Friends & Family,

It's a great day to sit & spend a few minutes with you. The weather has changed finally from 100+ straight days of 100+ degrees to the lovely 80's. The 'snow-birds' are returning from the north & making the working people of Phoenix insane as we try to navigate through them to & from work, shopping, etc. They tend to drive like people on vacation (read as slow & gawking) & completely disregard all traffic rules. They turn whenever & whichever way & from ANY lane when the mood hits them. Ah, yes, the return of perfect weather also means the return of the dreaded 'cotton-top' motorists. Gotta love them.

Tony is playing Randy Travis singing old time hymns on his super charged computer with a six-speaker system & we've got front & back doors open with the sun shinning in & cool breezes shuffling through. Life just doesn't get much better than this.

I just came from our jetted hot tub to soothe an aching back & we're headed to the AZ State Fair later today.

This was the first time I've been in the Jacuzzi since the day I heard Rob, Patti Sue's husband, was ill last Dec. It's been a tumultuous year filled with pain & longing. We lost Rob to the other side in March, but I still hear his voice every day. As I was sitting in the tub, I was wondering if I would be able to always hear him so clearly in my head. I thought of others that I had lost from years ago, & the answer is, 'yes', I can still hear them if I want & so I expect that Rob will always be that clear & alive to me.

Tasha, John David's wife, discribed Rob as ' a force of nature' and I think that describes him well. He made life happen. He always picked the most quiet person in the room & got them moving! Rob was Life in capital letters. He was always in motion or planning to be in motion! And planning to put everyone else in motion, too.

I miss him, but I have him any moment I want.

Life is bittersweet that way.

So, we are learning to live without his actual prescence, but reliving moments of pure joy when his presence made all the difference in any setting.

Little steps....I'm taking little steps of doing normal things again, like the Jacuzzi, like the State Fair. And I'm feeling Rob's wonderful essence whenever I want.

I know Heavenly Father has a plan for us all, especially Rob & his family. I'm trusting Heaven to carry us forward without that bright light of human energy that Rob was in our lives. I'm trusting Heaven to ease his loss to his young family & widow. Rob's energy spans the veil between Heaven & earth. Thank our God for that.