in heaven sends angels on both sides of the veil to guide us and help us.
3. Friends should never be neglected or taken for granted.
4. None of us can ever completely make it on our own, Families and dear Friends are part of the Plan of Happiness.
5. Just because you can't see your friends some times it doesn't mean they aren't praying for you, encouraging others to help you, or standing right next to you encouraging you to go on and never give up.

The marathon was probably one of the greatest experiences of my life. Travis and I had talked about it so many times. As I ran I prayed to God and asked for Travis to help me too. I felt Travis' encouragement so much like in so many other times when we were doing things together or when he was supporting me. I could always count on him then and now. He would always talk me into doing things I didn't have the courage to do or any sane person just wouldn't have come into their mind in the first place. I had been running pretty hard the first half and had already run much faster than I had planned. I thought at that time, a little over half way, that if he would help me through it I would run as hard as I could the whole rest of the way. I was even crazy enough to think I could catch the 3:30 pace team. I figured this was the only time I would ever run a marathon so I was going to give it everything, I did finally catch them in the canyon but couldn't hang with them. I was in agony, I wanted to stop, but I kept hearing his voice in my head, "Don't give up, KICK SOME BUTT"! At the end of the race I felt like a lump in Diana's arms and just cried wishing Travis was right there to celebrate and regretting that we hadn't done it and at the same time so happy because I had felt him so close through the whole thing. The whole rest of that weekend I kept thinking through our stake conference I am only going to have one shot at this life I need to give it all I have every day. Some days go better than others, but I often feel my friend encouraging me and giving me courage to go forward. I am grateful for the tender mercies of God that he allows us moments of help through the spirit when we need it most.

Tonight at his grave I had some time to quietly think and consider the Plan, that Families are eternal. I came home and watched Toy Story 3, it is kind of emotional torture because it brings up so many feelings. The last part where Andy talks about Woody always being there for you and being the best friend you could ever have and then at the end when Andy is driving away and Woody says, " So long partner", makes me cry every time. McKenna is always sweet and comes to hold my hand. Cooper, McKenna, and Ellie now call themselves the Three Muskateers. T used to always call Matt, he and me the Three Muskateers. I'm glad the legend lives on. Travis I love and miss you more than I can express. Thank you for always being there for me then and now. Happy Birthday Bro. Love Ya, Kent