Dear friends and family

Thanks for your prayers as we say goodbye to Michelle, that tall, gorgeous, crazy woman.

Wendell says the only reason he is getting through it is the prayers of those around him, and his biggest fear is the future, when people stop remembering to pray for him. Since they just bought a house in Cedaredge, he is trying to make a decision about whether or not to keep his job at the West Elk coal mine by Paonia so he can continue making house payments, or to leave Colorado until the memories of their time here are not quite so painful. As painful as it would be to leave all of his friends at the mine, it will be worse to come home a house filled with her belongings, her paint and wallpaper and furniture, and not have her there with him.

A week ago, we were shopping for tickets to Mexico together in the spring, scheming a trip to Lake Powell in the fall. She spent every possible minute up on the Grand Mesa, right outside of town. She loved playing golf, Jeeping and biking in Moab, snowboarding, everything we couples, and the couples they hung out with there, did together. She was such a beautiful diehard. I've gotta admit, Bobby and I are not doing so well with it all...although neither is anyone else who knew Wendell and Michelle. To say that we'll miss her is such an understatement. We all know she's happy, we wouldn't wish her back, but we are all wondering when we will be able to hike, snowboard, ride an ATV, golf, or pack a picnic without crying.

Stuck to her fridge with a magnet, in her big, flamboyant handwriting, is a note she wrote a few days ago that says, "Tough times never last. Tough people do."