Well, here we go...
Some random shots of the "way we were". From left to right: Nicole with her cousins Kristal, Sarah, Shannon and Lindsay. Nicole, did you know that you have 32 first cousins on your mom's side of the family? Thirty-two cousins ranging in age from one year (Uncle Mark's little fella) to 28 years of age (that would be Brent and Amy).
Do you remember getting together with the whole family for Gym Riot every January 1rst to celebrate Heather's birthday and the start of a new year? It is a tradition we have kept alive and well. In the photo above, I think you are probably going on twelve years of age - little did we know that this would be your last one with us.
Cottaging at Chesley is another tradition we have kept alive and well. No one would think to miss it! You are pictured here tagging on to cousin Mark who is tagged to Casey - all of whom are being chased by Joel.
Mad libs? Did I get that right? Cottage fun when you had enough sun.
Mark and Brittany and yourself - obviously expounding the marvelous details of life on holidays.
Here's an interesting photo comparison: Above, your mom and below, you. I think you may be around the same age, but I can't say for sure. You shared most features though - and the same tomboyish persona. Wiry and full of spunk - the both of you!
We don't recognize this cat - but it's almost bigger than you are in this photo. You loved animals and showed no fear regardless of size.
These are hard for me to see because Yvonne looks so frail and pale. I'd forgotten.
This was taken about ten days before your mom died. She is surrounded by her mom and siblings: Brothers Rick, Case and Mark, sisters Joanne, Cathy and Pauline with Mom in the middle! Together with your dad (Brian) and his parents (Jim & Julie), we shared a 24 hr. round the clock personal care rotation for three weeks December 16 into January 8, 1988.
For the first ten days, your mom was stationed in my family room where family, friends and health care worker's roamed freely. She was moved by ambulance to Grandma Vdk's living room (just down the road from us) to enable the lot of us to spend as much time as possible with her and each other in a more quiet and intimate setting.
You were always liberal with your kisses for your mommy and the rest of us. Too young to really understand what was going on - and unfortunately, your mom was too sick to write out her farewell to you for the later years - though we tried to encourage her to focus on that. I do have a wonderful video clip however, of an exchange between the two of you, before your mom was consigned to that hospital bed.
Since you are now even older than your mom was at the time of her death, perhaps you can appreciate how it took most of her strength and courage to accept that she wasn't going to live to see you grow up.
With the help of Grandpa Pts, you are showing mommy one of your very noisy presents...your mom was notorious for buying the noisiest (read annoying) birthday presents in the world for her nieces and nephews. I remember this particular toy having avenged ten-fold. I have video coverage of you and your multitude of cousins opening presents from Grandma
Vdk and it is sheer bedlam. LOL...a crazy chaos that your mom insisted on being part of!
We are eager for you to know who we are and what we're doing in this life, so I shall publish this post without further ado.
More to come, stay tuned!
Hi again, Nicole. A few more of the way we were. This is some back deck fun at our house with cousin Sarah (who once again, is (s)mothering someone :) Joel and Catherine.
Come to think of it, you were quite the mothering type too - always gravitating toward the babies of the family, of which there were many at any given time! You and Joel are standing guard over little cousin David. David is a dead giveaway with those tree trunk legs eh?
Ahem...at great risk to the glowing Mother's Day card I just got yesterday from son Mark - here is proof of the way Sarah used to play house and dolly with her brothers. 
