Texas Hail Storm

We've learned that there's nothing like Texas rainstorms. They can get pretty intense and so loud. I was not expecting to see a hail storm though. This storm was booming loud and I'm shocked that not one kid woke up from it. We have fans and sound machines on in their rooms but that shouldn't have been enough to cover the sound of this hail hitting our roof and windows. Holy hail.

Thanksgiving 2022

We had our first Texas Thanksgiving on the 24th. The Olsen's joined us and we all made it a Friendsgiving. It was a lot of fun. Danny was really excited to cook the turkey and I  love that about him because I was happy not to do it. We started the morning with the Thanksgiving Day parade which brought back personal childhood memories. The Olsen's came over for dinner around 4pm and we all had a great time. I didn't take any photos at all until the end of the day right before the kids were getting in bed. I feel like it's been such a hard couple of weeks for me and lots of sleepless nights but one thing that is clear to me is that I am thankful for these little five people and for their dad. I'm also thankful for good friends, especially when we don't have family nearby. It was a good solid grateful day.

Camila Heidi May

My dad had me organize more than 85 pictures of Camila and had to dwindle it down to 45 for her photo slideshow. These are just some of them.

Obituary and Life Sketch

Obituary and Life Sketch of Camila Heidi May

G: Camila Heidi May Garcia passed away peacefully on November 11, 2022 after suffering years of pain, discomfort, and both physical and mental limitations.

Camila Maia was born on January 3, 1983 in Sao Paulo, Brazil to Magaly Maria Maia. When her mother became ill, she was raised in an orphanage until the age of nine. She was then adopted by Thomas Gene Rueckert and Elizabeth Ernstsen and was given the new name Camila Heidi May Rueckert.

P: Camila loved animals. While in Brazil, she broke her arm while rescuing a cat from a nearby construction site. She named this cat "Flower" who was her special pet until the time that she moved from Brazil. Camila always did everything to help others feel included and was a special friend to many.

She reached out to help others feel welcomed. In Brazil she always was a friend to visitors and new members in her ward. Her and our brother Ben loved to give food to the poor who came by the front gate looking for assistance. Giving food away was just the start and it would eventually lead to them giving away clothes they could find. She moved with her family at the age of 13 to the United States of America where she lived in Utah for the remainder of her life.

G: Camila enjoyed school, church and her family. While attending West Jordan High she met her high school sweetheart and love of her life, Edward Garcia. Camila and Eddie eloped and were married four days after her 18th birthday on January 7, 2001. To be fair, they did get permission. Camila called our dad and told him she was going to Vegas to get married. Our dad, thinking she was joking, said "okay just be home by midnight". She said 'no really I'm going to get married' and he said "yeah have fun, be home by midnight". The next morning he called her and asked where she was and she said "I told you I went to Vegas". She graduated high school six months later.

We hope to paint a picture of who Camila was. We were six years younger than her yet she never made us feel like burdens or like we annoyed her. She was one of those big sisters that really cared about you and wanted to know what was going on in our lives. I have kept letters from when she was 16 or 17 (when she spent some time in Dallas) and I was about ten and she's asking me about my friends, church and if there are any cute boys in primary. She was the kind of teenager that took time to write to their kid sister and genuinely care about the response. She was our role model and we wanted to be just like her.

P: We spent almost every Friday with our older sister. We'd say no to hanging out with friends because the weekend was saved for our sister time. We'll always remember going to the mall for the dollar movie theater. We'll remember dancing on the kitchen counter with Christmas lights pretending it was our stage. We'll remember fashion shows with her and our walks to Artic Circle for ice cream and french fries. We'll remember listening to Mandy Moore, Usher and the Backstreet Boys. She perfected Top Ramen for us. The secret is to drain the water and add cheese and sour cream. I'll remember all the parties she took me to (sorry Dad, there were a lot of parties). I'll remember borrowing her clothes and wearing them to school. Camila was never one of those sisters who would get mad if we took her clothes. She really was the best and loved sharing her outfits.

