This has been a long time coming and somewhat bitter suit. After an already busy summer we are headed to Wyoming to celebrate Mom. Mom Passed away September 12, 2017. Yes, I know almost two years have passed but Mom had some pretty specific requests for her celebration. I always new that Mom's wishes included The Tetons. Her specific request was to be cremated, travel by horseback up the mountain and then scattered. Mom loved the Tetons, after living in St. Anthony for so many years and walking out our front door to their amazing beauty every day how could you not fall in love with them.
Now, knowing Moms wishes and carrying the burden of bringing this to fruition was very difficult. Last summer I tried to arrange the horseback ride but with so many varying abilities and sizes this became very difficult. I was so grateful for my brother and my sisters last summer. I felt so much pressure not achieving the service in a timely fashion and with their help I overcame those feelings. Speaking with them we developed some amazing ideas that truly came to fruition this summer.
I quickly began to develop an image in my mind and once we narrowed in on a weekend that worked for almost everyone I began looking for a house. What I was looking for in a house was very specific. The house had to have a view of The Tetons, It obviously had to have room for everyone. I had this vision of all of us sitting around together telling stories of Mom, her life and our childhood. This was very important to me specifically because I did not grow up with my brothers and sister. The house needed to be close to Grand Targhee Ski Resort because after skiing there for so many years I new what an amazing view this mountain had and that Mom would absolutely love it. I also new that there was a chair lift that could transport those to the top who would have trouble with a walk or a ride.
All of these things came to fruition in one amazing weekend. Here is that story...
When Mom passed we were so blessed to all of been there at that very moment. What more could we ask for. Knowing that we were all going to take part in this amazing week was bringing up memories that I had not had to deal with yet. We planned for many family activities. We loaded up the razor, fishing poles, wood, a number of boxes that I had left from Mom's apartment that we needed to go through as a family... oh ya and MOM, all week I was worried about forgetting Mom. So here we go!
Part of what was so important to me about this memorial is that it has allowed my closest friends to be with me. Those friends who new Mom and literally saved my life through high school but have never had the chance to spend quality time with my family.
Without Suzette this memorial may have never happened. I did book the house early but it was Suzette that asked me as the months began to close in "What are your plans for the service?" " Are you going to have a reading, a prayer, a song?"
Well, in my mind I had the house and that was good.
My dear friend Selena also stepped in to help organize the food and work hand in hand with Suzette as they offered to cater the meal after the service. With this in mind as we pulled into Idaho Falls we had a plan to drop the boys off at the Niederer house and then the girls would go do the shopping.
After an amazing trip to the Idaho Falls Albertson's we nestled in for an hour and a half chat in the outdoor patio section. If you know the three of us this would not be that uncommon. I can't recreate the conversation that took place that day other than saying that I love these girls so much and I am so grateful that they have always been there for me. Both held a special place in Mom's heart and Mom was truly present in that store that day. Our trip down memory lane was sadly interrupted when the phone rang and it was the boys. See we still had to drive to Driggs and it was getting late. Thank God the boys understand our relationship. So we wrapped things up in the grocery store and hit the check out line.
When we arrived at the house it was late so we unloaded and then hit the sack but the next morning the fun began. The Razor proved to be a great plan as it occupied the kids as we spent time together in the house. It even occupied the older kids <3 br="">
I love seeing sides of my brother that I have never seen. He and Gail stood next to the truck and discovered that they looked like Oompa Loompa's from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They were so silly that we literally could not stop laughing.
The view, oh that view. As we settled in and began to spend time together Mom was ever present. This was exactly what I had imagined looking up at that miraculous view and feeling the warmth of Moms love wrapped around us.
We set up an altar if you will that evolved throughout the weekend as we began to unpack the boxes. The house was perfect. There was a table on the back porch that looked like the glass had broken recently. Steve and Colin found a gate that was unhinged and placed it on the table. This made a perfect setting for morning coffee, evening dinner, and sharing stories of Mom with an amazing backdrop.
The girls separated Mom's jewelry, she had so much. the kids were able to take the item's that they would hold dear and then our plan was to allow our friends who were attending the service to go through Mom's things and choose something of hers to take home. It was a beautiful tribute to give a piece of Mom to all who loved her so much.
One of the fumiest finds were these binoculars. THEY WERE HUGE! The Welters took these home to use as a prop for the theater, I bet back in the day they were great binoculars. The funny thing was we used them many times throughout the weekend.
As we went though the boxes Mom, who at times seemed incredibly unorganized had all of our class pictures complete and in order as well as report cards. Oh did we laugh, like when Patti changed her "F" to a "P" and wrote "Steve did it", reading what "great" kids we were growing up, finding old photographs of our family from times gone by.
Day 2 brought an amazing breakfast orchestrated by my brother. There was also an incredible find of a note from Mom in her organizer listing specific items and who they were supposed to go to. It was as if she was standing there telling us.
Later that afternoon we headed out to Grand Targhee to really just check it out, order the tickets for the chair ride and have a cocktail. We also instigated a little bit of a snow ball fight. It is incredible how much snow is still here.
After spending some time on the hill a few of us headed to a local fishing pond that Tex found. At first the fish were biting like crazy, we caught a few. The Jensen's joined us. I am so incredibly blessed to have such amazing friends who not only love me but loved Mom too. Angee has been my manager for 11 years and our kids grew up together at the apartment complex. Mom worked with us and lived at the apartments and was a second Mom to Angee and Grandmother to the girls. It really is such an incredible sorry of love. I am so grateful that they came to celebrate Mom with us. They were also so respectful to allow us time at the house to go through Mom's things. I truly adore this family. They will always be a part of ours.
As friends continued to arrive we headed home to host a potatoes bar for all those who had made the trip so far. The Z-W's also made the trip. Sheree and Johnnie have been such incredible friends and Mom had cheered Sheree and I on for so many years. We met when I first moved to Boise and have played ball for over 20 years. Mom was there for many of those years. Sheree has been with me through thick and thin and I could not ask for a better friend.
We set out a few appetizers and then got to work on the potato bar. Another beautiful evening with The Tetons as our backdrop as we all shared dinner with stories and laughter.
After dinner we continued to work our way through Mom's boxes and laughed late into the night.
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