Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorial Day 2010

"Our servicemen and women are visible evidence of our determination to meet any threat to the peace with measured strength and high resolve. They are also evidence of a harsh but inescapable truth - that the survival of freedom requires great cost and commitment, and great personal sacrifice." President John F. Kennedy
We attended a Memorial Day Program at the cemetery where Susan is buried. I want my kids to know what Memorial Day is all about. And it was very good. A lot of veterans around to make it visible that it is about commitment and great personal sacrifice. All at a cost. Our Freedoms have not been cheap. And I am thankful to God for the great sacrifices by a lot of men and women who have gone before us and gave their lives.
This was the Wreath Presentation of the program. This all was performed by the local Marine Corps League.

Last weekend, we attended the Relay for Life w/ the American Cancer Society. It was Jake and Hannah, Michelle and Luke, Mary, Laura, Kayla, Ed Hoy, Lindsey Vogt and a lot of friends. We had a great night of being together as a family and remembering Susan and a lot of the fun times we have had at previous Relays for Life, all the way back to 2002. I remember one specific memory of Susan being lifted high above the crowd in a fire engine extended ladder bucket. She was always wanting to do the "on the edge" fun activities. And she just loved this one. And she would always get into the night of activities and love talking with so many friends. We see many of those same friends on that special night. So it was fun. Here are a couple of pictures from that night.
The group on this special nightAn iluminary in memory of Susan; along the oval track we walked many laps for the cause

This past weekend also, Jason, Sarah and I ran in the Coeur d'Alene Marathon runs. Jason ran his first Marathon with a pretty impressive time of 3 hours 56 minutes. He learned a lot about running long distance and wants to do another some day, maybe the Portland Marathon in October. Sarah ran the half marathon, her longest distance ever and was impressive at 2 hours 11 minutes. And she had a great time too. She wants to do another half marathon with me in two weeks during Adventure Week at Farragut State Park, trail running. I did the half marathon in 1 hour and 47 minutes, not bad for an old guy. I was pleased. Here are some pictures from that day.
Jason about 200 feet from the Finish Line. He looks pretty fresh but he was a bit dehydrated at the end. His knee brace was from an minor injury during training.
The two half marathoners. We plan on another in two weeks.

And I have to get a picture of my grandson Luke. Nathan, Michelle and Luke came over on Sunday afternoon after the race. Luke is such a handsome young guy. We are all enjoying Luke so much. Laura is going to be taking a babysitter CPR class in a couple of weeks so that she can baby sit him. She is really exited about doing that.

Luke at 5 months old

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Our Dog Dawson Passed Away

Yesterday, Dawson, our faithful black lab of over 10 years, passed away. He had been dealing with arthritis and had some lumps around his stomach area for several years now. But up until Tuesday he seemed to be doing OK. Then on Wednesday morning, he just was not able to stand up and move around. His breathing was erratic too. We all said our good byes that morning and then he died within an hour after. Susan absolutely loved Dawson. He was such a faithful companion to her. I have included a picture of Susan and Dawson. This was the night that Susan was checked into the Cancer Ward at the hospital. We snuck Dawson into the hospital just to see Susan. They both were very excited to see each other, as you can see on Susan's face.


I will upload some more pictures of Dawson when I get home tonight. This morning was not the same around the house without Dawson. We will miss him.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

"Be kind to one another"

"And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32

Greetings family, friends and anyone else that happens along this blog site. Grace and peace to you! I was reading in Ephesians during my quiet time and this verse really spoke to me. I often times forget how God treats us is unconditional, no strings attached, no preconditions and He loves us no matter what. The Bible is very clear on His love for us, it "extends to the heavens"(Psalm 36:5). And we are called to "be Holy, for I am Holy" 1 Peter 1:16. So let us be kind and love one another, forgiving just as we are forgiven. Hope all is well with you.
We have had a busy month. First off, Sarah's car was totaled but thanks to insurance, she recovered the value of the car. And she has bought a Honda Accord. She had no injuries from the deer encounter. I am very thankful for that. And Laura's headaches have gotten better. She gets them on occasion and it is not associated with reading. Some think that it could be her age and the hormone changes that she is going through. Still pray for Laura.
Updates:
1) Jason has been running and has now signed up for the Coeur d'Alene marathon on Memorial Day weekend. This is very exciting because Jason has never been a runner. He has always liked soccer which involves a lot of running. But this is a stretch for him. But he is doing well. Sarah, Leah and I are planning the 1/2 marathon on the weekend as well. Should be a fun family event.
Jason and I did our kick off run for the season, the Spring Dash. Here is a picture of Jason and I before the race. Also, Michelle and her cousin Lydia ran.

2) At Susan's gravesite, we had a special time together. Again this year we wrote love notes to dear Susan and released them attached to Helium balloons. We had fun watching the different balloons go each different ways and trying to keep them in eye sight as they got higher and higher. Hannah and Kitty (Jake's mom) painted up some very special rocks to put around the grave marker. They both did such a great job making each rock for a member of the family with their name on it with a special artistic flavor on each. Thanks Hannah and Kitty for making it really special.


3) Being a Grandpa has been very exciting. Luke is changing so fast. I have been getting some one on one time with Luke and that has been special. I get to watch him this Thursday night in fact. Luke is now just over 4 months old. I am so proud of Nathan and Michelle. They are doing such a super job with Luke. They are really getting into parenting. Nathan dropped by on Saturday. Here is a picture of the two. Handsome guys aren't they.
4) Yesterday, Hannah, Jake and I did the famous Bloomsday run in Spokane. 50,000 people participate in Bloomsday. 7.5 mile course through scenic parts of a Spokane. Jake did real well. This is a first time running event for Jake and he finished! Proud of him and Hannah. We all had a great time. Weather was very beautiful in the morning.