Pine Valley 2005 - Joshua's Last Family Reunion

Pine Valley 2005

Joshua's Last Family Reunion



Joshua's face of pure joy enjoying time watching slides with family!

On July 21, 2014 we will hold our 10th Annual Larson Family Reunion in Pine Valley, Utah.  This will always be a sacred, sweet and beautiful place as it was the last time many of my family members would see Joshua alive. 

We had such sweet times at the 1st Annual Pine Valley Larson Family Reunion held in August 2005.  Many of the family camped in tents, but several rented a room at the lodge.  I was so thankful I had rented this cute room at the lodge with my kids to enjoy this time.  This room also had a large hallway where we watched slides at night.  This has been a favorite family tradition for years, and we love to be with my parents, with my dad choosing slides and reminiscing about favorite family moments. 

As shown in the picture above, Joshua LOVED watching slides with family.  He loved his family and loved seeing them on the big slide screen.  He laughed at funny and non-funny pictures, and he was definitely filled with pure joy!

Joshua did seem to move a little slower during that reunion.  But then again, as I thought several times, he was 22 years old, 6'1" and could actually be calming down!  His seizures and medications had also taken quite a toll on his body, and it was easy to attribute his slower step to all he had been through.

We camped, we played at the river, we ate, we took drives, we played volleyball and we just enjoyed being together.  The grandkids and some adults jumped off the metal bridge into the icy cold river water.  Joshua threw lots and lots and lots of rocks at the river.  We had to scurry into our cars during a severe thunderstorm, and our special friend Brad, got wet in his tent!  And Joshua did his usual wandering around, greeting everyone  he passed with high fives, hugs and handshakes.  We all got plenty of those during our time together.  And we loved every single one!

And one especially memorable moment came when Joshua and I were alone as we sat on a steep slope above the river throwing rocks and just enjoying being together.  He suddenly had a grand mal seizure, and it took all of my energy to keep him from sliding down the hill into the icy cold river as he thrashed and showed his aggression.  My brothers, Glenn and Mark, came soon after, and we got him through it, cheered him up, and once again, all was well.

We just didn't know that it was a final goodbye for those family members who lived out of town.  I am so thankful for this final sweet, precious and beautiful time we all had with my Joshua boy.   Especially since he was so full of joy at being with his wonderful family who loved him with all of their hearts!

Every year, and other times when we are playing at a river, we throw rocks for Joshua, and say:

 

We love you Joshua!

Joshua & Uncle Mark - Favorite Math Picture

Joshua & Uncle Mark

For over 8 years now, we have looked at this picture of Joshua "communicating" with his awesome Uncle Mark and said that it really does look like they are talking about something deep, specifically mathematics!  Since his language was lower than a 2-year old, this always made us smile.  He really does look like he has something to stay.  Here are a few MEMEs I have made up for this picture.

Which is your favorite math quote?

"I Will Run This Race"

"I Will Run This Race"

July 8, 2014

Here's one of my new favorite running songs sung by Kristene Mueller.  The words say so much about my life with Joshua.  The love reminds me of the love of our Savior for Joshua, for me, and for all of us, and how hard our race in life can be.  

When I made the Savior's love for Joshua part of every day life, caring for Joshua no longer became a burden, but became an honor and a joy.  Joshua really was a "runner" his whole life!  And he escaped whenever and wherever he could.  That kept me running too!  :)  So now that he is gone, I run, and it is hard, but I do it in memory of  myJoshua and to keep strong in the race of life.

Thinking of Joshua and how hard his life could be for him, compels me to try harder each minute, and each day. Our journey together really was a good fight of faith, so worth fighting for, and completely captured my heart.

"Homeward Bound"

 I will run, I will run this race,

And I will do it all for love.

Your love compels me forward,

Your love controls my heart,

And I just can't, I cannot get away.

So I will fight this good fight of faith,

And I will do

it all for love.
You are my great reward,
You're so worth fighting for
And I can't wait to see Your face.

So I will run, I will run this race,
And I will do it all for love.
Your love compels me forward,
Your love controls my heart,
And I just can't, I cannot get away.

So I will fight this good fight of faith,
And I will do it all for love.
You are my great reward,
You're so worth fighting for
And I can't wait to see Your face,
And I can't wait to see Your face.

Hallelujah

Joshua's Incredible Throwing Arm #6 - Memories in the Road

Joshua's Incredible Throwing Arm #6

Memories in the Road

Journal Entry - 2006

Joshua throwing things down the slide in the playhouse built by Uncle Glenn!

