just a bunch of randomness

Hey guys I don't really have much going on this summer...JUST KIDDING! But seriously I don't have a lot going on. Although I have gotten into the sport of paintball lately because we found out we havea place in Missoula to play it in the basement with reusable paintballs. Also some of Marks work buddies play up in the woods. Then, today while looking up the prices of camoflauged bdu clothes I had a debate with myself on whether choosing vienamese tiger stripe camo was a good choice, or whether getting american woodland camo would be better. It got pretty complicated once I remembered we lost the war against the Vietnamese and whether if I wore it would it be weird since I'm American. Aside from that I'm also planning on getting a job because here in missoula you only need to be 14 with a workers license. So I'm hoping that will take up some more time and then I also have some money I can spend. Other than that I'm being really lazy and sleeping in. Aaaaaaah summer.
Sincerely,
Your most random relation Bridger C.

Issmi Rileigh! aka Wiscontemplation? Eh?

Marhaba! I tried to incorporate a clever state-related title and blatantly failed, haha. By the way blogger wasn't working on my computer yesterday so not my fault!! Haha. Anyway. Here are some pictures from my amazing time in DC (right before school ended). I got to go, all expenses paid, through NCBI for a federal youth summit where we talked about bullying reduction and things like that. It was really amazing! I promise I only looked this creepy whilst high-fiving Hillary Clinton. Also, the Montana thing is one of the pillar-type state things they have near the reflection pool. So, my summer. Here's the deal: I'm taking Arabic classes this summer and it's possibly the best thing I've ever done with a summer. Seriously. Amazing. The teachers are the kindest, most amazing people ever (one is from Israel, one from Jordan, and one from Yemen- all fluent in English and Arabic) and it is such a lovely experience. Arabic is a beautiful language to speak and to write. And despite the beliefs of certain Americans, Arabs (including Muslims) are generally beautiful people just like anyone else. So far, in a week and a half, we've learned the whole alphabet (no small task), numbers, many greetings, and some vocabulary. Not to mention we get five college credits at no charge! In a few weeks I will be whisked off to Chicago for some sort of escapade involving an internship with the amazing artist who made the rings for Abe and Diz's beautiful wedding. I am so excited!! And after that I have a 3-day NCBI (National Coalition Building Institute) camp in which they basically train youth to train other youth to prevent and reduce prejudice and bullying. Also, I get to co-lead or some sort of thing :) So basically my summer is going wondrously and amazingly and I hope yours are too!
Ilal-liqaa,
Rileigh

Tyson Is Three!!

Happy birthday, Tyson.  We celebrated his birthday a few days early since the cousins were here.  He had a great Thomas the Train party and fun was had by all!  Then of course the cousins ended up staying three extra days so he could have done it on the actual day.  Unfortunately the boys all ended up sick with temps so it was kind of a quiet actual birthday.  We love you little man and we are glad that you had a fun birthday!

Ann's First Post

I'm a day late - so apologies may be in order! I was to have posted on Sunday, Molly's birthday (happy birthday, Moll!) but ended up tandem skydiving instead. Woo hoo! Catherine McDonough is the ND student living with us this summer. Given all the MT options, she was most excited about skydiving - so we headed to Ronan early Sunday morning.

Catherine jumped first - it was a belly landing, but she loved every second of it. She's waiting for video to come in. Once she called her mom in Chicago, I could drop all responsibility and head off into the clouds. It was glorious! We flew over the Mission Mountains a bit before turning back toward the Ronan Airport. Clouds were rolling in - the pilot, Monte, and jumpmaster, Gary, were working hard to find the right hole. We got out and the 30 seconds of freefall started off through clouds - so amazing. I love freefall! Loud, windy and truly alive. We did a quick connect with Mike, a jumper who came up with us for the fun of it, and then the ripcord was pulled. After the pull of the chute, all seemed so still compared to the noise of freefall. We circled and played as much as we could. Then the landing - not graceful, but relatively decent. Is that a good excuse for not posting yesterday? I sure hope so! We stopped by the Well's household on our way back - Happy Birthday Bridger! It as fun to see everyone, even though it was a terribly short stop. What a great crew!

