I love you!

I never said it enough.

I used to think you were the prettiest mom of all my friends mothers. When I came to you for words of wisdom, you always had the right words to say.

You were smart, funny and creative.  I loved our moments during our 52 years together.  Seems like a blink of an eye.  It wasn't enough.

I admired your strength. You inspired me. I loved you so much.  I was so proud to be your daughter.

Even though I didn't tell you enough...and I meant it everyday.

Memory Book

I published a memory photo book of my mother. 

I was able to publish via Lulu.com. So family can purchase directly.

A Not So Happy Holiday

I started to write in December...I couldn't.  So I thought I'd wait till the first of the New Year...and...

Sometimes, I start to type and the tears just flow...sometimes, I bawl.  Trying to put my thoughts together during the holidays and then put them into words were very difficult.

So, today, January 26th...I'll try again.

Christmas at Aunt Val's with Tim's Daughter (I think)  2000?
I love your smile.

The holidays were good and not so good.  Good that we were all together...not so good because we were missing a very important member.  My mom.  It was very hard remembering that I just couldn't pick up the phone and ask you: "what do you put in the stuffing"?   or, "I just found an ornament the kids made"...or, "remember Shana's first Christmas...she got tired of opening presents"?  Those sound like tiny and simple little things...but the Holidays make everything bigger.

I remembered early Christmas's when you and Dad would stay up all night putting Christmas together.  You told me years later, that Santa brought Christmas to the house.  He brought and decorated the tree, he brought all the gifts on Christmas Eve.   When I got older, I realized what a job it must have been buying a tree, decorating it, wrapping all the gifts and putting things like; bicycles together all before we woke up. 

Those were great memories.  Life was much more simple then.  And I think we put much more effort into making those memories.  At least you did.  You'd make a beautiful Thanksgiving Dinner, complete with all the trimmings.  I know I helped, a little. 

On Christmas morning we'd open our gifts and then go over to grandma's house to have dinner with all of our Aunts, Uncles and Cousins.  We'd play outside until dinner time, then open our gifts, then watch old home movies.  I remember Aunt Esther and Uncle Lauren coming down from up north, Uncle Rusty and Aunt Janet...cousin, Kay, Larry and Lee...Aunt Val, Uncle Jeff, Uncle Bill...   Seems so long ago now.



Christmas at Fritz's house 1982


It's been 5 months.  Feels like yesterday...we're all still so very sad and miss you so much.  It's hard to imagine holidays without you, let alone experience holidays without you.  It's just not right. 

Our family is fractured...and we'll never be the same.

VHL IN OUR FAMILY TREE

VHL / FAMILY HISTORY (Highlighted = VHL Diagnosis)

William "Will" Eggert Sierks (10/13/1893-5/7/1944)

VHL- no diagnosis but cause of death was Adrenal Carcinoma

GRANDPA WILL’S BROTHER

Fred M. Sierks  (-2/2/ 1916)

VHL – no diagnosis but cause of death was exhaustion due to paralysis subsequent to syringomyelia (cyst in spinal cord), with cystitis a contributing factor

Frederick William Sierks (3/17/1917-7/6/1958)

VHL – never diagnosed. Deceased. Blind, High Blood Pressure and Anxiety Attacks

                William Roscoe Bovee (Sierks) (1/19/1938-2/16/1981)

                VHL-  Diagnosed in 1962 - Retinal Angioblastomas, Renal Cell Carcinoma (deceased)

                                Amy Bovee

                                VHL – Diagnosed in 1980 – Retinal Angioblastomas, Endolymphatic Sac Tumors

                                                Luke Jenson

                                                VHL – Diagnosed in 1996 – Retinal Angioblastomas

               

Marianne Bovee (Sierks) (7/31/1939-8/2/2010)

VHL- Diagnosed in 1962 - Retinal Angioblastomas with full retinal detachment, Pheochromacytoma (never removed), Hemangioblastoma on the brain stem (died in surgery)

                                Suellen Ruth Garrison (5/10/1958-)

                                VHL- Diagnosed in 1993 - Retinal Angioblastomas, Scar Tissue in Lungs, Lesion on Kidney

                                                Shandria Nicole Hicks (3/20/1975-)

VHL- Diagnosed in 1994 - Tumors in Cerrabellum (multiple surgeries 1994,1995,2000,2007, 2011), BP Shunt,  cysts on Kidneys, cysts on Pancreas

                                                                Davonte Hicks-Parsha (4/10/1994-)

                                                                VHL- Diagnosed in 2006 - Pheochromacytoma (adrenalectomy 2007)

                                                Kiedryn Dioneyse Hicks (2/7/1978-) NO VHL

                                                Rolando Juan Tolentino Jr (3/17/1983-) UNKNOWN

                                Steven Robert Garrison (10/14/1959-)

                                VHL – Diagnosed in 1993 – Retinal Angioblastomas

                                                Adam Joseph Chenkus

                                                VHL – Diagnosed in 1993 – Pheochromacytoma (adrenalectomy 1993)

                                                Victoria Michelle Garrison (8/29/1982-) UNKNOWN

                                Robin Anne Garrison (7/18/1962-) UNKNOWN

Old Pictures - Memories

This pic was taken in 1968.  Aunt Val, Mom, Aunt Charlene, Grandma, me and Robin




Mom at Christmas

 


Mom with Graduating Class of Guide Dogs of America. 
Mom is 3rd from Left with Enid (golden retriever)

 

Uncle Bill and mom, 1940



This photo was taken in 1958.  My Grandma Ruth, Mom and me