Dear Friends and Family,
Happy holidays! Hope all is well with you.
This has been a rollercoaster of a year for us. It started out well enough, and then things took a turn, though we didn't realize it at the time.
We were all excited for Caroline and Mark, who were preparing for a new addition to their household. Time was getting short with the baby due in February. Then Chris' dad, Tom Archer, went into the hospital. Didn't seem that serious, and of course he downplayed it. For almost a month, he charmed the staff at Parker Hospital, and they took great care of him through several ups and downs. He became a friend to the nurses and doctors and other hospital staff that cared for him, telling them about his family, finding out about theirs, and cracking jokes all the time. He desperately wanted to get out in time to be ready for his newest grandchild. But he was still in ICU, not doing well, when Caroline came into the hospital in labor. Mark would go from one end of the hospital to the other, spending time with his wife and then his father, and then back again.
The beautiful Grace May was born on February 14, 2023, with a surprisingly large contingent of her family in the hospital at the time. Tom wanted to meet her, but no longer could leave his bed. So the staff moved Tom and his bed and gear down that same path Mark took, and wheeled him into Caroline's room. Tom held his granddaughter and smiled, while the rest of us cried. He passed away in his room in the ICU later that night.
A week later, we had a muted but enjoyable time with the extended family who were able to make the trip to attend Tom's funeral, paying tribute to a wonderful man. Those who couldn't be there watched via internet stream. It was nice to be reminded how much he meant to so many people.
The next few months were hard, realizing how much of a hole was left in our lives. But we're grateful for the support from all of you - that powered us through it. Keara was working at the post office, but looking for a better job. Kailei was busy with school, Zeb had work to dive into, and Chris spent a lot of time with her mom.
Chris and Zeb traveled to Switzerland in early June, in celebration of our 30th anniversary! Switzerland was beautiful, and highly recommended. If anything, the pictures you see online, with mountains springing almost vertically from verdant valleys, don't capture how majestic it truly is. The villages and even cities are picturesque, the foliage is green, and the people are friendly!
While we were away, our kids experienced a crazy hailstorm that ruined our roof and pruned our trees. We got the roof replaced a couple of months later, but we're still working on a few repairs that still need to be done.
We were a three-car family for a bit, but that wasn't working. So Zeb had to settle for a new Tacoma pickup (poor guy), which he promptly used to hit a few late-season fourteeners that he never could have reached without that low gear and high clearance.
The year is coming to a close, and we are on a breakneck race to Christmas! Kailei is wrapping up her semester at MSU, Keara is working hard on mysterious craft projects, and Chris is tending to the four dogs, shopping, cooking, planning and who knows what else?!
One of the many lessons learned this year is to treasure your family and friends. Life is shorter than you realize. We are truly blessed but reminded daily of those not with us anymore. Hope you all get some time to relax and celebrate the season in a quiet moment!
Merry Christmas, and to all, a good night!
Love,
Zeb, Chris, Keara, and Kailei
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