Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2005 

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You are in my prayers, as always. Thank you so much for all the wisdom, friendship, and courage you have given me through your experience and living example. Yes, things are working out just as you said, beyond my wildest dreams! My thoughts and prayers are with you both, God bless! Joe

Larry told us you have had a bit of a set-back Rick. I am so sorry to hear that; but at the same time, I know you will just fight that much harder. I stepped up my prayers the moment I got Larry's message. I will keep them rolling and you will be in my thoughts and in my heart Rick and Sharon. Hang in there and have a wonderful time on the cruise. Soak up some sun to bring back home with you. I will be anxious to hear about your special vacation. Love you! Judi

Hi Rick and Sharon! My thoughts have been with you so often during the holidays, and you will remain in my prayers. We had such a nice Christmas celebration with our entire family together--all four kids, three kids-in-law, all eight grandkids, Roland and his family (Penny, Josh and Damien). We got some great family photos of the group. We also got a new photo of all eight grandkids. :-) Santa was good to everyone. Steve and I didn't give each other gifts this year because we knew we would be car shopping right after the holidays. Last Sat. we bought a 2004 silver Buick Century. It has only 31,000 miles and looks great. It has all the toys we wanted, plus a few extras. I get to drive it to work. The first day I drove it, we had a little snow and sleet; so I got to see how it drives in slippery stuff. I really like it. Today is supposed to get to 60 degrees. We have had very wierd weather so far this winter. We get a couple of really cold, nasty days, and then the next day it might get to almost 70. It looks like we are supposed to have warm days right through this weekend; but the nights still are getting below freezing. No one can say that Kansas City weather is boring. I hope you are still doing well Rick. Please drop me a line and update me when you get a minute. I will be in touch again soon. Until I hear from you, I send lots of love and smiles to both of you. Your Kansas City Cousin, Judi

We have not heard an update in a long time and wonder how things are going. Please will someone post an update? We love you and we continue to send healing prayers towards you. Still don't understand golf, but I am glad you had fun back in Oct doing it. I hope your Xmas is filled with joy. Ours is going well. Tim battled Walmart and Toys R Us for Conal's Santa List (Brave Man!). Our Xmas Gift to ourselves (which we used inheritance money to get) was a Bose Home Entertainment System which showed up TODAY. Inheritance.. yes.. all my parents died in the last 14 mnths. Mom died of a stroke Aug 2004, followed by her husb, my wonderful stepdad Bill Dec 2004 of a heart attack (broken heart), and my Dad passed away of Parkinson's COPD just this Oct 2005. It has been a good year otherwise, my dau Shannon has a new job doing what she wants to do, learning from a company that she will one day compete against when she opens up her own business. My sil Steve opened his own business with the help from us, Mac's Floorcare, and it's growing slowly but surely. I am so proud of them both! My neice Vikki is in Iraq and has earned two medals, saving an Iraqi woman's life, as well as doing other wonderful things over there as a US Army Natl Guard Medic. My brother David & his wife Kimmie had a baby Jaxx by emergency c-section and everyone is fine. My nephw Wed and his wife Dani and another baby and named him Levi. They didn't get hit by any of the hurricanes. They live in Mississippi. I made contact with my half-sister Janet, who is in recovery for 8yrs now!! And now have contact with a niece and her family. I made amends to an Aunt and now corresponding with her and building a relationship with her. And I went through a Pain Management Program that CHANGED MY LIFE. We move to Cheyenne, WY in April 2006, F.E. Warren AFB, our finally tour of duty, we think. Then home to Boise, ID to settle down close to our dau and sil. We want to live as CLOSE TO THEM AS POSSIBLE. We love them so.. Love you both my godparents, and Conal's godparents..

Yo Rick!!! All okay, how goes it? Mik

Hey, haven't heard anything lately. Is all okay?

Rick and Sharon, my wife Jess and I pray for your strength and recovery everyday! It is officially downright cold here in Fairbanks, it has been -5 degrees every morning and getting up to a high of +6 degrees during the day! I needed a service commitment, so started a new meeting up here, It is a Tuesdays and Thursdays eye-opener meeting from 0630-0730. And so far it has been going great! There are a few of us ( about five or six ) and at first I was worried nobody would show. But as always, HP did his part... again I learn if you suit up and show up, and brew the coffee... the drunks will come! Part of the neat thing about this meeting is that I made steps and tradition notecards-- I have been having Vogelweh and Ramstein Saturday night meetings withdrawals. It is cooky I know-- but hey, it brings back thoughts and feelings of a million great meetings with friends in Germany! I love you both very much, God Bless and have a great day!!! -ethan

