In Memory of.....

2008 has been a year of multiple losses to those who are close to us, friends and family. It has been difficult not being close to family and friends in Montana during the time of these losses. We wanted to honor their memory with this blog....

If tears could build a stairway,

And memories were a lane,

I would walk right up to Heaven

To bring you home again.

No farewell's were spoken,

No time for goodbye,

You were gone before I knew it,

And only God knows why.

My heart still aches in sadness,

And secret tears will flow,

What is meant to me to lose you,

No one will ever know....

Anonymous

The friends and family that we have lost this past year are the following:

~~Mike Aronson 3/5/08, husband to Char, my co-worker~~

~~Dennis Medeiros 4/30/08, husband to Laura, one of my co-workers~~

~~JoAnne Maxfield-Warnock 5/2/08, Mother of Tae Schlicht, our sister-in-law.~~

~~Douglas Garfield 5/4/08, Father of Dougie, Vanessa and Shaylene, my mothers youngest brother, my Uncle Goggosh.~~

~~Kristin Nelson-Hall 6/21/08, daughter of friend and co-worker-Lonna Hall.~~

~~Maurice "Moose" Lambert 7/11/08, husband to Auntie Marshelle, Father of Danielle and Maurie, my mother's brother-in-law, my uncle.~~

~~Shawna Nelson 9/14/08, co-worker and friend, daughter of Lonna Hall~~

~~Imelda Moran 8/08, Sister-in Law to Grandma Aggie, My Great-Aunt, mother to my late cousin, Becky~~

~~Jody Martin Kohl 9/18/08, sister to my aunt Janice Garfield.~~

~~Dana Rogers 8/08, cousin to Auntie Ruth Garfield.~~

~~Seth Bonnett 10/12/08, infant son of Kathryn and Leland Bonnett, Mike's cousin~~

~~Buzz Cleasby 11/20/08, father to JD's first girlfriend, Karrie Cleasby.~~

~~Kim Cleasby 11/23/08, sister to JD's first girlfriend, Karrie Cleasby.~~

~~Carey McCullough Welch 11/24/08, mother of Janette, Josh, Michael, "Monkey", Sam, Jada. My Friend.....~~

~~Andrew "Gator" Robinson, 11/26/08, friend of my brother JD's since Head Start~~

~~Kailee Pretty Sky Garfield 12/2/08, newborn daughter to cousin KC Garfield, Granddaughter to Uncle Chuck and Janice Garfield~~

~~Sybil Lambert, mother to my Uncle Moose, Grandmother to cousins Danelle and Maurie~~

You are all in our thoughts........

It's Snow Fun!!!

On Friday, December 26, 2008, Mike and I drove to Frenchtown, MT to pickup RaeLynn, Josh and Caite. On the way there, I took some pictures of the snow around Lake Couer d'Alene and through Look Out Pass. The snow fall was not as much as we got, here in "Sno"kane, but it was just as beautiful, as Montana always is......As of tonight, we have had 59 inches of snow in 2 weeks. That is 4 feet, 11 inches--taller than Caite!!!

Here are low lying clouds over Lake Couer d'Alene

View through 4th of July Pass

Elmer's Fountain near Mullan, Idaho

This is Kellogg, Idaho, you can see the line going up the mountain, that is the Gondola ride up to the top of the mountain. You can either ski down, hike down or ride your bikes down.

This is the Clark's Fork River in Montana

The first blue sky we had seen in over a week and it was in Montana!

The mountains are doing "pfft". The snow is falling off the trees and making the "pfft" of snow, a smoke-like look. RaeLynn all smiles

Josh and Caite found some icicles!

Josh being silly

Josh and Caite being silly together

The kids got Rock Band for Christmas. It has a guitar, microphone and drum set. Here is Josh "getting down" with his drum set. Caite telling Momma T how to play this thingGetting ready to go play in the snow towards Grandma Janice and Grandpa Jim's. Caite is checking on the Alpaca's before she heads out to play

Rae buried up to knee's in snow at Grandma and Grandpa's

Josh walking on the path at Grandma and Grandpa's

Here is Mystic

Blackberry

Mealtime

Josh and Caite checking out the powder

Are they going up the hill or down the hill?

RaeLynn posing in the snow. What a snow bunny!!

Mike trying to snowboardPretty picture that RaeLynn took

Having a rough time staying up there, Mike?

By George, I think he got it!!

This is how it is done, Dad!

Crash and burn

Josh trying to pull Caite up the hill

Mike and Josh wiped out after a day of playing in the snow

Mike and the kids are enjoying the snow. Mike says he is to old to be snowboarding, he has been hurting from falling and getting back up!!

Christmas 2008

On Christmas Eve day, I was glancing out a window at work and saw these wonderful icicles. The way the sun was shining on them was gorgeous earlier in the day.
As I was leaving work on Christmas Eve to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house, this was the view from our parking lot. The sunset was very beautiful!! Mike's family has a "family tradition" of going over to Grandma and Grandpa Patton's house, my father-in-law's mom. She cooks up homemade Italian spaghetti and meatballs/sauce. Grandma and Grandpa usually have a house full, but because of the weather and bad roads a lot of people did not show up. This was the first Christmas that Mike and I have been here for this and Mike had to work, so I went over to help out and enjoy the family.
This is Julie and Grandma P.
Caught a good snap shot of my father-in-law, Jim.
This little girl is Mike's cousin, Ryan's daughter. Her name is RaeLynn, also. She just turned 6 and she is the same size as Dylan and Zach. They really took a "liking" to her. The boys are usually shy around new people. Julie and SydneyThis is Mike's uncle Dan and his boys. Travis, Ryan and Nick. Sydney loves "slurping" up the spaghetti. She even got it to hit her nose!! Dave is helping her out.
On Christmas Day, both Mike and I had to work, but not until 2:00. We went to Jim and Janice's for Christmas brunch with the family. This is the first Christmas that Mike has spent with his family in 18 years. He was glad to be here with them.
I love train sets. Janice has this little town and train set up under her table in her living room.
Last year, Janice made this Santa outfit. Jim was Santa last year and this year, Mike got nominated to be good ol' Kris Kringle. She made an awesome suit. Who is at the door?? Once Dylan realized who was at the door, he started to head away and hid behind the rocking chair.
"I'm just stopping in to see if you were good or bad this year". I think Hannah knew who Santa was, she did not bark at him and stayed between his legs. The kids would not give Santa a hug goodbye, but would shake his hand. Sydney told Santa "Merry Christmas, goodbye". She was more brave then Zach and Dylan! Mike was trying to figure out Julie's camera and so I took a candid of them. When Mike was working on Julie's camera, he took candid's of the boys. Tae and Syndey checking out new books
A new kitchen for Sydney. Dave made this from scraps from the shop. Sydney absolutely loved it! Sydney checking out her kitchen

Mike popping bubble wrap with Dylan.
Hanna trying to get some loving from Jay I was a "bad" auntie. I picked out "Incredible Hulk" boxing gloves for Dylan and Zach. They make growling noises and says "your making me angry, you won't like me when I'm angry" "Hulk mad". The boys loved them!!

Attacking their dad with the Hulk gloves
On the way home, we took the back roads. I was leery about it due to the snow fall and the roads had not been plowed yet. Here are some beautiful back road snow shots.
Little Spokane River

Doe peeking her head around the tree. You can see the snow falling.

Julie sent us these pictures that she took of the boys in the snow. I think they turned out cute!!

Zach.

Dylan
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I did have a difficult time, being away from Walker and the rest of my family, but I made it through. Hopefully it gets easier and I hope that next year that my family can come out this way for the holidays!!