Farewell Papa

A few nights ago the phone finally rang with the call we had been waiting for. Jeff hung up and said, "Papa's finally gone." He had been ailing for quite awhile and we all knew it was time. I have found that no matter the relief that comes from knowing that a loved one is no longer in pain, it does not make the deep ache of missing them going away.

Because of the timing, the funeral was scheduled very quickly, which resulted in Jeff, Leah, Jared and I being on a plane to Salt Lake on the Sunday night before Thanksgiving.

In our church, we have few that work for the church full time. Jeff's grandfather was one of them. As a result, we were blessed to have some very spiritual men attend the viewing on Monday night, including the prophet of our church, Thomas S. Monson. He even gave Jared a high five. I know that this is something our kids will never forget.

The next day, the funeral was the most amazing church meeting I have ever attended. Jeff's Uncle Ron gave a beautiful eulogy. Papa's wife Annie spoke with strength and love which amazed us all. Jared was asked to sing a son written by Jeff's grandmother. There was not a dry eye in the house. For a mother, it was an amazing and heart-wrenching thing to watch my son continue to sing beautifully through his tears. (Audio recording is below.) Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, spoke. He addressed Jared directly - another moment that Jared will never forget. Jeff's cousin Catherine wrote a beautiful post about the day too.

Jared singing "The Baby Jesus"

Jared and Leah at the cemetery. Sweet Jared with his tear-stained cheeks.

All sixteen of Papa's grandchildren were there.

We feel incredibly lucky that we were able to visit him and Annie this past August.  

Hug Your Husband

Perspective is an interesting concept. There are such small shifts in our perspective throughout life that most of the time it is barely noticeable; in effect, we take them for granted. But every once in awhile, an event occurs that shakes one so significantly that it is hard to remember where you started from.

Last Saturday we took Jared and the kids to San Francisco for Jared's birthday. We all rode on the train and then I took Jared shopping at H&M. After a fun lunch in Union Square, I took the rest of the kids home and Jared & Jeff stayed in the city for the Giants game. It was an 11 year old's dream day.

As the kids and I pulled into the driveway, my dad called to let me know that something terrible had happened: my brother-in-law had died in an accident. In an instant, the day went from a wonderful family day to the unimaginable.


Thoughout this week as our family has prepared for this day, the day of the memorial service, my mind has been all over the place. At one point, I was listed on the program to speak at the service. I generally do not have a problem speaking in public but the idea of containing these uncontrollable emotions in front of hundreds of people (especially since I am an admitted control freak) made me freak out a little bit.

Since there were more willing speakers, I was removed from the program. However, I had already composed the talk in my head. So although the obituary has been published, I write this here as a history of this time...


"I was introduced to the Keller family when I was in high school. Steve's younger brother and I went to Mitty High School together. During our senior year, my family decided to change dentists to Dr. James. Soon there after, Steve began to practice with his dad. On one occasion, I went and became aware that Steve was single. So being the wonderful, annoying little sister that I was, I encouraged Loni to meet the cute new single dentist. And that was the beginning of how the Keller and Schultz family came to be.

As Jeff and I were talking about Steve this week, Jeff came up with the image of a hummingbird, and I couldn't agree more. Steve was like a humming bird, in order to live, he had to remain in constant motion. This was a little difficult at times when we were at my parents' cabin or after a holiday meal. He would often ask, "What are we going to do?" Our response would be - RELAX! He would then be off to go to the grocery store, garden or make something in the kitchen.


Steve's constant motion made him the hit of every party and an incredibly successful dentist. He knew there was always something more to learn, someone to meet, or something fun to do. We can all take this from Steve - that there is always something more to do.

To my brother-in-law Steve, wonderful cook (which is now clearly lacking from the Schultz family), extraordinary dad, jokester, talented dentist, someone who always made you feel important when you were with him - we will miss you dearly. I promise to take care of Loni and the kids. Until we meet again."

I have dreaded this day coming for the last week because it means that all of this is indeed true. Unfortunately, we won't wake up to find that this was all just a bad dream. But as Jeff told me last night, I know it will give us closure to begin the new normal.


I am grateful for this new perspective. Life can change in an instant. Those that you take for granted may not always be here. As Steve did, I will try to live more! I am also reminded to hug my husband more.

First Day of School

It is here, the first day of school. They were so excited.

Claire is in Kindergarten.

Lucas is in first grade.

Leah is in third grade.

Jared started middle school this year. I tried to be a good mom and didn't walk in with my camera.

Jared Stars in Alice in Wonderland

Our little thespian hit the stage again in his school's production of Alice in Wonderland. He plays the caterpillar that helps Little Alice when she is feeling sad about not fitting into Wonderland. By turning into a butterfly and singing "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah" he helps her get in touch with her inner fabulocity. Here is Jared's main scene.
The fifth grade boys posing after the final show.

Nonni (Jeff's mom) was the musical director again. Jared loves having her there!

Grandma and Grandpa kept coming back for more! It is great to have so many fans!

Opening Day for Jared

Jared is on the AAA Reds this year. It looks like it going to be a great year. For Christmas we got Jared batting and hitting lessons. It is amazing how much a little instruction helps.

He played great. He looks like he will be a real leader to his team this year.