From a very young age throwing rocks in
the river made him happy!

Yesterday, my brother Glenn called to tell me that he had just thought about my son Joshua.  As he was driving down a road to his work he saw a loaf of bread in the road.  He immediately thought about Joshua, and the many items he had thrown out the car window in his 22 years of life.  A few seconds later, Glenn passed a second loaf of bread in the middle of the road.  As he said in an e-mail later describing this, he said that Joshua must have a “spiritual twin” out there. 

As I have thought about these two loaves of bread over the past day, I think, with a smile of memory on my face, of such items thrown out car windows, into rivers, over fences and down hills, etc., such as a McDonald’s cheeseburger, with only one or two bites taken out of it, a Barney Videotape, a McDonalds bag of food, more videotapes, undetermined amounts of loose change, paper, mustard,  lawn chairs, remote controls, garage door openers, basketballs, pumpkins, baseballs, etc., etc., etc.  I’m sure if I continued to think even a few more minutes, the list would grow by a lot.  Each of those items has their own special memory, as we have learned to laugh and realize that the items were not really that important, only that Joshua continued to feel our love and acceptance.



Our actual garage door opener
hidden under the seat because
Joshua threw it so many times!

One of many Joshua baseballs -
most of them did not stay around very long!

Joshua's Incredible Throwing Arm #5 - Friends at Target

Joshua's Incredible Throwing Arm #5

Friends at Target

April 7, 2005 – Letter to Jeremy

(while on his mission in New Zealand)

Throwing just made him happy!

One day Joshua and I went to Target and he was his typical self – friendly, stubborn and difficult.  But during the course of our shopping, Joshua threw his video tape behind a counter, and we were not able to find it, and eventually I had to leave without the video tape, which was very hard on Joshua.   A few hours after returning home, my friend, Heidi Dixon, came to the door and handed me the very same video tape we had lost earlier that day in Target.  Heidi had gone to Target after we had left Target and when she was in the checkout line, she saw Joshua’s video tape sitting at the cash register, and because I had Joshua’s video tapes marked with his name on it, she had told the cashier that she would take it because she knew who it belonged to.  I always thought that was amazing that a friend of ours would go through the checkout line at just the right time when his video tape was there, and then hand deliver it personally to us.  With some video tapes broken and lost, this was always a blessing to have a video tape returned and in one piece!

Joshua's Incredible Throwing Arm #4 - My First License Plate

Joshua's Incredible Throwing Arm #4

My First License Plate

April 14, 2005 – Letter to Jeremy

(while on his mission in New Zealand)

 

 

I was hoping for 7 letters so it could read “Where’s Selma” better, but I would have to give up my handicapped sticker to get that.  So I stuck with the 5 letters since Joshua was constantly throwing the hanging handicapped sticker out.  I’ll send you a picture of the car and license plate info. soon – it looks great!!

Joshua's Incredible Throwing Arm #3 - The Barney Tape

Joshua's Incredible Throwing Arm #3

The Barney Tape

April 9, 2005 – Letter to Jeremy

(while on his mission in New Zealand)

One of Joshua's numerous video tapes!

Jamie and I had a typical Joshua experience this week.  We were driving down Center Street in Provo.  Joshua was in the front seat holding his Barney video tape, and Jamie was in the middle seat of the van.  Well she rolled down her window for just a moment to get some air, and that’s all it took – out flew the Barney tape!!  Jamie said the expression on the guy’s face next to us was one of shock and confusion.  And then of course the tape was immediately run over by the next car, and completely destroyed.  And then poor Joshua is wondering why we can’t get his tape back!!!  I thought about picking up the pieces, but then realized that if I stopped the car and tried to do that, Joshua would throw something else out the car, and we would be in a vicious cycle.  So Jamie and I have just had to laugh about it.  Jamie said that it was an “irritating Barney tape anyway.”

Joshua's Incredible Throwing Arm #2 - His 22nd Birthday!

Joshua's Incredible Throwing Arm #2
His 22nd Birthday

January 27, 2005 – Letter to Jeremy

(while on his mission in New Zealand)

Bowling Pins given to Joshua for one of his birthdays!