I haven't much news on Texas, my family state. I do have news that I'm working to get Food Share up on Facebook. We need your help! Vote for Helena Food Share on Sunday, July 24th to help us win a new Toyota from Toyota's 100 Cars for Good. I'll try to connect with you all at some point. I'm not very techie - so it's an interesting challenge to make this all work.

I've been in a racewalking clinic, worked too many hours, bought a new mountain bike, got a flat on my road bike, and am heading to Glacier with Catherine for the weekend. It's her only chance to see Glacier during her 8 weeks here - and I love that park. A good excuse but I'll miss seeing the Wells Clan in Helena - darn! Going to the Sun road isn't through, we only have reservations for Friday night - ah, the adventure of it all!

Other fun lately has been a racewalking clinic, the local famers market, and hiking about in the Helena area. That's it for my first post. I'll work on photos another day. Enjoy, all!

Hey Everybody

Hey family of mine. Just want to keep you guys updated on this crazy life of mine. This may be my first post on this blog so bear with me:

Things are getting a little hectic nowadays what with baseball, football, and such. It's tough trying to keep cool when you are excited for your 18th birthday coming up. Yep, that's right. 18. And a senior in high school. Pretty sure my parents are feeling old seeing as they are 50. (just kidding guys, love ya)

Baseball team is really on fire this year. As of right now we have a record of 34 wins and 4 losses. This upcoming week we are traveling to Spokane for the traditional tournament out there.

Football is so so. Kinda hard to be interested in it while in the middle of a baseball season. But as we work the team is looking much better. Hopefully we have a good season this year.

Well, between sports and family and other things I'm just trying to make it to my next birthday without total exhaustion. But, either way, I love what I'm doing and wouldn't trade it in for anything else.

I'm looking forward to seeing everybody as soon as possible.

Love all you guys

Sam

Molly is 24 Today!!

Happy birthday to Molly who is 24 today!  Wow!  Time does fly when you are having fun!  We hope that you have an awesome day,  girl!  Don't drink too many of those margaritas!  We are SO proud of you and the path you have chosen.  Enjoy and embrace your day!!

The Glades of Spearfish

It has been so awesome reading all these posts and learning so much more about all our family members! I am definately not one of the most active posters on this blog, so maybe it is about time I entertain you with my thoughts...

It has been discussed in much detail how great our family is and how we are so blessed to have each other. I couldn't agree more. Our family is also full of extremely hard working, ambitious individuals. We have teachers, health care workers, entrepreneurs, and lawyers to name a few. If we aren't the All American family, then who is? One thing I have learned since starting my adult career is the importance of giving myself a break. Stress is synonamous with nursing, and these past couple weeks have been brutal here in Spearfish. It has not been the number of patients we have had lately, but the types of patients. I consider myself a reasonably patient person, and I have left work mentally drained recently due to complainers and people who absolutely refuse to help themselves. I could let this turn me into Nurse Ratched (my mother often calls me this...not true), but most of the time I actually enjoy my job and would like to continue to enjoy it. So yesterday, although I had plenty of housework and packing to do, I let myself enjoy all afternoon in my favorite place in the small town of Spearfish...Spearfish Creek Park.


I love everything about this park. Lots of green grass, trees, biking paths, and my favorite part, the creek. In my need to do something for myself, I packed up my camp chair, book, and sunscreen and headed out to sit by the creek and read in the sunshine. I gave myself two hours to sit and enjoy my surroundings (let me tell you, I needed it) and went home feeling refreshed and rejuvinated. I figured I could share my small piece if paradise with you. Working hard is a very important trait that we all have, however the need to relax every now and then is just as important for our sanity and health. I hear myself telling patients this all the time and should probably practice what I preach. I made a promise to myself to do better, and after yesterday I don't think that will be difficult!

