The days come slowly and pass by rapidly. The moments seem long, and then 39 days have come and gone. 

We all grieve in our own unique ways, loudly or outwardly, quietly and personally. It has been and will continue to be the adjustment of a lifetime. My mom was our nucleus and we're all learning to find a new way to move forward without that core. We keep up with tradition in the most ways, albeit I admit it is not as fun. I personally have enormous gratitude for the love and relationship we all share as a whole in this family, and know that was build upon and around Mom. 

There are many firsts happening without her.

We have, since she has passed, celebrated Jedi's 3rd birthday, my 33rd birthday, Thanksgiving, and my first dinner party or hosting anyone to the house at all.We put up the Christmas tree which proved difficult to decorate without her, a part of the holiday season she found so much delight in. I had friends all place an ornament on the tree at the dinner party, filling it with more life and love, and put a lot of tinsel around the house to make it more cheery (and sparkly).

I think fondly, and sadly how much she would have enjoyed it all. I hear her in the kitchen laughing and tinkering, see her cleaning the granite counters like none of us can. It still seems as though she might walk through the door bursting with a joyful " Helllll--oooooo-o" or "Hi my baby-boo". Those realizations that we will never hear her again, or see her pop in my door to check on me are crushing, but the memories are warm.

It rained on the day she died, softly and beautifully while the sun still shone over the mountains. It passed and the sun came through again. The day of her first funeral was the first snowfall of the year. Large, slow snow globe flakes quieting and covering the scape twinkling with sunlight afterwards. We all see the things we love and lost the most in the natural world, but these, these moments were all her, all hers. 

In spirit of the Holiday season, and those of you who wish to contribute, tribute, or make efforts for our family we ask you to please donate to Mount Evans Home and Hospice in Evergreen, CO.Their nurses, attentiveness, care and compassion made the world of difference caring for Mom at home through her illness and death. We are truly astounded by how lucky we were to receive such help. 

Please visit the site at https://mtevans.org/and donate today in Anne's name. 

With great love for all you have done and continue to do for us

Thank you,

The Gaffney Family