I don't like snakes alive or dead. He had a cowboy hat that had a snake (dead) on it. When he and Shelley Alvey-Harrison came to visit I told him he could not wear the hat in my house. He assured me he would bring it in. I said no and he said we will see. Well he did and he scared the you know what out of me. You and that hat Cowboy. Then he gives it to my grandson Isaac Katz. We keep it on his wall but I don't look at it when I go into his room. Love you Cowboy even tho you liked to tease and scare me. Ridem Cowboy :) lol

We took a chance at single parents meet online. We talked for a couple weeks then decided to meet in person. Our first date was July 25, 2009. it was like we had known each other forever. We were so comfortable together like it was a match made in Heaven. We both had said we werent getting remarried again.
2 weeks after our first date I ended up in the hospital late at night. even though we lived over 200 miles apart you were there the next day and refused to leave my side until I was back home a few days later to make sure I was ok. I knew at that moment you were who my heart and soul had choosen. You proposed to me at the hospital that night over text lol. When you showed up at the hospital you kept asking me saying you were afraid to lose me. A week after we left the hospital I came back to Naples with you for the weekend and we made it official with ring pictures and all.
A couple weeks later you left Naples for good and moved in with me. We planned our wedding you choose the date colors where even my dress you took me shopping for. You were my cowboy prince charming, you were my everything.
You became a father to my kids who never had one in their lives. You accepted my children and grandkids as your own. You fit right into my family like you were always there. We decided after our son turned 18 to hit the road. We have had many adventures over the years driving cross country even when we didnt have the money to make ends meet we still had each other.
We have had ups and downs no money no insurance. You got kicked by 1 of our horses in March 2012 when we were home on break. Well that put us down for a year while you learned to walk again. I never left your side taking care of everything you needed even in the trauma unit. Well we got through it only to face another surgery to repair the first 2 surgeries. 
 Well summer of 2013 we hit the road again new company and new truck. well Oct 2014 we took the big plunge sold everything we had and loaded our pickup with nothing but our clothes cast iron pans and our dog off we went out west not knowing in anyone and being winter. We bought some property with no house or utilities in the middle of nowhere closest neighbor a mile and half. we bought a 26 foot 5th wheel in Colorado and moved to Wyoming. We were ready for a fresh start and new adventures. And thats what we got. Power was generator and car batteries. Heat was kerosene. Water we brought in by tank. We had antelopes cattle jackrabbits coyotes field mice and rattlesnakes just out our door. We had beautiful sunrises and sunsets like never seen over the horizon and mountains. And snow lets not forget the snow. It got so cold one night it froze the door shut. And how many times did we get stuck in snowdrifts and walking home by moonlight in a whiteout and getting lost lol. But we loved every minute of our time together out there.
Then one day you got sick you never got sick. Our whole world as we knew it was abouot to come crumbling down around us. 3 hospital visits and 8 days later you were discovered to have a bleeding brain tumor. You were whisked into a jet to be lifeflighted  to another state to a specialist. I had to stay back to make arrangements for Nessie. At 3:30 the next morning I got a kennel to accept her and off on an 9 hour drive to Salt Lake City in the middle of winter I came. Car breaking down on the highway in the middle of nowhere and stil dark out. Not knowing if you were still alive or what. No cellphone service I was a basket case all I know is my heart was aching we had never been apart through hospital stays and all. 
Finally making it I was told you would be having brain surgery the next morning without it we would be lucky if you llived 3 months. Well here I was alone in a city I knew of no one or where to go. We only had less than $200 in the bank I had to find a place to stay because they wouldnt let me stay overnight in the critical care unit with you. So the chore of finding a place we could afford began. Late that night with my moms help she managed to find a guy who had an apartment in a house a mile from the hospital for me to rent. He was even nice enough to accept arrangements for payment to be mailed. Thankfully we had caring friends and church family who all chipped in to make sure I had what we needed a place to live, food, gas whatever was needed. It was going to be a long stay. The next day the longest 4 1/2 hours of my life not knowing what was happening sitting outside of the operating room waiting alone.