Otherwise, life is good here in the great SD. I move into a newer, bigger apartment soon which I am extremely excited about. Who knew a dishwasher and washing machine could do that to a girl? Wedding plans are slow, but getting motivated is tough when it is over a year away. I can tell you the official date, which is July 21, 2012 in Billings. My next order of business is finding a reception site to house the MooreFest!. I hope everyone is well and enjoying the start of summer! Can't wait to see everyone at the picnic!

Love, Shan

Happy Birthday, Jen!

Well our little girl is turning 26 today and isn't even in a spot to celebrate.  She is sailing the high seas for Okinawa to pick up 1,000 Marines and then on to Australia.  What a young woman she is!  We missed having you here with all of the family home!  Hope you can celebrate your birthday in some way, Jen.  We love you and miss you!

Michi-Gama

Michigan factoids that somewhat relate to me (if you squint your eyes and tilt your head and think “Yeah, these relate to Molly”):
*The painted turtle is Michigan's state reptile. – While part of the larger reptilian family, still unique in its own way.

*Michigan is the only place in the world with a floating post office. The J.W. Westcott II is the only boat in the world that delivers mail to ships while they are still underway. They have been operating for 125 years. – Kind of like me at this point in my life, just sort of floating along.

I must have miscalculated some, because I thought my day was tomorrow (which would have fit my post a bit better), but nonetheless, I will push on. I want to give a shout out to Jen and wish her a very happy 26th birthday tomorrow. Technically it IS her birthday on her side of the world. I always tease my sister and my parents saying that I’ve lived in the shadow of my older sister my entire life, especially since I was born the day after her. I am so proud and so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful family, but at times it was difficult bearing the Buyske name. I don’t know how many times I have heard, “Oh, so your [insert any other Buyske name but mine]’s sister/daughter.” Or others expecting certain things out of me because I was a Buyske and 5 others had done it before me. Fortunately, I come from a family (immediate and extended) that supports and encourages individuality. Perhaps that’s why I became a theatre major, because I wanted to do something completely different than the rest of my siblings…or maybe it was because I was used to getting so much attention from everyone else that it is permanently ingrained in my psyche.

I have had my fair share of hardships, we all have – heartache, lost jobs, dreams dashed – but I have found that probably my biggest struggle in life is trying to figure out who I am and what I want to accomplish. My goals have definitely shifted directions and some have been put on the back burner. I am nowhere near where I thought I would be just a few years ago. I mean, let’s be honest, who here actually pictured ME working in a LAW OFFICE. I’ll be the first to say, “Not I!” But every time I feel like I’m getting further and further away from my dream, I have found out that I learn something more about myself and about life. I’ve come to realize that one of the things that I have been so adamantly fighting against is something that I really should embrace – my name. For years I’ve been trying be unique enough so that others would come up to my siblings and say, “Oh your Molly’s brother/sister, right?” I have found that when I am getting to know someone I will toss out that I am a Buyske or a Moore and then quickly move on to what I feel makes me…well, me. I am starting to understand that by just saying that I AM a Buyske or I AM Moore tells a lot about me. These names let people know that I am hardworking, strong-willed, compassionate, and have a drive in me that no matter how many times someone says I can’t do something, I will keep pushing through until I either succeed, or find out that the other person was right. But having those names is definitely something to be proud of.

As my aunts and uncles get older, I start to see more and more similarities between all of them. Even though I didn’t know him, I see traits passed on from Grandpa John mixed with those that Grandma gave them. I hope that as I grow older others can see the traits I gained from not only my parents, but from my grandparents as well. I have to say, we do have one kick ass Grandma. Over the years I have gone on and on about my performance dreams and Grandma has always been there to support me. I recently gave her a DVD of my one-woman show to watch and I got such a WONDERFUL card in the mail from her telling me how talented I was and how proud of me she was. It’s definitely a comfort to know that I have the support of so many of my family members, especially when I tell others that I got my degree in theatre and they look at me and just go, “Huh.” Or when I was in college and would tell people what I was majoring in and they would say, “So do you have a 2nd major?” It’s nice to know that no one in this family asked me what my 2nd major was.

