My first memory of Aunt Connie, is not this photo and a tricycle. It was my first full size Schwinn bicycle and I was 5 years old. Dad, who was 28, rode me on the handlebars of my new bicycle. We all know that is a "No, no." It went fine until we returned home and hit the little curb at the driveway entrance. I went flying, then sliding, face first up the driveway. I was a mess with facial abrasions. I didn't want to go to school on Monday because I didn't want everyone to ask me what happened. Aunt Connie to the rescue! I got to miss school and go spend the day with her at her little house she shared with Betty in Sierra Madre. We took a walk up the hill to a little store to buy some candy. Guess what the man at the counter asked! I didn't care, I hid behind my Aunt Connie. It was a treat to spend the day with her. 

As one of her two grandchildren, I know Aaron and I were one of the best parts of her life. She had this sweater that on the front of it said my grand kids are the keys to my heart and it was 100% true. During the summers growing up one of the highlights I always would look forward to was visiting Grandma and Grandpa at 1000 trails just south of Sunriver, whether it be for just a day of swimming at the pool or to stay there for the week, I always looked forward to it. I spent a lot of time with her growing up as she was the main babysitter whenever Mom and Dad probably needed some deserved respite from the kids, and so I became very attached. When they lived in Redmond for a stint I remember spending almost an entire summer at their home while my parents and brother worked. There, almost every day, I would have cottage cheese with sugar and untoasted bread with butter on it, a Grandma classic, while she would have a glass of basically vinegar, which was disgusting. She was also the one the let me learn how to drive, mostly because she didn’t want to do it and I had my permit, but nonetheless I did the most driving under her tutelage. It was then after I got my license that I gave her a little plastic frog for good luck which sparked a theme that I and she shared for the rest of her life. Every Christmas I would get her some sort of frog-themed gift, one year a frog necklace, another year a frog welcome sign for her garden, and this last year a stuffed animal frog holding a dandelion which I hoped would comfort her as she was stuck in the rehabilitation center. She always was a courageous lady, never afraid to speak her mind or give you this look that just made you want to rethink your whole life. We would always antagonize each other, whether it was me poking fun at her or just kicking her under the table, I know she loved every minute of it. After Grandpa passed, whenever I would go home from doing Navy things I would always go to her house and take her out to lunch to Shari’s, hoping she didn’t know I was home yet so I could surprise her and see the look on her face as I walked through the door. I will always miss our lunch dates. I will always miss you, Grandma. Words will never be able to do you justice, at least now you will be able to go home as you have wanted to for these last several months.