Well things where good they got all the tumor now we wait for pathology reports. That was a long week but you got to come to the apartment  2 days after surgery. I was so happy you were doing so well even though you could barely see and woke me ever morning at 3 to make you egg sandwhichs or banana pudding fresh lol. I didnt mind I had my love with me. Well that dreaded call came it was Glioblastoma Grade IV. my heart sank out the bottom we had a long road ahead of us 6 weeks of radiation and chemo but we were determined to fight this and beat it together you were never alone in this battle. 
well we fought and fought hard you seemed to be beating this. We even went to Florida to meet our newest granddaughter your Tcup and to see our youngest daughter get married. We even brought your parents back to Utah and Wyoming to stay a few weeks with us.
Well off we are on the move again you decided you wanted to go home to Virginia after all this was done and thats what we did we walked away from everything with just our clothes and a few possessions we had.
We made it to Va. found new doctors to keep a watch on you. All was good no reocurrances every month we had an MRI to check everything was good. We would go to Maryland once a month for a week to stay with your girlfriend (Grandma). We always went fishing whenever we could you were so at peace.
Well then Gram got sick and you said she needs us so we moved again. We were there for months you never complained. You were by my side when she went home to be with Poppa. Little did we know you were not too far behind. Back to Va we moved. You were doing good we went to the fair, fishing with 2 of our grandbabies who moved to be closer to you and even to Destinys wedding. 
Still no sign of a reocurrance but the pain was back with a vegenance. Well good thing I had them put a port in awhile back you now need around the clock meds and we had a pain pump attached. You did good with it. But still no sign of reocurrance. August 2016 all was going good then you got sick you could not stand again and became agitated. Had the ambulance come get you and you were admitted to the ICU for a long 2 weeks but again I never left your side slept in the recliner next to your bed. They discovered you had a  urinary tract infection you were hooked to an iv and given 2 different meds and no more pain pump. you got better no signs of infection. you got to come home. You went fishing and grocery shopping out to eat and drives. 5 days later you could no longer stand on your own again you became bed ridden. Hospice was now coming in to help with meds and baths. Boy you were a big guy at 6'3 and 275 compared to little ole me at 5'. But I didnt mind I did what ever it took to keep you comfortable. You still seemed to be ok still no signs of tumors or anything. Well your infection was back. a week later you stopped eating and drinking. I tried everything but you just didnt want to. 3 days later you broke out with a high fever and we tried everything to break it but you were slipping away from me. That was a friday and you were unresponsive. Saturday the nurse came we still got no response until George Jones song He stopped lovig her today came on and you started humming it we were shocked and thought maybe you were snapping out of it again the song stopped and so did you still no response. Later that night Nessie kept taking the pillow out from under your head and you would giggle but still unresponsive. No change on sunday still couldnt break your fever. Monday came and they told me to be prepared it was just a matter of time. Well at 8:38 PM Monday, September 26,2016 you my love gave up the fight and went home to dance with your girlfriend and to fish in the big lake. Your wings were waiting and ready but my heart was not. You were who my soul had choosen to be its forever. You always said we would never divorce it would be til do us part and even now in death you are still my one and only you are my heart. Not a day goes by that I dont talk to you and wish you were here to finish this journey with me. I know one day we will be together again but it is so hard without you by my side. I hope you know what you have meant to me in these short 7 years we were together. I wish we had more time to grow old together. Thank you for all the great memories and adventures we had for teaching me what love was really like. You will forever be missed and always be loved. Until we meet again my love. Rest in peace and save me a spot next to you at that big fishing hole.

Such a big man. Tall, strong, larger than life but such a gentle heart.  Family was everything to him.  He came into our family like he had known us all his life.  Always willing to do whatever he could for anyone, especially the children.  My favorite memory is him simply calling me "Mom". He will forever be in our hearts.