I’m going to wrap up this novel on a few random, but lighthearted, thoughts. First off, it seems that I didn’t get ALL the Buyske or Moore traits passed on to me – like professional conduct. Working in a law office has opened my eyes to a number of things, particularly that lawyers actually take being a lawyer seriously. Who’d of thunk?! I try and be professional, but it’s just not in my DNA. I decided to liven up the office a bit by dressing like the lawyers and staff on Fridays. I’ve been doing it for the last 12 weeks and today is my final day. One will usually find me cracking jokes, finding ways to stay awake while reading a brief, or perhaps even dancing on a desk when I find out that my jury duty has been cancelled because the case was settle out of court (I got a few strange looks for that one). Second, if you haven’t read Tina Fey’s “Bossypants” book you should. Right now. Seriously. Go to Barnes and Noble, Amazon, download it to your Kindle, I don’t care. Just get your hands on it. An awesome outlook on life that will keep you laughing and teach you a few things while you’re at it. It has given me some new life direction. Chicago, here I come! Maybe. One more Michi-gama (Native word for “large lake”) factoid: The Indian River is the home of the largest crucifix in the world. It is called the ‘Cross in the Woods’.

Arkansas Sub Post

As Nick happens to be unable to connect to the world wide web at this time, I thought I'd write some words about my younger brother.

Right now Nick is at boot camp for the next 12 or so weeks. He is joining the likes of the Schulte brothers in the honorable US Army Guard. Luckily my brother got a little bit in shape before he went. He lost something like 25-30 lbs since New Year's...imressive, no?

Anyway I just want to say that I'm proud of my little bro and I love him tons.

Good Luck Soldier!!

Happy Birthday Briana

Ha! It's true she had to text me to remind me it was her birthday but I redeeming myself in being the one to post her official B-day blog alert. (Nate's doesn't count because it wasn't in the heading.) I am posting a favorite picture I took of Bri with Peter when I was in Portland. It is such a playful picture and they are just so darned cute together. A favorite memory: when we both lived in California we had a pool in our backyard. So swanky. :) And we would spend hours choreographing swim/dance routines to Salt and Peppa and the like. HOURS, I tell you! And it was such great fun. Love ya, girl!

Show Me Somethin'

What’s up, wonderful family? First off, Happy Birthday to Bri!! As all have said, this has been a blast reading these everyday and I’m glad everyone (well almost everyone…Jen?) has participated.

Being back in Montana has been amazing so far. I’m enjoying the outdoors (albeit the wet outdoors) and being around all my friends and family again. I’m also enjoying my job and feel blessed that out of the 100+ offices I could have been transferred to, I was sent back home.

As everyone knows, New York Life has been around for a long time in our family. Grandpa John was a great agent and one that I’ve come to find had one hell of a reputation as an amazing man. Back in March when I was in Florida for a meeting, I met two managers that had worked with Grandpa when they were managers in Montana. When I introduced myself you could see their eyes light up when they heard my last name. Both were quick to talk about how thoughtful, kind, and fun Grandpa John was. I’ve never felt so much pride.

Here in Montana as it was announced I would be taking over as a manager in the MT office, I began receiving calls from a lot of “old-time” agents that knew Grandpa, who were excited to have another Moore in the office (another as my dad works here as well). One agent who was a very close friend of Grandpa’s told me, “Your Granddad would be so proud right now to have you here.” Hearing that was amazing. I’ve come to see (not that I ever didn’t think it) that Grandpa John was an awesome person. If when I’m older I have people talking about me to my kids or grandkids like people have talked to me about Grandpa, I’ll know I have lived one great life. It’s a life that I will strive to live and I have seen firsthand that compassion, honesty, and thoughtfulness never fade from someone’s mind no matter how many years have passed. It’s my goal to carry on the Moore name as Grandpa had carried it on.

