Beautiful & Inspired

Since I started the blog, I knew I wanted to post something special today.  However, with my crummy work schedule, I was fearful that I wouldn't have time to write something deserving.  Luckily, when I woke up tonight, there was an e-mail from my beloved sister that was so beautifully written, I knew it was God giving me what I had wanted to be able to give all of you.  Katy Beth, thank you so much for writing this beautiful and eloquent entry!

As I sit here on the 3rd anniversary of the greatest tragedy one side of my family has known, I have to sit and reflect on what we have done in these last 3 years.  Some of us have moved away.  Some of us have gotten married.  And some of us have had children.  I believe all of us have made our own personal journey of making every day count.  And I am so so so proud to be a part of this family.  All I can do today is sit here and think: Would they be proud of us?  Would they see how far we have come?  Would next year be any easier than the last?  And first and foremost: Are WE proud of us?  Do we all realize how much we have accomplished in the last 3 years?  We have welcomed so many new people in this family.  Whether through marriage or through births.  Despite all that has happened, we continue to grow and carry on as I believe our grandparents, parents, uncle, father, brother, mother, sister and friends would have prayed and hope we would.  Yes, we have had to deal with tragedy.  But through that tragedy we have BLOOMED.  We have learned to appreciate each day as a special gift.  We look at our children and our families with just a little more tenderness in our hearts.  We try just a little harder each day to smile and to make others smile.  even though I cried throughout the day today, as I'm sure I will every year on this day, I know in my heart of hearts that I will see those that I miss so much someday.  I have no doubt that as they look down upon us, Gramps is telling Davey: "Good work marrying that pretty little girl of yours".  Grams is telling Kris, Karyn, Daniel and Matthew: "Your children are so beautiful!"  And Mark is looking down at Beth, Matt and Karyn and telling them: "You have made such wonderful choices for additions to our family".  I know there are so many more stories that have happened in the last 3 years.  Änna as moved halfway across the country, as has Abigail.  I started school and I'm now almost done.  Beka is about to graduate college.  Karyn and Mike now live in the home where we all used to put on Christmas pageants and the "Scissor Sisters" (Kris and I) used to perform dance routines (always practiced in the basement beforehand, of course).  I wonder if any of these same things will happen for this next generation that we have started to produce.  I hope that we can pass on the wonderful things the G'ma, G'pa and Mark gave to all of us.  From making lefsa and potato sausage, to giving a helping hand to those in need.  As we get ready to start another new year, I hope that this next one will find you all happy and healthy, and looking ahead to a bright future.  I hope that your road is smooth, and when it gets rough you know that you have a great support system in Heaven and on earth.  I love you all so much.  

Katy

A Sand Lake Thanksgiving

So the night before I start my work week, I try to stay up most of the night (you know, to better prepare my body for the drastic shift from day to night).  This leads to a lot of Facebook and blog stalking.  I noticed Kris had put up more pictures from Thanksgiving at the cabin and they put such a huge smile on my face that I wanted to share a few special ones with you...captions by me.

This picture captures that proud papa essence...I cannot get over how much he resembles Daniel here.  This picture made my heart sing : )

Naptime for Grandma and her newest granddaughter.  How heart-warming is this?

Now, there were a few options of this cousin picture, but I had to choose this one because Gracie looks so over it and I find it completely adorable.  And I cannot get over how big and beautiful Addison is!

Look at this beautiful little family!  Megan and Stella - I can't wait to meet you pretty ladies!

Dianne's got so many grandkids they don't fit in her lap anymore!

Dianne, you look so happy in this picture.  And that makes me happy.

Grandma glowing with her beautiful grandchildren!

How cute is this?  I love seeing daddies read to their kids : )

How adorably precious is Stella?  (And how wonderful is her Auntie Karyn?)

Darling little cousins...I hope they get the chance to put on family Christmas pageants of their own someday, like their aunties and uncle!

I don't think words are needed to convey the beauty of this picture.

Welcome to the world Stella Mae!  Hope your Thanksgiving was joyful!

Beka Goes to Washington!

Here are some pictures from Beka's adventure to Washington this summer (captions courtesy of her!)

Trying to get a shot of Mt. Ranier...isn't it gorgeous?

Port Orchard, where Nicole (seen below) grew up...it was so amazingly beautiful!

A super awesome car we saw driving back from Skagit River Woods, which is very close to Vancouver

 

Gorgeous water at the marina...can't remember the city though, we were waiting for the ferry...

