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Coco's Caravan

Accepting Justin’s posthumous degree

in My Story on 05/29/19

Justin and I grew up in BYU homes. Our dads are super fans, so I don’t know if we had much of  a choice. (Haha) We would go to all the games in High School when BYU came to Colorado. We loved BYU growing up!

When we were both at BYU-Idaho we would drive to Provo on the weekends for football games. Justin was only with me at BYU-Idaho for a semester before he transferred to BYU Provo. I was sad he left, but he really loved being in Provo and it was a much better fit for him.

One of Justin’s best friends felt like he had received inspiration to contact BYU  about giving Justin a posthumous degree. He said he had never heard of a school doing it before, but the idea just came to him one day. After making some calls he and Justin’s brother started working with BYU to get the degree. They gave us the option of mailing the diploma or walking for Justin. We thought it would be very special to walk for him and be at graduation.

Justin deserves this degree more than anyone I know. One thing I loved about him was he never let cancer hold him back. He wanted to live life as normal as possible and we had faith he would get better. It was important for him to get his degree and keep working towards that. There were many days he would get up early for his chemotherapy treatment and then rush to campus to take a test. His professors were always so accommodating when he needed to make up work. He would always bring his computer to chemotherapy and work on homework. He always found a way to make it work so he could continue his schooling. He had the best excuse to take a break from school and everyone would have understood, but he didn’t want to quit.

As I sat on the stand ready to accept his diploma I kept trying to imagine what he would be thinking. I think he would have been so happy to finally be getting his degree. It must have been hard for him to watch all his friends graduate and move on with life. He would have been proud of himself for sticking to it and never giving up. It was a well deserved day for him.

After his death I’ve had a lot of time to think of every little detail. One thing I was struggling with was the amount of time he spent on school. I sacrificed many nights of spending time with him so that he could study. The fall semester right before he went into the hospital I almost never saw him. Part of me was angry that he wasted time on his school when I could have been with him instead. After I had time to think about everything I realized it was so good he stuck to it. One of the reasons this degree means so much to me is because the example it set for my boys. He taught them that no matter how hard life is you never give up.

This diploma is more than just a degree. It shows my boys that their father worked so hard no matter what life delt him. It taught them to never give up and work hard for something. I’m so grateful that BYU did this for Justin. It will be forever cherished and remembered in my family!

You can watch the KSL news video of that day HERE

The Daily Universe also wrote an article about that day HERE

You can read more about my story HERE

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Hi I’m Jenn, but my friends call me Coco. I recently lost the love of my life to cancer. I’m now a single mom of IVF miracle twin boys. I hope to help others as I share my journey as a new widow and mother of twins.

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Happy 4th of July! So proud of myself for getting Happy 4th of July! So proud of myself for getting the boys out the door at 6:30am for the parade! They loved it!
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I can honestly say my dad is one of my best friends. Movies has always been our thing. I’ll never forget the time he sat me down one night when I was younger and said “my most favorite book when I was a kid was Lord of the Rings. They are making a movie. Let’s read the book together and see it when it comes out” That was the beginning ❤️
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We went on a hike this morning with Justin’s parents. It was so fun the boys loved it! Great way to celebrate Justin’s birthday! We miss you 💔❤️
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#gooutsideforjustin 

Tag me in your outdoor adventures so I can share them! ❤️🙌
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Lithium coin batteries can be hazardous for small children if they are swallowed. I encourage you to go around your home and swap out your lithium coin batteries for Duracell lithium coin batteries with the bitter coating. The packaging is child secure and the bitter coating is designed to help reduce the risk of accidental ingestion. 

 

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Im feeling scared, nervous, excited, grateful…etc all the feelings on this next part of our journey! 

Thanks to all the love and support as I make this big change. Thanks for riding along and joining my little caravan! ❤️

Link in BIO to see where we are moving! 

#changequotes #changeishard #change #widow #singlemom #newadventures #singlemomlife #singleparenting
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*Don’t forget to save this post so you can find it later 

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Read my story link in BIO

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Grateful to have these two in my life! Not sure where I would be without them. They give me a purpose to keep moving forward and they bring joy and happiness into my life. Wish their dad was here today give them a big birthday hug.

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I link our outfits on there as well!

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I want to help people save their memories and to be able to easily find  your photos.  You never want to regret not taking a photo or saving them! 

#googlephotos #preciousmemories #digitalphoto #organizepictures
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Link to outfits on my like to know it account. Or check my stories today for a link 

#luau #hawaiilife #hawaiivacation
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Link to swimsuits on my “liketoknowit

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cocoscaravan

Happy 4th of July! So proud of myself for getting Happy 4th of July! So proud of myself for getting the boys out the door at 6:30am for the parade! They loved it!
#4thofjuly #happy4thofjuly #toddler4thofjulyoutfit #twins #twintoddlers
My dad and I went to our last movie together for t My dad and I went to our last movie together for three years. It was the perfect movie to see. My dad was in the Air Force and we went with his brother who was also in the Air Force. Such a great movie and special time! 

I can honestly say my dad is one of my best friends. Movies has always been our thing. I’ll never forget the time he sat me down one night when I was younger and said “my most favorite book when I was a kid was Lord of the Rings. They are making a movie. Let’s read the book together and see it when it comes out” That was the beginning ❤️
Tag me or @justintime4adventure on your outdoor ad Tag me or @justintime4adventure on your outdoor adventures today! I’d love to share your pics! 

We went on a hike this morning with Justin’s parents. It was so fun the boys loved it! Great way to celebrate Justin’s birthday! We miss you 💔❤️
@justintime4adventure #gooutsideforjustin Tag m @justintime4adventure 
#gooutsideforjustin 

Tag me in your outdoor adventures so I can share them! ❤️🙌
Justin’s parents took the boys to the local carn Justin’s parents took the boys to the local carnival last night. ❤️ they were so so excited!
The perfect summer schedule to keep you organized The perfect summer schedule to keep you organized and feeling accomplish! Kids love it and you are more sane! It’s a win win! 
Link in stories to see more about it! 

#summerschedule #summerroutine #routine #summer #parenting
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