OUR CHRIS IS NO LONGER WITH US. VERY HARD TO ACCEPT. BUT OUR MEMORIES WILL KEEP US GOING. UNCLE GEORGE AND AUNT PHYLLIS AND GREG HAVE A LOT OF MEMORIES.
CAN REMEMBER WHEN SHE WAS BORN. A DARLING LITTLE GIRL WITH CURLY HAIR. ON HER SECOND CHRISTMAS WE BOUGHT HER A LITTLE RED TRICYCLE. WE WOULD SPEND EVERY CHRISTMAS WITH HER FAMILY. BEING TOGETHER MEANT A LOT TO CHRIS.IT WAS UNDERSTANDABLE WHY SEE LOVED THE RIVER SO MUCH. SHE STARTED CAMPING AT 3 MONTHS OLD. SLEEPING IN HER NANA'S AND PAP'S LITTLE CAMPER (THAT NANA THOUGHT WAS THE HILTON). SHE LOVED IT.
FOUR YEARS LATER HER SISTER AND COUSIN GREG WERE BORN. SUMMER WAS A GREAT TIME AT THE RIVER WHILE THEY LEARNED TO SWIM,FLOAT AND JUMP OF THE DOCK INTO THE ARMS OF THEIR PARENTS. THEN LATER SOME WATER SKIING.
WHEN THEY GOT OLDER AND MARK CAME INTO THE PICTURE, THE FOUR OF THEM WOULD SIT AT OUR PICNIC TABLE AND PLAY ALL KINDS OF GAMES. CHRIS AND GREG LOVED GAMES.
I CAN REMEMBER ONE SUMMER - SHE MUST HAVE BEEN 11 OR 12 - WE TOOK HER WITH US TO DUTCH WONDERLAND AND THEN TO A PHILLIES GAME (YES SHE WAS A PHILLY FAN BACK THEN). WE STAYED AT THE HOTEL BEHIND THE STADIUM AND THEY HAD A GREAT TIME IN THE POOL. THE PITTSBURG PIRATES WERE STAYING THERE ALSO. WE REMEMBER SEEING WILLIE STARGELL RIDE INTO THE LOBBY ON HIS BICYCLE. PHIL GARNER AND KENT TEKULVE WERE THERE TOO. (I HAVE PICTURES OF THEM WITH CHRIS AND GREG. SOME DAY I WILL FIND THEM.).
ONE THING THAT STICKS IN MY MIND WAS AFTER JENN CAME HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL. FOR CHRISTMAS WE BOUGHT THEM AN ATARI GAME FOR THE TV. CHRIS JUST SAT THERE LOOKING AT IT AND THINKING. FINALLY I SAID, "CHRIS WHAT IS WRONG?" AND SHE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID "THAT COST A LOT OF MONEY!!" AT THAT TIME IT WAS, BUT THAT WAS WHAT WE WANTED TO BUY THEM. THEY LOVED IT. LIKE THE IPODS TODAY!!
THIS I WILL NEVER FORGET. ONE DAY AFTER DEREK WAS BORN WE WERE AT DAVE AND KAY LOU'S AND SOMEONE WAS HOLDING DEREK AND AGAIN CHRIS WAS JUST LOOKING AND THINKING. OUT OF THE BLUE SHE SAID "I CAN'T BELIEVE I COULD EVER LOVE SOMEONE THAT MUCH." SHE LEARNED HOW PARENTS FEEL. IT IS TRULY A MIRACLE!!
WHEN CHRIS WAS SICK I TOLD HER SHE HAD TO GET BETTER CAUSE SHE HAD TO BE AT THE RIVER EVERY SATURDAY AROUND 2:00 HAVING LUNCH AT OUR PICNIC TABLE (USUALLY A SANDWICH OR HOAGIE). THEN THE BOYS WERE READY TO SWIM. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A SEAT THERE WAITING FOR HER!!! CHRIS WOULD BRING HER UNCLE GEORGE BROWNIES AND HE LOVED THEM. CHRIS WAS A GREAT COOK.
ONE LAST THING. WE HAD CHRISTMAS WITH THEM THIS YEAR AND WHEN SHE WAS SHOPPING ONE DAY SHE SAW SOMETHING AND SHE THOUGHT OF US. IT WAS A WOODEN SIGN THAT SAYS "A FISHERMAN LIVES HERE WITH THE BEST CATCH OF HIS LIFE." IT IS ON OUR BACK DOOR AND WHEN SUMMER COMES IT WILL BE ON THE CAMPER. MARK SAID HE WANTED TO SEE IT THERE. SHE WAS ALWAYS SO THOUGHTFUL. WE WILL DEARLY MISS HER AND THE RIVER WILL NEVER BE THE SAME!
WE ENJOY WATCHING THE BOYS PLAY SPORTS AND WILL ATTEND THEM TILL WE GET TOO OLD TO TRAVEL!I TOLD THE BOYS TO NEVER FORGET THEY HAVE AN AUNT PHYLLIS AND UNCLE GEORGE AND WE WILL DO WHAT WE CAN!
TIME WILL SOFTEN THE EDGES AND EASE YOUR BURDEN!LOVE TO ALL-MARK, DEREK, DREW, DAVE, KAY LOU, JENN, CHAD, MADE' AND CAITLYN
LOVE AUNT PHYLLIS AND UNCLE GEORGE FEBRUARY 16, 2010
What a beautiful tribute. I miss her so much. It seems like a dream.
Posted by: Pam | 03/05/2010 at 10:00 AM