January was a bleak month. Christmas was over and my attitude was in that wintery place that it always is when it’s super cold outside and I can’t wait until spring.

Right before Christmas, Dovy’s grandfather, Lloyd Mason, passed away. Sadly, he was in Alaska at the time, so things had to be arranged and it took some time. Therefore, the funeral wasn’t until a month later when the body could be shipped back down to Utah. It was hard to see Grandpa Lloyd go, but also very comforting. It was definitely his time, as his physical body has been slipping away for quite some time. The children were quite interested and we had some very good talks about death and the life that we have waiting for us after we leave this earth. Elli and Lincoln were very interested in seeing Grandpa Lloyd’s body and saying goodbye to him. It was a good opportunity for us to see most of Dovy’s family, as everyone is scattered all over and doesn’t get together as often as my family does. There were many that I hadn’t met before. We all had a get-together afterwards and had a nice visit.