Simon was born on May 15, 1998, the youngest of four children. His parents and siblings cried tears of joy when he was born and now heaven rejoices that they received such a beautiful soul.

Simon had a heart of gold and was always thinking of others. He liked everyone he met and everyone liked him. Simon spoke up for the underprivileged and those that could not defend themselves. He was a loyal and trusted friend. Simon loved hugs and felt no shame over public affection. He adored music and movies — he was constantly singing or rapping and loved family movie night. He had a gift for making people laugh and both his smile and personality were contagious. Simon loved the outdoors, from fishing, camping, and hiking to river rafting on the Snake River. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t try. He was in constant motion, his sense of adventure urging him to discover new sensations and experiences. He lived a full life and enjoyed every moment. This was Simon’s passion. A gifted athlete, he enjoyed playing basketball.

Simon and his girlfriend, Hailie Godfrey, were killed in a head-on crash late on the night of August 17, 2016. They were hit by a 20-year-old driver, Tanner Evans, who had fallen asleep at the wheel. What is crazy about the crash is that we know Tanner’s family very well. We hold no hard feelings and we love that family! We know the Evans family is devastated and feeling the same pain and sadness.

I am so proud of my children. When my son, Chandler, found out who the driver was, he wanted to drive over and tell the family that we forgive them and have no hard feelings. My daughter, Lexi, posted on her Facebook wall to pray for him and his family. And my son, Gehrig, is not angry either. This is what Simon would have wanted. He loved everyone and would want everyone to be laughing and have no anger.

I’m sure Simon would say, “Guys, relax. I will see you all very soon. I’m skydiving in Heaven and practicing my basketball skills.”

I’m humbled by the power of forgiveness, for this is the only way to heal and move forward. We donated many of the organs in Simon’s body, which will help 30 people. Simon would have liked knowing he helped others in need.

Please pray for all of us and especially the Evans family. This is not easy for any of us, but through God and faith we will get through this most trying time in our lives.

The outreach and love extended to our family has been overwhelming, we have had so many friends and family visit, call from all over the world and hundreds of texts and Facebook posts. We feel the power of your thoughts and prayers. It is by this power that we are getting through this most challenging time.

Some people say that there is no God, others say we will not have an afterlife. But I CHOOSE to BELIEVE, I CHOOSE to be HAPPY, I CHOOSE to live my life through my son. And I CHOOSE one day to embrace my son and cry tears of joy.