September…

The start of fall, back to school and routines, which I love after a fun Montana summer and this one has been a good one! The days are starting to get shorter, the mornings are cool, crisp and smell like a little bit of heaven. We are harvesting our garden and enjoying the fruits of our labor. The leaves are starting to change, one of the things that I love the most about living here in God’s country.

We will celebrate birthday’s and wedding anniversaries, play softball, enjoy some day trips to explore in our “backyard” and hopefully get some fishing in. Life is really good…

But, as I reflect and enjoy all the amazing things around me, I still have that stinging sadness, as September marks another year that my sister has been gone… It’s hard to explain, because like I said, life is good. It just seems when the calendar turns and September comes my heart feels different, even after 29 years…

There is a lot happening right now, so I recognize that I am feeling a little more sensitive than most years, so today when I received an email from my cousin, Rebecca, I was really touched. She wants to pay tribute to Vicki this month and ask our family and friends to tie yellow ribbons to their car antennas, mailboxes or even wear them as a symbol that ‘we will not forget Vicki Lynne’. When Vicki disappeared, Tucson turned into a sea of yellow ribbons, yellow bumper stickers reading “Don’t forget Vicki Lynne” were on cars at every intersection and occasionally I have people tell me they still see them on cars driving down the road… 29 years later…

So, I invite you to join us in honoring Vicki this September as we mark the 29th anniversary of her death. Tie a yellow ribbon to your car antenna… your mailbox… or wear one. Share with us, stories, memories and make this a time of positive reflection on the little girl who changed our community. Don’t forget Vicki Lynne.

Tree Planting Broadway & Randolph,  Tucson, AZ December 1984

Tree Planting Broadway & Randolph,
Tucson, AZ December 1984

 

 

 

September already?

Summer came and went and it is hard to believe that we are settling into fall. The air is cool in the morning and we have woke up to some frosty wet windows already.

I am a little discouraged with myself that it was actually June since my last blog post. I have done little writing this summer. And haven’t blogged once. Geez!

Needless to say, once June hit things went crazy around our house. We had a lot of family and friends visit us this summer. We explored our local area seeing the Flathead Valley from the top of Big Mountain to Glacier National Park to Flathead Lake and as far west as the Thompson Chain of Lakes. We put on a lot of miles and we probably over ate, drank and had to much fun… nahhh, I think it is impossible to have to much fun!  We laughed sometimes until our stomachs hurt and reminisced about old stories while making new ones. Life is good!

As we move into September, Scott is still as busy as ever. Giles Thornton, the Super Late Model racer he is working with now, has had a great summer season. It is really exciting to watch Giles as he continues to grow in his talents. To be honest, I haven’t been this exciting about racing since Scott drove!!! I know there are great things to come in this program and feel so incredibly lucky that Scott is a part of what is happening!

Madison has gotten her first few days of 5th grade under her belt! 5th grade? It really amazes me how fast the time has gone, and it only seems to be steaming faster ahead.  She loves her teacher, has enjoyed reconnecting with friends from last year and making new ones! We will continue with horse riding lessons and find some art lessons to nurture her talents, here is what she is working on today…

(When she saw me posting a copy she warned it is NOT done yet just for the “record”)

Mackenzie starts kindergarten this week. I am not sure how much of this I can really talk about without getting completely emotional. I am so excited for her to go to school, and she is ready. We met her teacher last week and visited her classroom during Open House.. 3 days and counting down! It is just hard to believe how fast the time has gone. Sniff sniff…

As for me? I accepted a part time position at their school as an Instructional Para Educator, a.k.a. assist and help in anyway I can. I am beyond happy to be able to be at school with them. It’s really perfect for me to be able to take them to school, work and still have a few hours in the afternoon to do other things until I pick them up. I am not sure exactly where this will all lead but I am open to the new opportunities that have come my way and will just sit back and see.

My biggest goal for this fall is to get back to writing, and blogging… stay tuned!