2024 Cousins..Cousins..and More Cousins

2024 Cousins, Cousins and More Cousins

Growing up, meeting up with my cousins was always fun.  We would get together for holidays and when we all lived in Great Falls, we’d meet on Sundays!  Lots of fond memories. When we were raising our kids, we did the same.  We’d make trips to Great Falls or Bonners Ferry and meet up with our siblings and their kids.  Our kids made memories with their cousins!  Now we have moved onto the next generation.  This year our grandkids had opportunities to spend time with many of their second cousins!  

On Memorial Day, the Montana Marks clan gathers in Helena to honor the memory of Ron’s parents.  We usually meet at the cemetery, tell a few stories, share a prayer or two and shed a few tears.  As the family has grown, we’ve found a park with play equipment and bring a picnic lunch.  Even though we all live in Montana, it seems like it is the one time of the year we see each other!   It’s been fun as we bring our children and their children along too!   In December Ron’s brother Ken celebrated his 70th birthday and Ron and Kathie took the grandkids to meet a couple more second cousins! 

This summer Ike, Kathie and their kids and Ron and I took a trip to California.  We spent a couple of days in Pacific Grove with Ron’s sister Lorrie and husband John and enjoyed watching the relationship grow between their grandchildren and ours. We spent time at the ocean and the Monterey Aquarium with niece Whitney and her kids.    We then traveled north with a stop at niece Noelle’s house to spend a few hours with her family.

Then onward to Grass Valley to meet up with all four of my siblings, their spouses, their kids and 15 of their grandchildren.  We spent a very hot Fourth of July in and out of my brother Joe’s swimming pool, enjoying lots of popsicles and spending time visiting.   The cousins and second cousins had a great time together.   Check out the video of the week! 

OUR FAMILY UPDATE

Ron and I continue to enjoy our time together.  We try to walk every day. After Ron had surgery in May for a torn muscle in his hip, we couldn’t hike or camp much, but our garden flourished.  I made some very tasty marinara.   We continue to enjoy our role as grandparents. Ron does the lawn and makes communion bread at church. I enjoy my organizer role for the church and working with Family Promise of Missoula- supporting families experiencing homelessness. 

Ike is the Engineering Director with Diversified Plastics, and Kathie is a civil engineer for BLM.   Their three kids are a joy.  Bethany, age 9- an avid reader, plays the piano, plays soccer and softball and a great big sister! She blessed our Christmas Eve service by singing a solo with the church choir.    Freddie, age 6, fell in love with hunting with Papa this fall and started piano lessons-he can’t walk by a piano without playing something.   Joe, age 2 loves to be outdoors with Papa.  He’s got his own toolbox and is Papa’s helper when it comes to fixing things.  A new puppy, Holly has joined their family which should make 2025 an interesting year!  

Erik continues to make progress with life changes- he started a post graduate certificate program this fall and found success in higher education.  He enjoys his time with his niece and nephews and continues to work toward figuring out what that next chapter of his life will be. 

Liz and Chris are living in Haverhill, Massachusetts.  Liz teaches at Merrimack College and Chris is exploring a new career as a Process Flow Manager for a small precision manufacturing facility in Rowley, MA.  We enjoyed a great visit with them over Christmas.  

Blessings to all of you on this year new.  May 2025 be happy and healthy.   

Ron and Nancy