Celebrating a Full Life

Sam's Aunt Kati - Katherine Bray Strickland - passed away on February 10 after a five year battle with cancer. We will all miss her terribly. Kati asked us not to mourn her death, but to celebrate her life, so as we grieved we tried to do just that - remembering stories with family and friends and toasting to a life very well lived. Kati was the embodiment of strength and resolve, and her optimism, intense compassion, and endless patience and kindness, even in her last days, will inspire us forever. We are heartbroken that Sam will not have the chance to know Kati better, but we will make sure he knows about her and the legacy she left among those of us who were lucky enough to know her.

Here are a few pictures from our trip. First -- Sam, sleeping sweetly in his carseat with the moose that Aunt Kati and Uncle David gave him for Christmas. Then, a few pictures of Sam's first snow, which fell the day of Kati's memorial service. We like to think of the snow as falling in honor of Kati's beloved childhood home in Maine.

Non-Extreme Makeover, Tousey Edition

After watching a few too many episodes of "Curb Appeal" on HGTV and thinking that our entranceway needed a little more "POP!" we were able to take advantage of a beautiful spring weekend to (much to our surprise, to be honest) get the job done! Clay removed over 100 sq. ft. of grass, Tracy picked & placed our new lilies and flowering ground cover, and Annie watched from air-conditioned bliss. Sam helped too, of course. Check out him & mom at 28 weeks!