Molly Helps Kick Off KUTV's 2002 Winter Olympics News Coverage!

Before the beginning of the 2002 Winter Olympics, Molly, Jaron, and Carly were in Salt Lake City to observe the Olympic Torch run.

Carly and Jaron appear in the photo below with Ron McBride, University of Utah's football coach, carrying the torch behind them.

The Deseret News tells us that:

"University of Utah football coach Ron McBride carried the torch to Shriners Hospital where he passed it off to some of the final torchbearers."

It's not too far from the Shriners Hospital to the stadium where the Opening Ceremonies were to be held. so Molly, Jaron, and Carly, only had a short ways to go to be as close to the action as possible.

KUTV's coverage of the Opening Ceremonies included a couple of short interviews with people outside the stadium.

Molly was one of them.

This short video is from a VHS tape that was recorded at the time, so the quality is not great, but it captures Molly's exuberance in participating in this tremendous event:

A Remarkable Dream!

In the summer of 2012, Carly shared some Facebook messages with one of Molly's former students at Gearld Wright Elementary.

Giovanni was a fifth-grader in the combined fifth- and sixth-grade class that Molly taught in 2006-2007.

His younger sister was also one of Molly's students the next year when Molly taught the second grade.

In fact, she drew the picture that was left at Molly's grave and posted on this blog on December 12, 2010.

They both adored Molly as their teacher.

At the time of the messages, Giovanni had finished 10th grade and Carly had just graduated high school.

In these messages, Giovanni describes a remarkable dream - a dream which has a number of significant elements to it.

In the messages, before describing his dream, he tells Carly about an experience he had while visiting Molly's grave site:

"I always visit her on her birthday and bring her flowers and one time i went and it was so amazing. I was just standing there praying for her and all of a sudden in my head, i heard her laugh again. Like she was right there."

The more I learn about the afterlife, the more I think it a distinct possibility that Molly was present at that moment.

In addition to this experience of hearing Molly's laugh, Giovanni described his dream - a dream which is certainly intriguing and remarkable.

The dream was some two months before sharing it in his messages with Carly.

In his words:

"...the dream was wierd cus it was a dream lol, it was me and one of my friends and we were at a place that was like lagoon (but it wasnt lagoon) and we were going to some back entrance that a lot of people ussually go through i guess, and we were running in because we were excited to get into lagoon when i see molly. And i was so happy and so was she. We stood there and talked for like a minute or two. She just wanted to thank me for always remembering her and talking to her and showing how much i loved her. And all i could tell her was how much i loved her and how much she means to me and how i always consider her like a second mother and how she is such an amazing and happy person. And how she was so happy and always made everyones day so much better. And she just kept thanking me for always keeping her in my heart, and i told her that she should be so proud of you because you were turning into such an amazing women. And how i wish she could see you dance so happily with your team today. And she told me she did and to tell you that she is always here and to tell you how proud she is of you. And i think she brought up her grandson (your older sisters baby) and how she was there and it was so amazing. Then she continued to tell me that these dreams were real and that she is sorry but they wont happen often, especially because im not family and that she went through a lot to come down and visit me to tell me this conversation. But my friend was there rushing me telling me it was time to go, and mrs.robbins agreed. I cant remember if we gave eachother a hug or not, because im not sure if youre a loud too, but i wanted to really bad and i think i did. I got teary eyed in the dream and just tried to stress how much i love and miss her and to take care. And she just said that she is watching over me and that she is here. And then i said good bye and she laughed and said it back, and then proceeded to run with my friend into the entrance of lagoon and that is when i woke up. I cried almost right away but it was like pure happiness. I just cried and cried and couldnt believe it and i was just so amazed. Especially because she told me that it is really harf to come see me but that she still went through a lot to do it. And then i called my dad and told him and i said i wasnt really sure if it was a dream or real but he told me that, that is the way that people who have passed away visit us. And its through our dreams. So thanks carly, im glad i finally got to deliver her message. Just know that she is still here watching you by yourside. I love yoy and your family and if you ever need anything im here."

Giovanni adds this about his dream: 

"The whole conversation seemed timed like we both knew we didnt have much time to talk to eachother and it was like we both knew that it wasnt garunteed that we were going to have this moment again. My friend in the dream was my best friend lucio who ive known since i was a baby. Ive grown up woth him and we are still like brothers to this day. I think in the dream it was like my gardian angle discussed as him and he took me to go see her. And it was like once i got back to the entrance, it was like i was back to the real world."

In response to the idea that Molly was present at Carly's dance performances, Carly made this comment: 

"I really needed to hear something like that right now. Words can't describe the pain of how much I miss her and need her. I've always wanted to know that my Mom was watching me while I dance, because she is the one I dance for. Some times I would hope to see her in the audience but at least I felt her with me in my heart."

Giovanni's comment about Molly being at Carly's dance performances was something that jumped out at me as I read his dream because I had sensed at the time that Molly was at some of the performances watching her dance.

We wish to thank Giovanni for sharing his dream and experiences with Carly and us and for giving his permission to reproduce his messages to Carly here.

Christmas - 20 Years Ago!

Twenty years has flown by.  This short video is a look back at Christmas morning in 1995:

Molly's Christmas Thoughts:

 Recently two thoughts have occurred to me - and rather strongly.

The first is that Molly has a continuing interest in what the kids are doing, how they are doing, and to see them now and then.

I know it's a bit odd to keep calling kids, that are all now adults, "kids." 

The second is that she wants her friends to know that she is concerned about them. 

I posted this paragraph from her 1994 Christmas letter before, but the sentiments she expresses are expressed so well and fit this time of year.