I was exploring my new office last month and came across two pictures that I thought were awesome. The first picture was taken in 1958 at the opening of the now-defunct Butte General Office. Front and center is Grandpa John with a killer bow-tie. Up the stairs to the left you can see Orvis. The second is from 1962 in the Great Falls General Office.

The "Maine" Event

Just so you know (Nate) I tried posting this for an hour and a half last night, so credit the awesome internet connection on the ship for the delay.

Hello to my wonderful, amazing family!!!! There have been a number of very good posts lately, and I fear that mine will not be as well written or as deep as some, but I will do my best. As I was reading through everyone's posts, I was trying to decide if I should just give an update about my life, or if I should get all serious, so I decided to do a little of both.

Let me explain the pictures. The first is from a hike I took to a pair of falls somewhere on the island. I bought this book: "Best Tracks on Guam" and I am determined to do most, if not all, of the hikes in the book. The second picture is taken at Gab Gab beach, a private beach on the base where I do a TON of diving. That is a good little lead in to talk about what I have been up to. I am currently working on my dive master certification. Basically what that means is that once I am a dive master, I can help instructors teach classes and get paid for it :) So now I will have a little cash flow to pay for my hobby :) I have also done a lot of hiking, and hope to get in some deep sea fishing as well.

Work is going well. Right now, I am currently on the USS ESSEX. It is an LHD (amphibious ship) that supports Marines. We are conducting exercises off the coast of Australia. We will sail to Townsville and reach there July 7th, and then head to Syndey. I get to fly out of Syndey back to Guam, and all on the Navy's dime, so I am not complaining. I will return to Guam around 8th of August, so it is a long time on the ship, but I am excited for the opportunity to learn about the operational side of the Navy.

So that is enough of the boring stuff---onto the sentimental post right? I remember at the family picnic when we all had to say something about our state. Leading up to that event there were certain people who were bragging about how cool their particular state was and how they were going to be the ones with the coolest factoid. I thought I was so sly and was so excited to find out that the Masters was played in Augusta. Of course, I was saying it was Augusta, Maine, but of course I was quickly put in my place. Nate lovingly told me how big of an idiot I was, and I definitely felt embarrassed. Of course, all the teasing was out of love, and I am glad I made myself out to be an idiot in front of my family instead of someone else.

I can honestly say that I have the most fun, and I laugh the hardest, when I am around family. I think being away from family has made me appreciate the time I have with them that much more. Growing up I would always hear my friends talk about how much they hated their parents or their siblings, and they couldn't wait to move out. I couldn't believe my ears? I mean, who could hate their parents? Did I get mad at them, of course, but I never hated them. I think about all the sacrifices they made, the miles they drove to support me through my sporting events, the anniversaries they gave up to watch me in baseball or to go to a swim meet, the number of summers that were spent balancing work and swim team and raising kids.....I am just amazed. I mean, I owe them so much. And then I think about how all of the parents in this family have sacrificed. Taking us to sporting events, music festivals, rehearsals for various things, supporting us through various challenges, travelling thousands of miles to attend graduations. I could go on and on and on, but we all know what our parents have done for us and the sacrifices they have made. I don't think I can thank them enough. I think their sacrifices are reflected in us, and in our successes.

So I guess the bottom line is, I am thankful everyday for my family. Their love and support has brought me to the point I am at today. Their love and support helped me make a decision to move thousands of miles away, and it is their love and support that gives me the confidence to face each day. I will miss being at the family picnic this year, but I will be there in spirit. I am so proud of every member of this family and what you have all accomplished. I look forward to reading through the rest of the posts. I am glad I was able to get this up before officially going underway.

Love and miss you all.

Love always,

Jen

Anniversary Insanity!

Okay - So we all agreed we would still put up posts for Anniversaries and Birthdays. Three anniversaries have been missed in the flurry of blogging.

Jan and Marc: June 14th

John and Ann: June 20th

Mary and Jim: June 21st

So a Happy Anniversary (belated) to the happy couples! Strong testaments to the power of marriage and commitment and the necessity of humor in a marriage.

