Remembering Peter: Locket

Zach's mom and dad gave me a locket for Christmas. It is a small, silver and glass locket with a minimalist look to it.

I love it! I finally put something in it (a lot harder than you might think). It is difficult to find a picture with a face small enough to fit, but I had one that I had been saving for this very occasion. I bought a circle cutter to make the picture look as nice as possible and fit perfectly in the locket.

The plan: Lucy and Peter on one side, Zach on the other

I love all the options possible with this locket! You can change the look of it so quickly and find so many different treasures to put inside it!




Lucy loves looking at it and always tells me how "pretty" it is. I love having pictures of the three people I love most right at my fingertips and close to my heart. Having pictures of Peter around makes me so happy and it always fills my heart with love and joy whenever I see his little face.

Lockets are a great way to remember someone you love.

Most lockets are nice for hiding whatever is inside, but this glass locket celebrates what you hold close to your heart by showing the world.


Here are a few other lockets I found that I love, if you are in the market lockets are excellent Valentine's gifts!




Here is a beautiful blue enamel locket. $26 here.




Or you can go the more traditional route with a pretty coral pink enamel. $26 here.
(Many other beautiful color choice at the website. I love the black, too!)




Go literal with this awesome anatomically correct heart locket. $42 here.
(Am I the only one who loves this kind of thing?)



A romantic love letter locket. $28.50 here.




Triple the love with these mini pastel-hued beauties. I love this for pictures of three different people. $28 here.




For the lady that likes to sparkle. $38 here.




Make her wishes come true with this music wish locket. $39 here.


 

Cute fortune cookie locket (comes with personalized fourtune!). $117 here.




I am so into bees right now, and this is simple and beautiful. A great gift for a mother in your life. $21 here.




Plaid locket with lots of charm. $34 here.




Acorn vial perfect for secrets or love notes. $36 here.




Lock and key Victorian lace bamboo wood locket. Gorg! $34 here.




Don't know what to put in a locket? No prob! This mesmerizing locket comes with silver glass slivers permanently sealed inside. $58 here.



I love everything snow because it reminds me of home. This captured snowflake can be exchanged for other keepsakes as well. $38 here.



Add a little mystery to your Valentine's day with this little lovely. $60 here.




Something blue.  $25.50 here.




Welcome spring with this little beauty. $40 here.




And finally, the creme de la creme! This gorgeous hand embroidered locket would make any lady's heart skip a beat with your picture inside. $88 here.

If you don't end up giving a locket for Valentine's day, remember this gift and feel free to use it as an anniversary, birthday, or mother's day gift. Every woman should have a beautiful locket given to her by someone she loves to treasure and pass on as a family heirloom.

It's the perfect gift! And as you see above, there are many ways to customize it to the interests and tastes of the person.


Happy hunting and let me know what you end up giving!

Remembering Peter: Book

For Christmas I decided to make a book of Peter's life. I made a copy for us (with the most pictures and pages), a copy for my dad and step-mom, a copy for Zach's parents, and a copy for my mom and step-dad. 

For our copy I wanted pretty much every picture of Peter. Even if they were very similar, I couldn't delete any more. I figured it was a one time purchase and was worth the extra money for all the pages of pictures my heart desired. 

I also included each update we wrote on facebook for our friends and family (all of which have since been posted on this blog), notes from Peter's Name and a Blessing, notes from Priesthood blessings I received during this time, a break down of Peter's full name with meanings and origins, the poem The Weaver, and the letters that Zach and I wrote for him. I wanted a place to find everything possible, that was Peter related, all in one place. 

This book has been very comforting, and I have enjoyed looking through it as well as reading it with Lucy and sharing it with people that come to our home. When people ask about Peter it is nice to be able to share this book with them and have them see who he is and experience a little bit of his life here on Earth. 

I would definitely recommend making a book like this as a gift for someone who has lost a loved one, or even for a family album for yourself. The website I used was very user friendly with lots of options and help. 

