Wednesday Aug 15th 2007                                                                

Man, I knew in my heart that this day would come and now that it is here it makes my mind swim in memories, pain, happiness and gratefulness.  It is hard to explain what Lori meant to me and my family.  Lori and I married at 20 and raised ourselves to be pretty good adults for 22 years.  We had everything going for us until she became ill.  I can still remember the day she was diagnosed and how our lives flashed before our eyes.  We had everything in hand and it started to slip thru our fingers.  Hearing the Oncology Doc here in Spokane tell us that we need to get our affairs in order because Lori's cancer would take her life in 3 to 6 months was almost more than anyone or any family should bare.  Like everything Lori did, she dusted off her boots and we made a 27 month run at beating this monster.  During the battle all we could think about were the kids and getting home to them.  The kids were Lori's motivation to live and she gave 100% of her soul to that effort.  I am blessed beyond belief that Lori had the patience to make a man out of me and I am forever grateful for her love and gift of two great kids.  It will be my life's work to always give credit to Lori for making me the man I am today and to hold her up in prayer and thought.  She will never be forgotten and her memory will guide the kids and I for the rest of our lives.  Lori is always with us in spirit and she has opened the doors for the new chapters in my life and the kids.  I'm grateful for her support from beyond this world and I'm thankful for her hand in placing Brenda and her children in our life's path.  Thank You Lori, we Love you and we miss you...............

This journal has been an opportunity for me to vent, share and keep Lori's friends and family up to date with our lives.  After looking at the hit counter today it appears this site has been accessed over 63,333 times so someone has been reading. It now seems appropriate that on Lori's 2nd anniversary of going to a better place that this journal end.  Our life experiences with Lori will never be overwritten.  We have new chapters to create before us and my life is on a new course.  As a tribute to Lori is seems appropriate to end this chapter of our lives but never forget and always remember what a great mother, wife, friend, daughter, sister, sister in law, cousin, daughter in law, aunt and spiritual soul Lori was and all the wonderful tributes she left us with. 

On this note I have created another web site at www.hogfly.com. This site will contain pictures and updates to what Brenda and I are up to.  I will not keep weekly journals like I have here but I will try to keep up photos of our travels and life's experiences just to let folks know how we are doing.

Thanks to all of you who have kept up with our family over the past 4 years on this site.  I'm hopeful that some will continue to view this site as a site of hope and dedication to family as well as Lori's spirit and struggle to keep her family together.

As a final tribute to Lori, please contact someone you know who misses your friendship or companionship for whatever reason.  If this relationship heals itself we can give the credit to Lori who is working at her desk in heaven.

God Bless...........