'Sweet as Candy' honors memory of loving mother

Every tree at the Festival of Trees is about a memory. This year's "Sweet as Candy" display is a 7-foot tribute to two chubby-cheeked little boys from Brigham City who will celebrate Christmas without their mother.

Candace Mosser, who never wanted anything more than to be a mother, died after the delivery of Garrett, now 19 months old. She was just 28 years old. She was never able to wrap her arms around her newborn or kiss her 2-year-old son Colton goodbye.

Since then, Candace's close-knit family has been right there with her husband, Adam, to make sure Colton and Garrett grow up with some memory of their mother.

"It has taken all of us to do her job," said Candace's younger sister, April Lamborn. And while they all know they can't replace her, they all have pieces of Candace that no one else can share but them.

Adam said his wife was "always loving, always caring, always giving." Those words described her so well he had them engraved on her headstone. He enjoyed taking home videos, so there are many available for the boys to see their mother. Candace was the kind of mom who was well-organized and planned ahead. Because she loved to shop, Colton still has clothes in his closet that he has never worn.

Candace's mother, Susan Sutton, said her middle child was always calm, never one to lose her temper.

"We can all be here together, and sometimes I still feel alone," Sutton said. "I wake up every morning and think of her."

Calling her big sister a good mother, Amber Secrist misses being able to call her on the phone to ask about pregnancy or kids. And she misses sharing her clothes, although she still has some of Candace's things in her closet.

Candace's family recently decorated a festival tree in her honor, largely as a way to keep her memory alive for Colton and Garrett. The tree is covered in gingerbread men, giant red-and-white candy canes, jumbo lollipops and big, glittery red-and-white balls.

While there were many memories shared and tears shed, Susan, Amber and April say donating the tree to the Festival of Trees is something positive they can do, not only for Candace and her sons, but for others.

Candace was placed on bedrest near the end of her pregnancy after she began to experience signs of pre-eclampsia. Three weeks before her due date, it became necessary to induce labor.