I look forward to reading this book and looking through these pictures with Lucy as she grows older, as well as sharing it with our future children and other family members who did not get a chance to meet Peter. 

Here are a few of the pages.

The front cover

The Weaver with sunset photographs by Scott Soule

Ultrasounds of Peter (three of many)

First hold

Zach's first hold with his baby boy

Nana's first hold

Peter's first bath

My dad and step-mom meeting Peter for the first time

Family pictures at the house

Funeral program

Flowers from friends and family, Peter's headstone design, and burial plot

Closing pages of the book- Families Can Be Together Forever

Remembering Peter: Cowboy

I talked about Cowboy in my letter to Peter here. 

I've never really been one to have a security blanket, but I love having my mini Cowboy to snuggle with at night when I go to sleep. The white minky backing is so soft and comforting. 

During the day I am usually fine and don't stop to think about our loss, and just go on with life. But when the day is done, the house is quiet, and I lay in bed trying to go to sleep and holding the blanket, my mind inevitably starts to think about Peter. It is a strong reminder of his death- as he is buried with it's twin.

Those nights have been some of my saddest moments as the blanket reminds me of Peter- and I lay in the dark. It is good to have that quiet time to just think and remember. I don't like to cry and be sad generally, but it is good to grieve and have a few moments to yourself to do so. 

I am so glad I have this small reminder and token that I can hold to think of Peter.

Peter enjoying the original Cowboy

Double snuggled in blankets

Peter spending his last night with Dad- snuggling

My mini Cowboy

The swirled minky back

Mini Cowboy in it's proper place- beside my pillow in the body pillow nest

Peter's Memorial

How do you memorialize someone you love? What do you do to remember them?

It is nice to have a physical reminder of the one you love who is now gone. 

Zach and I discussed how we would spend Peter's life insurance money. We paid the medical bills, donated 10% of the money to our church for tithing, 10% to the Temple Fund, and saved the rest to use later on a family outing.  

I knew I wanted to use part of it for the Temple Fund because that is something that means something. It matters. It's the main reason we've been able to make it through this painful experience. The ordinances and covenants Zach and I made in the temple when we were married, make it possible for us to be a family forever, and to have Peter sealed to us for eternity. 

We believe that marriages don't have to be "until death do us part". If a couple is sealed by the Priesthood power by someone who has authority, that marriage can last beyond the grave, and children born to a couple who was sealed in the Temple, are likewise sealed to their parents forever. (Matthew 16:19) This blessing and promise is also conditional on our obedience, and keeping the promises we make in the temple to our Father in Heaven. 

We also received some money from our family friends along with this touching letter.

Today was Peter's four month birthday and we went to the cemetery to say a few words and release our first orange balloon. It is nice to have a reason to go visit his little grave site and think about him. 

The tears still flow when I think about his little body below the ground. It's easy to not think about it, but when you are right there, where his body is buried, it gives you a moment to stop and remember- and that's when the grief reminds you that it's still there. You have a little moment to grieve. Shed some tears and be sad. And miss him. So much. 

It's the respite from life, where you can stop for a moment and just cry, and allow yourself a minute to yourself and your feelings.  Then the moment passes (because it has to) and you dry your eyes and get back in the car and move on with life.

For a long time it was so hard for me to think about his body in the ground as nature took its course. It took me awhile to come to terms with the thought and not have it really upset me. 

It helped when I thought about the many pioneer mothers who had to bury their precious children in shallow graves all along the Mormon trail. It put things in perspective, and gave me comfort . Their tiny bones will come together in the Resurrection and they will be made whole, and so will Peter. Death and decay are a natural thing.

For some reason it gave me strength and comfort. 

XOXO infinity   - Lucy

A sweet memory of Peter.

A windy Texan sunset.

Smoochin' up her dad.

Getting ready to release the balloon.

Watching the balloon fly away with our memories of Peter, as I shed a few tears.