Absolutely gorgeous skyline of Seattle...doesn't it just make you want to live there?

Nicole and Beka being adventurous in the woods!  It was so much fun walking around and looking at all the beauty of the nature surrounding us...it was very peaceful, especially after dealing with the aftermath of the apartment fire for most of the year...

Gorgeousness

If you guys want to see more, Beka says to check out her Facebook page where she has lots more pictures posted : )

Thanksgiving for the Bowes!

Kris sent me the beautiful pictures of Stella and a few of Tre too (posted in the BABIES post below) from their time up at Sand Lake for Thanksgiving.  Kris says:

Stella is a real beauty, that's for sure. Our whole family feels so blessed to have another baby in the family.  As far as Thanksgiving, everyone except Beth and Darin were able to make it up to the cabin.  It was great to spend time with Matt, Megan and Stella, as well as each other over the holiday, although we really missed Bethie and Darin!  Gracie loves spending time with her Nana and aunts and uncles and cousins, and is extremely excited to be able to hold Stella, although her Uncle Matt wants her to wait until they are both a "little bit older".  

BABIES!

Over the past year (okay, a little more than that, since Tre celebrated his first birthday in August) our family has been fortunate enough to add four beautiful, wonderful, healthy babies, bringing the (would-be great-)grandbaby count to SEVEN!  Hard to believe it was six years ago that God blessed Kris & Mike with Gracie.  Let's take a peek at some of the latest pictures of the new additions.

Tre chilling at Sand Lake on Turkey Day

Playing a tune on the drums (I am totally digging the engineer overalls!)

My main man, Jesse D and his brother Joel cleaning the floor with themselves on Thanksgiving at Dave & Clare's (thanks for sending this Davey!)

David trying to explain to them why it is important to be nice to the $600 guitar

The newest addition to the family, Stella Mae!  Congratulations Matt & Megan and thanks Kris for sending these pictures!

What a beautiful little lady!  I can't wait to meet her!

Congratulations, again, Matt & Megan on such a precious baby girl!

News from Virginia!

Abigail went to her first American Art Therapy Association conference.  This year it was in Cleveland, OH.

Fellow EVMS Art Therapy students who also attended the conference - all in matching "art therapy" t-shirts!

After the conference, she was able to jet over to Chicago to visit Dave, Tessa and Peter for a few days before Thanksgiving.

Johnson's trying to use the timer! (at Dave & Tessa's new place in Chicago)

Dave, Abigail and Peter modeling some fully functional sunglasses!

David and Tessa modeling in TJ Maxx

Andrew Vick was also in Chicago and honored Dave, Peter and Abigail with his presence for lunch one afternoon at the wonderful Pauline's restaurant : )

The engaged Andrew Vick eating lunch with Peter - David and Abigail on teh other side of the table.

She spent Thanksgiving with some of her boyfriend(Joshua)'s family - yea, yea, yea, a photo and a more thorough introduction are coming soon!  After Thanksgiving, Abigail played "mistress of ceremony" for her friend Kathryn Denger who was married in Charlottesville, VA.  Abigail met Kathryn in the art therapy program at EVMS.  Kathryn is now doing art therapy "missions work" (ie: unpaid, support-raising) with inner-city youth at a private Christian academy in Richmond - very cool stuff!  Abigail will be in and around the Chaska area for Christmas December 21st - January 10th...to see some puppies!

doodle puppies!  They're much bigger now, but just to get a picture up!

Looking to the slight future, Abigail will be graduating from graduate school with a Masters of Science in Art Therapy on MAY 16, 2009!!!

Last December...

Last December, I was blessed with a visit from Beka Boo!  It was a wonderful break from work and I was glad to show her more of the city.  It was also an immense comfort to have her around on the 11th, as the year before I had spent my day crying in the middle of a garden in Golden Gate Park, transfixed by some amazingly gorgeous lilies that reminded me of Grams.  We didn't have a whole lot of time together, but we had fun with what we were given!

Spying Boo at the airport before she spies me!

Sisters, sisters!  There were never such devoted sisters!

Taking the ferry to Oakland for a show at Yoshi's Jazz Club!!

Beka, Will and I freezing out on the ferry

The BART ride back to the city after the show

Photo shoot time!

I know it, we're weird

Dinasaurs maybe?  I really have no clue...

Our pretty manicures from the über-cheap lady two doors down from the apartment!  Kind of looks like a silly wedding photo...hehe

Now a photo shoot to go with the manicures!

Will had taken quite a few at this point...we were having a blast laughing and being silly together!