G: She introduced us to Chik-Fil-A and we have her to thank for being the one responsible for getting our parents to stop getting our hair cut into mullets. We'll remember those nights trying to find Hobbitville and sneaking into places we had no business being in. We'll remember her taking us to haunted houses around Halloween and even taking us to houses that she'd just say were haunted. Also, to the old abandoned state hospital that I'm pretty sure was haunted.

I was one of the unlucky few to get chicken pox twice in their life. Once when I was little and the second time while in High School. I remember crying in my room because my parents were going to send me back to school the next day. I was no longer contagious, but you could still tell that I had just gotten over chicken pox. I was devastated. Camila walked into my room and grabbed my face in her hands and told me how beautiful I looked and that it wasn't as bad as I was thinking it was. She told me I could do it and would get through it. This was coming from someone who probably would have freaked out over one pimple on her face, but it still felt good to have her comfort me at that time. Everyone should have that kind of person that we were blessed with.

P: I'll remember when she first found out she was going to be a mom. She was so excited. I was a little sad at first because I thought I'd see her less, but I was wrong. We got to see her more and she became even better of a sister when she became a mom. Together Camila and Eddie were blessed with four children, Caide Edward, Kaisha Maia, Isake Cojo and Cherish Joy who they both loved very much.

G: Camila's health started to decline and would continue to do so for many years. She became a widow at the age of 32 when Eddie's life was unexpectedly cut short. It was during that time she was no longer able to care for herself or her children. Her children were then cared for by their aunt Caren and Camila was placed in a care facility. After many years of trying to figure out her health decline she was finally diagnoses in 2018 with the rare disease HDL2 (Huntingon Disease Look Alike 2). Camila continued to lose all her mortal capabilities until she returned to her heavenly home.

P: The last memory that the three of us would share were her last moments on earth. The two of us on Facetime and her in bed looking peaceful as ever until the moment her heart stopped beating.

G: She was preceded in death by her grandparents, her biological mother, and by her husband Eddie. She leaves behind four very loved children Caide, Isake, Kaisha and Cherish. She is survived by her mother Elizabeth Ernstsen, her father Tom Rueckert and her step mother Debbie Rueckert. She is also survived by her 16 siblings and step siblings. She was loved by all of her family.

We do not understand all the reasons that Camila had to suffer through so many trials in this life. We find peace in knowing that she's in a better place where she isn't feeling pain, her memory isn't wiped and her spirit is free to move in ways her body wasn't able to at the end.

Both: Camila we love you and miss you.

Camila Part Two

I decided I didn't want a lot of pictures in my last post but to add them here separately. Also out of respect to my sister I don't want to show her face in her last hour. There's probably nothing wrong with doing so but it's how I'm feeling right now. I'm dealing with so many different emotions. I just miss her and what we had.

11/4/2022 The last time we saw her awake. Later that night the nurse would call our dad and tell him that she was transitioning. I stayed up all night expecting to hear that she would pass away before morning. She would live for six more days.

11/11/2022 We were told her breathing was very shallow and that we needed to quickly say our goodbyes. She died while Pollyanna and I were on Facetime with her.

Rylee being super comforting following that phone call.

11/18/2022 I was a complete emotional mess at the airport terrified that our plane's delay would keep me from being at my sister's viewing.

Seeing her kids with their mom was the hardest part for me. I love these nephews and nieces of mine and wish I could do more for them. I don't know if the same thing is going to happen to them. I hope not, but if so I want them to know I'm here for as long as they remember me and even beyond when they might forget me.

Treating Dallas (Caide) to his mom's favorite place Chik-Fil-A.

11/19/2022 Camila had a public viewing before her funeral started.

Eddie's ashes were placed inside her casket.

Pollyanna and I speaking at the start of Camila's funeral program.

At the South Jordan cemetery.