I am so glad to have a recent family photo.... this was taken the morning before my mother funeral, but it is the first picture we have taken of all of us together in a long long time....

Nama Obituary - July 8, 2009

Kristine "Nama" Anderson Johnston 1951~2009 Our cherished wife, mother, sister, and grandmother passed away peacefully at her home in Elk Ridge, UT on July 8, 2009 at the age of 58 after battling cancer. Kris was born April 2, 1951 in Springville, UT and was the third of seven children born to Mays and Orpha Anderson. She is remembered by her siblings as being a spunky and humorous child. Kris graduated from Springville High School in 1969 and soon thereafter attended BYU where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Education. While pursuing her education, she met Steven C. Johnston and after a quick courtship they were married in the SLC Temple on November 16, 1973. They enjoyed nearly 36 years of marriage together. During this time she was able to serve in many church capacities living in various locations, including twice overseas, and serve an LDS humanitarian mission, along with her husband, to the Romania Bucharest mission. All of these, plus many other experiences, blessed her with an increased amount of faith and understanding of Heavenly Father's plan for His children. Kris will always be remembered for her compassion, acts of service, love for her family and those around her, and faith in her Savior Jesus Christ. Kris was survived by her husband Steve, her five children: Matt (Monica) Johnston, Amy (Neil) Andersen, Laurie (Kevin) Wilson, Dana (Mark) Purcell, and Katie (Jeremy) Bailey, several grandchildren, along with her brothers and sisters. She is preceded in death by her parents Mays and Orpha Anderson, and her granddaughter Lindsey Kate Johnston.

Tribute video

This video was done by a sister missionary that served with my parents in Romania. She made it as a tribute to my mom and I wanted to share it. She loved the people in Romania and loved the missionaries she served with and they loved her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S8IxmTKcjA

Saying Goodbye is hard

This is going to be the hardest post I have ever had to write... so far.... It has been over two months since I have gotten some news that has changed my life forever. I have hesitated to make this information public because I still have not been able to wrap my mind around it. It is something that is very personal to me and very emotional. I guess I have struggled because I do not even know how to say it... or what to say... About two months ago my parents received a wonderful mission call to serve the Lord on a 18 month mission to Finland. A week after receiving the call, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. At first this did not scare me. People beat cancer all the time... right? Life was going to change, but we would work through it. I had the faith that the Lord was going to heal her. She wanted to serve him here on Earth as a missionary so why would he take her now? Very quickly my mom started tests and within a few days they came back that she was already in stage 4 with melanoma cancer. The cancer was so aggressive that it was quickly overtaking her and she only had a few short months left. My mom, my best friend.... I was going to loose her. I am too young to loose my mom. I am a young mom myself and the thought of loosing her has been too hard to take. My mom has been a wonderful strength to me. She has always remained faithful and strong. Even now, as she faces leaving this earth to return home, her faith has never wavered. I am so grateful for the Gospel and for the knowledge that families are forever. Without that knowledge I do not know if I could go through this trial. It as been just over two months since we received the news and we do not have as much time left as I would like. I want to cherish every word she says and every moment we have. I am grateful the Lord has given me and my family some time to say the goodbyes and ask all the the questions. Despite this trial, I am grateful for the growth I have experienced. My love and appreciation for the Gospel has grown.

time to catch up... this might take a while

Life has been crazy and it is not letting up, so my blog has been put to the side for a while. I am going to try to catch up!! promise! it may take a while, but here i go...