 

Joshua had a fun 22^nd birthday!!  I’ve been practicing say “22” with him all month, and he does it really well, and is very cute about it.  We went bowling on his birthday and he had a great time, and then of course we went and got McDonalds.  Jacob and Janson are funny, because anytime Joshua wouldn’t go up and take his turn, they had figured out that Jacob could take the first roll, and Janson the second.  So this worked great until Janson rolled a STRIKE for Joshua!!!  I think he was wishing it was for his score, but he was a good sport about it.  One hard moment came when Jacob was playing skee-ball, with those heavy, hard balls.  And somehow Joshua got a hold of one and threw it (surprise, surprise), but it hit Jacob right above the eye.  He immediately fell to the floor and was really hurting.  He was dizzy and faint, and had to lay there a while.  It was hard though because there was still about 7 of those balls left, and Joshua was still ready to throw some more, so I had to hurry and roll them down the lane, while telling Jacob I would be right there, because I couldn’t have him get hit again.  Joshua certainly provides us with memorable experiences!!  Jacob ended up being okay, but his head does hurt.


[We did not know this was Joshua's last birthday -- sweet and typical memories of our wonderful days with Joshua.]

Joshua's Incredible Throwing Arm - Daily Donuts

Joshua's Incredible Throwing Arm
Daily Donuts
 

There was something about throwing things that made Joshua incredibly happy.  There were daily experiences and too many stories to share, but I will try to share a few!

 

January 22, 2005 – Letter to Jeremy

(while on his mission in New Zealand)

A classic moment every day -- throwing his t-shirt!

Actually we had kind of a comical experience this morning.  I had Jamie, Janson and Joshua in the car and we were going through the drive-thru at Daily Donuts because Janson had the treats for basketball.  Well, Jamie and Janson couldn’t decide which kind of donuts to choose, and because my window was already down – of course Joshua threw a couple of things (a water bottle and mini football) out the window.  The cashier was just smiling and trying not to look too shocked.  I was able to get the water bottle, but we couldn’t find the football (all while trying not to have him throw anything else), and then of course he gets agitated and aggressive.  And then I noticed the gentleman that was waiting in line behind finally back his truck up, park and walk in.  I think he was tired of the “fiasco” going on in front of him – probably confused too.  Thankfully, we finally got our donuts and went on our way. 

License Plate Fun

License Plate Fun

He would drop a plate, break it, and if you saw him, he would say “Wa hapn” with a look of innocence

that he really didn’t know and he wanted you to tell him.

My youngest brother, "The Uncle Mark" started the legacy of personalized license plates with his first license plate.  Joshua could not talk very well, but we all loved hearing his special phrases.  One of the most popular was "Wa hapn".  The translation of this was "What happened."  As my brother Mark said in his funeral talk "He would drop a plate, break it, and if you saw him, he would say “Wa hapn” with a look of innocence that he really didn’t know and he wanted you to tell him. 


Of course my very favorite phrase was "Where Selma."  To hear this phrase countless times a day brought joy and fun into my life!  Joshua used it appropriately while he was at school, while I was at work, etc.  But he also would ask family and friends "Where Selma" the second I walked out the door.  He would ask strangers in the store when I was standing right beside him.  He just needed to know where I was.  And I loved this so much!  See an earlier post at: http://joshuasheartfullofhugs.blogspot.com/2014/03/wheres-selma-my-favorite-phrase.html


 After Joshua died, I gave my brother, Glenn, and his wife, Debbie, their own plates because they loved Joshua so much, were his caregivers the last year, and they also really loved the way Joshua pronounced their names.  To make it even funner, when Joshua attended Pleasant Grove High School, Glenn was a teacher there.  And Joshua's daily routine walk to the bus after school was to walk by Glenn's truck.  He had to see that truck every day!  So when Glenn bought a new truck, he immediately drove it to our house so that Joshua could see his new truck.  Of course Joshua just wanted a ride, looked at Glenn, and said "ride please" in his sweet Joshua way.

And Joshua loved Debeeeeee, and that is how he called her name.  He also had no concept that Debbie was about one foot shorter than him.  He knew Debbie loved him, and he would give Debbie his big Joshua hugs and even climb on her back!!  Thank you Debeeee!!!







And then my sister Vickie, surprised me by giving me her "Wa Hapn" California license plate for my Joshua keepsakes.  I love all of these plates.  There are more from Vickie, and a wall collage from Mark.  I will find those and post them too!  It was such a wonderful blessing to have a family that loved Joshua, and knew how to bring happiness, laughter and joy into his life.