Love you all!

Alabama Slamma

So first off I gotta say happy b-day to Jan, happy Father's Day to all the dads, and I've really loved all the family posts the last couple of weeks or so. I especially like the ones that are talking about Grandpa John. The one thing I would change if I could is the opportunity to meet, hug, and talk to my Grandpa. We have an awesome family and we all know it.

Life here in Austin is moving right along. MB, Rocco, and I are pretty much all moved in the new place. We both started orientation for the new job last week and are starting our shifts one week from today. The weather has been crazy with temps up to the 100's everyday. There is a record drought goin on in Texas right now so we are all on water restrictions.

One thing that I have been contemplating the last month or so is the beginning of my working career. Mostly that the career marks the end of my adolescence that a large part of me feels like I have been living the last decade or so. I guess 8 years of school kept me in the mindset of living test to test while having summer and weekends off. I feel like I'm actually somewhat of a grownup now with an actual job and actual responsibilities. Not to mention I'm going to be taking care of kids. That responsibility hasn't quite sunk in yet.

As far as the job goes, I'll be working twelve hours shifts 6 days a week. A brutal schedule to say the least. I start out on night shift, which means two other residents and I will be caring for basically all the patients in the hospital overnight. Straight into the fire!! A large part of me is excited but I'm also very anxious to get that first call from a nurse telling me that a patient is crashing and I need to do something now. But we'll cross that bridge when it comes.

Anyway, I hope I didn't bore everyone to tears. Hopefully I will get to come up to MT this fall during my vacation weeks.

Love all of you!!!

Jake Wingerter, MD

Happy 61st!

This happy Mom, Grandma, sister, daughter, and wife turns 61 today.  This year she's celebrating with five of the six kiddos and all five grandkids - so she's a happy lady.  I've been lucky to be able to spend a few weeks with her (and Dad) in Helena before heading out to Japan next week and it's been a blast.   Thank you for everything you do, lady!

Love you,
Mike

Sires of the Moore Clan

As I contemplated what to post on my day - Illinois' day - I went back to review the previous posts a little bit....and to catch up on them. It occurred to me that today was Father's Day so an "Ode to the Fathers" seemed appropriate. We have an amazing family with much deserved credit given to Grandma as the matriarch. The patriarch is one many of us weren't fortunate enough to know in person yet he lives on strongly through the many memories and stories. He has influenced all the dads in this family to be incredibly loving, generous, and giving to their kids. We have dads in all walks of life with all ages of kids who have taught us all to be just as loving, generous, and giving to others. This tradition will continue to be passed on as we teach our sons to live up to their names - whether they technically be Moore or not.

A famous Illinois-ian (although not born there) is Abraham Lincoln He, too, was a father who greatly influenced those around him. He has an interesting quote I found:

"My father taught me to work, but not to love it. I never did like to work, and I don't deny it. I'd rather read, tell stories, crack jokes, talk, laugh -- anything but work."
— Abraham Lincoln

Now the entire thing isn't appropriate for our family. I really do believe most of us enjoy what we do and all have an incredible work ethic, no matter how many paths we need to go down to find it. But the other part - laughing, telling stories, and talking - are 100% Moore. Gathering around the kitchen no matter how crowded it got or around the food table or game area at family picnics or on the dance floor at weddings - these are the memories that have strengthened our family, and I think Grandpa John smiles along with Grandma when all of us are together.

So on this Sunday, Happy Father's Day to Marc, John, Tom, Dinger, Mark, Jerry, Peter, Matt, Ryan and Nate. And preemptive Happy Father's Day wish to the future fathers!

