Merry Christmas from Colleen and Steve!
This last year was notable for one heartbreaking tragedy. On March 17, we lost Colleen’s daughter Brandi. She was 43 years old and passed peacefully in her sleep in Lake Havasu City, AZ where she lived with her husband, Gary.
Her family and close friends gathered together and a memorial service was held to commemorate her life. We have set up a memorial website in her honor and would appreciate if you could visit it and pay your respects – https://www.forevermissed.com/brandi-ann-rowe.
The family is coping as best we can, but we all miss her generous, enthusiastic spirit as well as her upbeat, optimistic attitude. We miss her tremendously!
| Those we love remain with us for love itself lives on, and cherished memories never fade because a loved one’s gone. Those we love can never be more than a thought apart, for as long as there is memory, they’ll live on in the heart. |
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We will soon have a new family member. Steve’s son John is getting married! On Feb 19th, he proposed to Hayley Kristinnson and they are planning a mid-2018 wedding. Hayley is a wonderful, lovely person and is a psychologist working in Los Angeles at the Sports Concussion Institute as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Clinical Neuropsychology.
Additionally, Hayley is a Canadian by birth, but in August, she completed all requirements to become a U.S. Citizen and her swearing in ceremony was held on August 22.
Also in August, several of the family traveled to Sequim, WA to visit Bob and Elaine at their home on Llenroc Farm. They kept us busy! We started off at the Clallam County Fair, then displayed one of Bob’s Ford Model “A”s in the local car show. And when the big Solar Eclipse happened on August 21, we were ready. However, even though the Sun was eclipsed by almost 92%, it was a big meh. Otherwise, our visit to Llenroc was outstanding!
As I mentioned last year, Steve completely retired in February. He gives retirement high marks and has been keeping busy by teaching himself the art of Stained Glass. As of the time of this writing, he has completed 3 projects and is anticipating doing 3 or 4 more in 2018.
Halloween is one of our favorite events, and this year we had the gang over and carved pumpkins. Here are some images:
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So even though last year was marked with a tragic loss, life somehow has a way of continuing on regardless and we cope as best we can.
We are really looking forward to being surrounded by family and friends this Christmas season! Brandi’s kids Chris and Becca are coming to visit, and we will celebrate Christmas with Secret Santas and “A Christmas Story”. May God bless us, every one!
We hope you all have the merriest Christmas and a very happy New Year!
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