January 23, 2014

Shortly after Ross left for work on this day, he called me to let me know that Rex had just contacted him to tell him about Jeni's passing earlier that morning. She passed away quietly in her sleep. That peaceful release from her pain-filled body was what we had been praying for her to experience, but it still came with a heavy push of pain and heart-sickness.

Once I mopped up my first outburst of tears, I told the girls that they didn't have to get ready for school. I explained the news, and we hugged while they took it all in. We had a quiet day at home trying to find ways to give quiet moments of service in Jeni's name.

I got a reminder call that I had a dental appointment in SLC that day, and I was so relieved to have a good excuse to meet Ross for lunch and have him come home early. It was during our lunch that the first signs of some medical issues started to pop up, but I shook them off as merely relating to the emotional stress we were all going through.

Here are some of the Facebook Statuses that marked this day in Jeni's honor as the news began to spread:

Jeni is so loved and so missed. She left a real mark on this world, and her legacy of faith, love, endurance, work, kindness, and so many other things remains strong and intact.