Go on there Rick!!! Get er done... One Day At A Time!!! YOU dont have to do it alone "Fight the Fight" and above all keep up with the winning ATTITUDE!!!! Denise and I continue to pray lots for you and Commandant Sharon. SAY it came to me the other day that Dwight D. Eisenhour came from Kansas, you ever play golf with him? Love ya bunches.... Walk In Peace!!! Mik M. from the flat, really cold, windy Kansas plains

So good to hear from you and to know that you, Rick, are feeling stronger again. Your little jaunt to the Cascades sounds wonderful. Enjoy every minute. However, I'm wondering if the fall leaves there can rival the ones we are currently enjoying here in the midwest? It is absolutely breath-takingly beautiful when the sun shines through those beautiful colors on our trees. God's art work is really awesome. In a couple of weeks, I will be busy raking all those leaves from our yard. Hopefully we will have a dry weekend when I can have our little grandchildren over to jump in the leaves. I will be baking the traditional leaf-shaped sugar cookies to be enjoyed by said grandkids, along with hot chocolate, after this important annual event. When I bake the Halloween jack-o-lantern cookies, I also have to make sure to make some leaves. I hand paint them with appropriately colored icings. Wish I could share a few with you two! We enjoyed my company's annual Employee Appreciation event last Friday night, had our son-in-law's birthday dinner Sat. night at our house, and attended twin grandchildren Cassidy and Jack's 6th birthday celebration at their house on Sunday---so it was a busy weekend. Our friend who was here from California went home on Sunday; so things are back to the old routine this week. It's kind of nice to get back to my walks every evening and to eating more healthy meals at home. There is something to be said for the comfortable old routing when we get as old as we are. :-) I had a letter last week from Forrest (my younger brother). He has been uncommunicative for years. The last time we saw him was when Mom was in the hospital, shortly before she left us. Steve and I convinced him to come see Mom because she wanted so much to see him one more time. Anyway, that was 10 years ago. So, you can imagine how surprised we were to see his letter. He said that his wife, Lisa, had passed away (she was only 37) from a heart attack. We never had the pleasure of meeting her, since Forrest chose not to keep in touch. He has a 14 year old daughter, Leann, whom we also have not met. Anyway, he wrote to ask if I'd send him some pictures of him when he was younger, and of Mom & Dad. It seems that his mother-in-law is making a photo album for Leann, and she had asked Forrest to help her get some pictures of his side of the family. His letter was followed up with a phone call less than a week later. It really took me by surprise to hear his voice when I answered the phone. We talked for a couple of minutes and he promised to keep in touch better in the future. I told him I was in the process of gathering some photos to send to him. He even thanked me for all of the birthday and Christmas cards I had sent to him over the years. I just kept sending them as long as they weren't coming back to me undelivered. I figured he must be receiving them; and I'm glad to know that assumption was correct. So, perhaps Forrest will once again be part of our lives--at least in a small way. Thank God! Now, if we could just get Denny to write now and then. I also send him cards every year. Jane and I both do. This past August, when we sent his birthday cards, we both begged him to just call or write and let us know he is still alive. I guess he felt guilty, because he did call one day about a month later and left a brief voice message on our recorder telling us he is alive and doing OK. That was all he said. I was so distressed that I had missed that call and didn't get to talk with him. But, we do know he is still alive. Perhaps someday he will call or write. We will just keep sending cards, and now we can include a pre-paid phone card, since we know he is actually receiving our cards and letters. These brothers of ours----I just don't understand what makes them not want to be connected to family. I'm not giving up. God has given me answers to my prayers about their being alive. I can wait, I guess! Anyway, I thought you might like to hear, Rick, that my brothers (your cousins) are all still alive and that Jane and I are doing our best to get them back in our lives. Family is so important---and hopefully they will realize that as they grow older and start remembering how close we all were in "the good old days". I will keep you updated if more progress is made on this subject. Take care of each other and please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you always. Love, Judi

So good to hear from you again, Sharon, and get the good update! Have a wonderful time in the Cascades!! It might not be "just like" Germany, but there are beautiful spots all around this country, too. The trees are just beginning to change colors here in Tennessee---gorgeous! Enjoy the sauna and hot tub and time together. Just KNOW that your many friends are wishing you a great time away from it all. May you and Rick feel the prayers and good vibes! Love, Dick and Rose

Gerdy and I are thrilled that you are feeling good enough to "golf" as you call it. I think that people that are good at it don't enjoy it as much as us hackers. My clubs have dust on them, and probably will stay that way for a while. Keep the good thoughts, and remember that even people that you have not yet met are praying for you. Lots of love and prayers, Mike

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