February - The hope for better...

 Happy February!

It's not all hearts and flowers here - actually pretty much not at all hearts and flowers for the most part!

It's Rye's birthday month this month and it falls on a Friday - which is excellent since this year I will not be trying to work on his birthday!  Each year I have to choose ahead of time how it might go and this year I'm just not up for trying it out to see if it will go well!  I just want to be still like a vegetable!

Left photo is you and Katie Carney at I believe, her birthday and right is you with your new snowmachine sled that you were so excited about and rode it until it was just rubble!  Then you and Reed rode it some more!

Today you would be 33,  It is our 9th birthday without you, heading like a hell's snowball toward your 10th year gone.  It has not gotten easier - maybe only a little "less" heavy on some of the days.

This is a Thanksgiving on the Slope and maybe not a birthday but, it is a celebration all the same.  I don't know all of these people even, but some of them have reached out since you left us.

We made it through January - just barely I think here in Alaska!  It felt like it was about 97 days long and Im not the only one who felt that way! We rode out three storms Since December 15th ish that kept us on our toes, our shovels, snow brooms, and sometimes at home snowed in!

Your 21 year birthday - Fun at Chepo's and of course the "Rye Sign"!  If we had only known we would only get to have you for two more years..... If only.

We had wind, rain, snow, ice and just so we didn't give up - a little sunshine that came with COLD!

With the cold also comes some fun - aka Last Frontier Pond Hockey Classic with my best Pickle Sticks!  Dear readers can check out more about the team and the products at this Page!  Its such a hoot to see Reed and all the "fella's" playing this fun level of hockey - just for the love of the game! You would have loved this event - it would have been fun to see you play with your brother and probably against your old friends...

Yes - its those Friese boys!  It was clear and cold and beautiful and fun!

42 below was the coldest we had here in the Burg ( luckily not on Pond Hockey days), where we are and we did not get the sort of wind that they got in Wasilla, but it was enough to make the dogs fart in their sleep and keep one eye open since they were sure the sky was falling!

But we also had this...... The Aurora dancing across the night sky, reminding us that even in the dead of winter on the darkest night, the light will come.... eventually.  Sometimes I think it's Rye sending messages of hope for us too - just like the "song of the day" and the messages he sends to friends to give to me - sometimes through people that I barely know!  He recently told one of his friends in a dream that "I am great!  I am exactly where I'm supposed to be!"

Sometimes the messages are from people very close though.  Remembering you and those who have gone to see you first!  We are missing you both here and I hope you and Uncle Jeff have the birthday of all heavenly birthdays up there - in the Universe - Doing all the things!  Don't forget the Ding Dong Dash! Eat the cake!

May you have the most heavenly of Happy Birthdays my son, and may some of your light shine down on us all here on this side - bringing hope - I hope!

Blessed Be as we march into March!