'My' Jim

May 18th 1950 - April 8th 2013

To say that Jim Rich was 'mine' is such a privilege!  I knew from the first time I held his big strong hands that I could love a guy like this!  There was something extraordinary about his enthusiasm, engaging smile and unassuming nature. He was fun and real and TD&H (tall, dark and handsome)!  It wasn't a quick romance!  We had an on and off  relationship for nearly three years while Jim finished school and tested many 'waters' (girls to be exact)!  I suppose I needed the experiences that came to me too - one of them being nearly getting engaged!  One night while attending a preparation for marriage class with a 'would be fiance', I said to myself,  "all I need to do is run into that Jim Rich....that would really mess things up"!  The 'rest of the story' is that truly, just minutes later, I did run into Jim at a stop light while both of us were driving home along 2300 East in Salt Lake.  He was on his way home from a valley-wide young adult meeting and had turned around to go back to get his scriptures he'd left at the ward.  I was on my home from 'the class' at the University of Utah!  Was it fate?  I say NOT!

We did get married....finally, January 27th 1977!  I had seven bridesmaids, seven showers and seven layers on our beautiful wedding cake!  It was 'lucky' seven all around!  I ironed my garments for our honeymoon the night before going to the temple!  He admitted after the ceremony he still had to go home and pack...WHAT?  And so things would go!
Our adventure and joyful journey had begun!  We would add five wonderful children and (to date), thirteen adorable grandchildren, our joy beyond measure!
It was going to be a match made in heaven or, I should say ... BY heaven!

THE ABC'S of JIM
(just some of the neat 'stuff' that made up my Jim)
A - adventurous, affable, affectionate, a (slow mover/talker), awesome!

B- believer, blunt, baseball, bassoon, brave, biker, lover of 'bananas', buddy, BROTHER

C - cheerful, creative, cute & cuddly, constant, courteous, critical (to get it right), clean, courageous, COMPANION

D - devoted, debonair, dependable, (lover of) details, dance partner, DISCIPLE

E - engaging, enthusiastic, exact, ENGINEER

F - faithful, football, funny, FRIEND, FATHER

G - generous, great (kisser, dancer, physique, hands) good-looker, guileless, gentle, genuine

H - handsome, handy, humble, hands-on, happy HUSBAND

I - interested (in people and things), imaginative, inventive, (stickler for) instructions, (man of) integrity, irreplaceable 

J - joiner, just, joyful, Joanne-fan

K - kind, killer-smile

L - (great) laugh, lounger, listener, leader, lover

M - methodical, musical, melancholy, merry, MORMON, MISSIONARY

N - not (sarcastic or boastful), nice, naps, NEPHEW

O - other-oriented, original, (closet) organized

P - practical, pack-rat, procrastinator, people person, popular, patient, particular, priesthood leader, POPPY

Q - quiet, quizzical, quirky

R - 'ripped', romantic, relaxer, rare

S - sensitive, sympathetic, sincere, sentimental, scuba-diver, smiler, steady, strong, slow-mover, saw (virtuoso), smart, SON

T- tender, thoughtful, tentative, thorough, true, talented

U - unselfish, unhurried, unique, UNCLE

V - vivacious, very (important to all of us)

W - wrestler, warm and wonderful

X - X-traordinary, X-emplary

Y - young adult and youth leader, young at heart

Z - 'Z' (best)!

Jim was mine and thankfully I was his!  To know that we continue on in 'luminescence' beyond mortality is
something to be GLAD about, to HOLD onto, to LIVE (better) for,  to CHERISH!
What a JOURNEY we've had these past months!  How courageous, faithful and humble you were, my Jim!
I was honored to serve you!  You were truly a marvel; an example to your family and friends!
I cannot imagine my life without you!!!  But I 'will' envision you free of your battered body...and be grateful!
Stay close!  I will always need you, I will always love you, you will always be MY JIM!
  Thank you for showing me the way!
I'm forever yours!
See ya!

Thank you

From Coby today:

Dear friends, family and loved ones.  It is with great sadness that we morn the passing of our beloved father, friend and husband.  Dad passed away peacefully last night surrounded by his beloved wife, his 4 sons and his daughter.  He fought a good fight, he finished his course and he kept the faith.  We take joy in the fact that we are eternally bound and that he is free from the prison in which he has been living these many months.  We appreciate all the love, prayers, and wishes on our behalf.  We would like to take today to be with family, but would welcome friends and well-wishers to visit later on in the week.  We are planning the funeral services for this coming Saturday and will let everyone know the details when they are finalized.  Please know that we love each of you and have genuinely felt the love and prayers on our behalf.  Thank you for being part of dad and our lives.

The Rich Family

April Showers Bring Blessings
 or...
surviving on a 'gratitude attitude'!

Easter brought our entire family together and we packed every minute full to the brim!  Bob, Sara and their darling boys Duncan and Charlie, joined us from Sacramento, yeah!

And the following is how we 'might have'.......over-done it!

Friday night:  Family 'round up' dinner/wedding shower at our home for our nephew Dave Patterson and his adorable new wife Meg

Saturday morning sealings in the Jordan River Temple with all five of our children and their spouses (Jim was able to be a witness)

Saturday afternoon egg dying with all the grand kids and a visit from the Easter Bunny!

Saturday 'boys night out' (movie night with Dad) 

Easter Sunday family gathering and Easter egg hunt!

Monday evening dinner 'out' with all 24 of us at Tres Hombres! 

As April began 'showering', we had a few 'cloudbursts' of our own!

Jim has had new difficulty swallowing and we've had some scary bouts with choking!  Fortunately, we have a 'cough assist' machine and a 'suction' device to assist in these times of panic.  So, we've had to alter our eating habits a bit doing more smoothies and pure aid food.  Mornings seem to be the hardest while later in the day he can handle solids a little better.
We also had another 'neurology clinic' this week; the dreaded five hour endurance test.  We are always faced with the 'haunting' decision of whether or not to do a trache - and each appointment brings us closer to that.  Our son Ben had some extra time and was able to be with us at the appointment.  After hearing the 'trache-spill' from the Doctor.... again, Ben, Jim and I all agreed that what we're doing right now is best! 
 And that is.....

we remain on the Triology air pressurization device for his air supply (which the Pulmonologist at the U thinks Jim is doing well on). We will also probably consider a feeding tube surgically fitted  into his stomach sometime soon.  He could still eat and taste solids when able, but be able to put away more calories without all the extra effort of 'eating'!  He is down another 10 pounds but you would never know to look at that 'still' so handsome face!  That he can manage his fabulous smile and a little humor, even with a body that is completely motionless from the neck down is completely inspirational!  

So, with the many 'showers' we've experienced these past months, we can't help but feel grateful!  We were told in our pre-marriage stake interview 36 years ago, that we had no idea how much we really loved each other at that point!  How true President Poulten, how true!

Our love has evolved into something neither of us could have imagined at that time; one that has grown even more dear these last few months.  Add to that the blessing of children who can be with us in the temple; whose families will all be sealed to us through the eternities...well, we can't help having a 
 'gratitude attitude'!