She sent the letter so late that she thought wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day might have been more appropriate.  The importance of her family and friends is central to her sentiments:

"In sending this late Christmas letter, I hope to let all of you know how much we appreciate you as friends and family and hope you will forgive me in my lack of correspondence. You have all touched our lives in such special ways and have helped us to grow to a greater depth of knowledge of who we are by adding to our lives. We cherish the memories you have given us. I sincerely hope that 1995 finds us renewing and adding to those memories."

I came across the photo below recently.  Even though I don't know when exactly it was taken, it is a very good photo of Molly: 

Congratulations to Carly!

She graduated from Cyprus High last week! Now she's been accepted to the U of U and is planning on studying radiology or law; still deciding. We're so proud!

Congratulations, Scotty!

He has earned his Master's degree in Public Policy.

People say holidays are the hardest, but I don't think so. During the holidays you have so much running around and getting ready to do. You get to hang out with family that you haven't seen for a while.

For me, the hardest times are little random times when I think something's funny and I know my mom would think it's funny...but I can't tell her about it. Or when I need to call and ask her what kind of salsa goes in the tortilla soup, because the batch I just made doesn't taste right. Or when she can't be at something that "mom's always go to".

When my nephew was born and when I had my son, I would feel so bad that my mother couldn't enjoy them. She would love them so much! And then I would feel angry and upset that she was robbed of this part of her life. She worked so hard raising my brothers and sisters and I and now is the time that she was supposed to just coast and be friends with her children and enjoy her grandchildren. It's not fair that such a wonderful person has to miss out on all of this. It's just not fair.

My patriarchal blessing has a line that says something like, "as you gather your family during conference time, you will sense that the prophets are speaking to you..."  At every single General Conference there is always something that sticks out to me or something that addresses something I had been thinking about. During the October 2011 conference, Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave a talk titled "The Songs They Could Not Sing".

He says, "Many people face significant problems or even tragedy during this mortal journey....Sometimes tragedies are very personal....A loving parent's life is taken because of a thoughtless act or accident....Whenever tragedy occurs, we mourn and strive to bear one another's burdens. We lament the things that will not be accomplished and the songs that will not be sung.

"Some challenges result from the agency of others. Agency is essential for individuals spiritual growth and development. Evil conduct is an element of agency. Captain Moroni explained, "The Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and judgement may come upon the wicked." He made it clear that the righteous are not lost but "enter into the rest of the Lord their God." The wicked will be held accountable for the atrocities they perpetrate.

"A unique challenge for those who have lost loved ones is to avoid dwelling on the lost opportunities....The lost opportunity might relate to family, occupation, talents, experiences or others.

"...the Father's plan of happines for His children includes not only a premortal and mortal life, but also an eternal life as well, including a great and glorious reunion with those we have lost. All wrongs will be righted, and we will see with perfect clarity and faultless perspective and understanding."

It made me feel better that Heavenly Father knows the heart ache we feel and I don't need to worry about all the times and experiences my mother is missing, because "all wrongs will be righted."

Molly as a Little Girl:

Molly's Christmas Thoughts - 1994

Molly frequently would write a Christmas newsletter to send to friends and family. In the letter she wrote for 1994 she describes what each child was doing that year, etc. She also wrote some general comments that I think she would like to share this year.

She began the letter with:

"This was supposed to be our Christmas greeting to you but events preceding Christmas changed all that. So I thought a New Year greeting would be appropriate and close enough to Christmas that you would all forgive me for being so late. But, we're well into the new year so I guess Happy Valentine's Day will have to do. Hopefully, this letter will get out to you by then. If not, fill in the blanks to whichever holiday this letter arrives closest to."

The events that delayed this letter center around the death of her grandmother, Sofia, which occurred toward the end of the year.

She describes some of this later in the letter:

"Unfortunately, our year ended with the death of my eighty-eight year old grandma. Her death came as a surprise. For some reason I thought she would live forever. But I guess it was more of what I had hoped. She was the nurturer in my life and the one I spent most of my time with. She was my best friend. If I could have had a choice in the way she died, I would have chosen the way she died. She was strong and healthy until the very end. She lived in the house she loved with those she loved. She had a couple of heart attacks the night before she died where she was surrounded by family in her death and greeted by family she missed. Her place in this life will never be filled. Her absence is very difficult to get used to. I still find myself including her in my plans only to have to re-route my thinking in the process. I'm glad my children got to know her and have her be as big a part of their lives s she was in mine. Grandparents bring a special touch of magic to our lives."

I hesitated to include this paragraph at Christmas and was planning to post it at some other time, but I think that Molly would like it posted now.

Perhaps the feeling that we are are indeed still connected with those who have gone before us is not thought about enough and she would like us to realize this and consider what this means.

Some of Molly's thoughts about her grandmother are certainly the thoughts many of us have about Molly.

Molly ends the letter by directing her thoughts toward those she was sending the letter to:

"In sending this late Christmas letter, I hope to let all of you know how much we appreciate you as friends and family and hope you will forgive me in my lack of correspondence. You have all touched our lives in such special ways and have helped us to grow to a greater depth of knowledge of who we are by adding to our lives. We cherish the memories you have given us. I sincerely hope that 1995 finds us renewing and adding to those memories.

Love from the Robbins Family"

It would be difficult to find a better expression of this aspect of Christmas.

I am sure that Molly would want to express something very much like this if she were still with us in this particular sphere of existence.

Molly's Birthday - 10/31/2010

On Molly's birthday this year we gathered for a bit at her grave site. It was a nice clear day and we took some photos. Kristin put up the "Molly" sign that she had made for Molly's first grave site marker.



One of Molly's students had left a very nice drawing at the site.

Javin, Molly's first grandchild, was very interested in the sign and added an angelic touch with his presence.