resurrection

January flew by... but not without a few recognitions!

Hamp celebrated his 19th birthday with his new friends in Norway - he bought himself a new shirt, went to dinner with his photography class, saw a concert and went skiing. He is truly having the greatest adventures and living his best life!

Sam celebrated his 16th birthday by passing his driver's test and gaining a new independence! His gifts - including car registration, car insurance, and gas money! - were much appreciated and he was so excited to inherit the infamous Greenie...

*** insert dreamy flashback sequence graphics here ***

Back in the olden days - aka 2001 - Jason and Mandi traded in their respective city sedans for something more Colorado appropriate - the aptly named Explorer! The Green Machine, or Greenie for short, signified a new era in our lives as we hauled everything we collectively owned (2 papasan chairs and one cat) across the country and took to exploring all over Colorado. Greenie shuttled us over mountain passes, carrying our bikes and skis and camping gear, for many years.

Then we were privileged in 2015 to pass Greenie on to a family friend on their 16th birthday! From then on, Greenie was synonymous with being a teenageer townie car - going from one newly minted driver to another - until last summer when it found its way home. And there it sat, for several months, getting buried under the snow in the back alley until it was ready for the next assignment!

And I am eternally grateful to have such amazing friends in my life who have the know-how, the equipment, the time, and the willingness to help get this 20+ year old townie car up and running so that Sam could cruise Meeker in style!

from Atlanta to Durango, CO - August 2001

digging out in hopes of being resurrected!

January 25, 2023 - the day after Sam's 16th birthday and his first time driving himself to school

Once again, it's never lost on me that January's birthday celebrations are followed by the anniversary of Jason's death. And while I think about him everyday, my heart seems to ache a little stronger when these boys reach milestones... how proud their father would be! Especially seeing good ol' Greenie taking off around the corner.