Saying Goodbye to Chris Nelson

The funeral for Chris was by far the most memorable funeral I've ever been to.  Dan was a pallbearer and also asked to give part of the eulogy.  He did an amazing job along with Chris's sister, father and brother-in-law.  What a great family!

Chris had a passion for hunting and fishing.  Chris's sister, Caitlin, made these scarves for all the pallbearers to wear with a fish and halo stamped on them.

Potato Lake over Valentine's Weekend

This was a very bitter sweet weekend.  Dan's sister and her husband, Kevin, purchased a beautiful lake home on Potato Lake, WI, and this was our first visit.  Super excited!  Dan received a phone call a day after we arrived that his good friend, Chris, passed away peacefully, from a brain tumor that evening.  I'm so thankful that Dan was surrounded by his entire family for the rest of the weekend.   He had just got back from a 4 day trip to Lake of the Woods with Chris and his close friends and family as one last wish.  It's unfortunate he died the day after he got back but amazed he held on to do the thing he cherished most:  ice fishing.

Potato Lake

Wyatt being just like his older cousin, Aidan.

Jemma and Kim

Aidan

Dan giving rides on his snowmobile-  with Wyatt.

Wyatt

Dan and Jemma

Kim and Pat

The Girls!

Pat taking off!

View from the lake...

Dan and I

Kim's turn...

Who knows what these two are up to?

Can't wait to go back with NO SNOW!!!!!

Kevin had created a luge in the backyard.  Here's Pat testing it out.

Kim had to show me a swing the previous owners had left.  It was just the two of us so we got a little carried away :)

Decorating V-Day Cookies!

Children's Theatre Date Night

Wyatt and I had date night.  I took him to see Eric Carle's Hungry Caterpillar at The Children's Theater.  He may have been just over the "too old" hump but we still had a great time.

Red Lake Ice Fishing Trip

Since the kids didn't have school Friday or Monday, Dan and our good friend and neighbor, Josh, braved the 5+ hour drive with 3 boys in tow.  Great experience for the kids and they caught a lot of walleye.  The trip home was pure "hell" I was told but well worth it.  Jill and I both enjoyed having our houses to ourselves!

Wyatt's first walleye!

No School = Children's Museum

Delivering mail...

Mail Carrier, Wyatt...

Merry Christmas!

Ruby

Gustavin

Kennedy

Wyatt

First family photo in years!

Scott and Amy

We celebrated Christmas on my side of the family on Wyatt's birthday (21st) this year.  My mom had to make it extra special.

Happy Birthday, Buddy!  I can't believe you are 6!

Christmas Eve morning at our house.

The Defries' cousins (Micah, Wyatt and Aidan).  These are the only pictures I took at Christmas on Dan's side.  What?!?  Where's Jemma and the rest of the family?  Whoops!

Christmas Day tradition- sledding at Old Main at St. Olaf College.  You literally look out Dan's parents window and see this hill- it's beautiful.  (Kevin, Aidan, Wyatt, Jemma, Me, My dad and Dan)

Aidan and Wyatt