Lucas's First T-ball Game

Lucas has been asking to play baseball for the last year. He can't wait to play like his big brother. Opening Day finally came. He was lucky enough to get to play on the Giants this year. For the first game, the manager brought eye black - much needed for all T-ballers.

Jeff is one of the coaches.

Lucas and Jared on Opening Day. It is hard to believe that Lucas will be as big as Jared some day.

Lucas loved every moment of it.

Surprisingly, Lucas was one of the most focused kids out there (which for those of you that know Lucas, this is a amazing!)

He grounded the ball a bunch of times and made great contact with the ball. Most of all, he had a great time.

Leah's Baptism

Here is Jeff's letter inviting our friends and family to Leah's baptism along with the pictures from the day...
  

Hi family and friends, 

It's hard to believe, but our beautiful little brunette Leah is turning 8 years old on February 28th! As such, she's old enough to be baptized and confirmed as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The ordinance will take place at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 5th. 

Like her brother Jared before her, Leah is very excited to be baptized. And as I did for him, I'd like to take a minute to brag about what a great person she is... Since she was a little girl, countless numbers of complete strangers have gone out of their way to comment on her gorgeous brown eyes and curls (see picture below); I'm already dreading the attention she'll get in a few years when the boys start noticing. She has a remarkable work ethic - she's always asking what she can do to help around the house, and she completes tasks with an attention to detail far beyond her years. Combine this trait with her love of learning and you have an exceptional student who eagerly does her homework without being asked, and then will often ask for extra schoolwork to do. Like Jared, she loves to read, and she followed his example by setting a goal to read the Book of Mormon (531 pages!) on her own before she turned 8... She finished just a couple of weeks ago. :)

Above all, my favorite thing about Leah is her wonderful ability to make people feel loved. She is always ready with a smile, a hug and kiss, and a sincere "I love you Daddy" that just make the cares of the world melt away - and I see her do the same for others all the time. In that way, she expresses her love for Jesus in the best way possible: by helping others to feel His unconditional love also.

Did I mention that she LOVES to eat vegetables, and in fact we have yet to find a food that she doesn't like? Flaws, you ask? Well, if I'm nitpicking, I suppose she can be just a bit bossy... OK, to be honest, that's actually like saying that Michael Jordan is "just a bit" bald - but we're going to keep her anyway. She's just preparing for her inevitable future role as the ruler of the free world. Hey, anyone who has spent even a little bit of time around Leah definitely wouldn't put it past her. :)

For those of you receiving this email who live long distances away, we understand that you likely won't be able to join us for the baptism, but please know that we miss you and would love to see you if the opportunity arises to take a trip out here. We have six in our house already but there's always room for guests! For the many of you who are not of our faith, we hope you'll feel welcome and comfortable in celebrating this special occasion with us - we'd truly love for you to attend if you're able to do so. 

Love to all!
Jeff, Carli, Jared, Leah, Lucas & Claire

It was a great day. Bobpa and Nonni gave the talks on Baptism and The Gift of the Holy Ghost. Jeff and Jared sang Leah's favorite song, "A Child's Prayer."

Leah turns 8!

Leah decided that she wanted pie instead of cake this year for her birthday! Bobpa made the pie. It was great and a huge relief for me. Grandma, Grandpa, Nonni and Bobpa (with Leah's new skirt on his head) came over to celebrate.

Happy Hollow for Winter Break

I decided to take the kids to Happy Hollow since I had President's Day off. On our way, Jared asked if we could bring Marcus and Kylie (their cousins).

Here is the gang.

Lucas can't ride in the back of the car without getting sick but he seems to do fine on the rides.

Marcus, Jared and Leah were the only ones up for the roller coaster.

Another picture of Leah and Marcus looking like siblings!

Our little fearless Claire in action.

Talent Show

Jared's class was in the Talent Show at school. He continues to amaze us with his moves. He is always ready to play to the crowd.

Jared's Final Pinewood Derby

We were all set this year. Jared and Jeff built the car in plenty of time. The paint was dry and it was the perfect weight. "Captain Zoom" was ready to take to the track.

Jeff and Jared lubing up the wheels.

Three cars race at a time. Jared is ready to beat his friends (though it is not at all about winning;)

Jared's car is the orange one that is way out in front.

He ending up having the fastest time in his den and was second place in the pack! Jeff is glad to be done for another 5 years!

One of the boys had a car that broke down on the track and was unable to race. He was in one of the younger dens and it caused a lot of tears. On his own, Jared rounded up his friends and had them vote for this boy's car as the "Best in Show". It was the best part of the day. It is moments like this that you think that your kids might actually be okay in life!

Oakland Zoo for the MLK Holiday

We went with some of our friends to the Oakland Zoo for MLK Day. Jared (with his gangsta glasses and backward hat), Makenzie, Adam, Leah and Jamie.

Claire and Lucas had fun playing on the animal statues.

Claire, Jared & Lucas hiding in a shell.

Jared's favorite animal as a baby was the elephant. It continues to be a family favorite.

Perhaps my favorite animal of the day. The alligator was sitting up right against the glass. Apparently they can sit in one place for hours at a time. He had us fooled - we thought he was dead but when we went back he had moved. It is crazy to be so close to those teeth!