By Valor and Arms

Hey ya'll. So my state is Mississippi. I have actually spent some time in that state and have some fond memories. My favorite would have to be playing in the Regional Championship game when I was a junior at Louisiana State Uninversity in Shreveport. The tourney was hosted by William Carey University in Hattiesburg. We had already played numerous games throughout the weekend and it came down to Sunday night. We had already played once that day and went into extra innings. The temp was in the upper 90s if not into the hundreds and then adding the 100% humidity made it feel ridiculously hot. The big game was a battle the whole way through and ended up coming down to the ninth inning. We were down 1 with 2 outs and runners at 1st and 2nd. It just so happened that I was due up w the game and our season on the line. I was facing a pitcher that I was 0 for the season against. As it was again, he had me dead to rights w 2 strikes and then i managed to crush a ball off the end of the bat. It rolled barely passed the pitcher's mound but the pitcher, second baseman, and first baseman all went for it, no one covered first, and I ended up being safe. The next guy got up and ripped a shot down the line to score 2 and win the game. It was an amazing feeling until he came up to me after the game and cussed my out for not getting a hit and the game. he said he was so nervous he almost threw up. haha.
So the rest of the story is that we went to super regionals where we won 2 of 3 to make it to the NAIA world series in Lewiston ID. We played very well there and ended up taking 3rd.

I miss my playing days terribly everyday. Wish I would have taken it more serious when I had the chances. But as it is, I love what I am doing now. I love all the time I get to spend w all my relatives and can't wait for later this summer. Glad to hear everyone's doing well and I hope you all enjoyed my little story of Mississippi.

Benjamin

PS Please Pray for our country and the amazing service men and women that protect us.

Hoosier Daddy

Like the rest of the family, I have enjoyed reading everyone's posts over the past couple of weeks. It just further cements the close bond we share as a family. I have definitely taken advantage of that close bond over the past few years as I have lived with Grandma, Abe, Matt & Kelly, Tom & Jeanine, and John & Ann. In every home I was welcomed and felt like I belonged, rather than just a visitor.

Grandma housed me on a couple of different occasions as I tried to figure out what to do with my life. One stint saw me working at Old Navy, while the other had me spraying lawns and hanging Christmas lights. We enjoyed many competitive cribbage games (which I lost more than won), lots of Jeopardy, and plenty of meatloaf. Yum!

My time with Abe was possibly the best summer of my life. After completing audio engineering school in Arizona, I moved over to Chicago to intern at an audio post-production house and shacked up with Abe. When I wasn't "working" I spent much time playing music, going to concerts, eating great food, catching Cubs games, and just soaking up the city life. While it was a blast to spend a short time there, my small-town Montana roots were pulling me back.

I tried my luck out in Washington with Matt and Kelly for a few months. Will was just a little one then, so I had plenty of time to mold him into the great kid he is today. :) I tried finding some audio engineering work, but it just didn't pan out. Eventually I ended up back at Carroll and got my degree.

This landed me with a job in Billings and a temporary stay, that turned more permanent, at Tom and Jeanine's. I really enjoyed my time there and felt like the son they never had. (Unless you count Nate....) Jeanine and Shannon loved to bake sweets, and I loved to eat them, so it was a match made in heaven.

The following summer I shacked up with John and Ann while I worked in Helena. They were gracious hosts who just let me come and go. We had busy schedules, so we'd see each other in passing, but I really did enjoy my short time with them as well.

Now I am on my own in Billings, but soon to be living with Nate. I think it should be a great time and he may be a Griz fan before you know it! For those of you that don't know, I will be looking for a new job as I was let go from my other one. But even when I found that out, I wasn't really too stressed or worried because I knew things would work out, and I know that I have an awesome family to support me no matter what. Thank you all for your great personalities and everything you contribute to this great, and growing, family.

Blog From the Bayou

The daily posts are going strong. This will be the 20th post in 18 days without the string being broken. Good job everyone! I just wanted to start out by giving Jim a shout out for his recent promotion with Delta. He is now the station manager in Boise, ID. This is a well deserved promotion for a hard working guy. Way to go Jim!!

Hope everyone's summer is off to a good start. School here has been out for about a week and a half now, and I am enjoying the mornings to get caught up on things before I go to my PM job at the physical therapy clinic. Tom and I just got back from visiting Shannon and Birch in Spearfish. We hung around there for a couple days and did some fun things before visiting my sister Sheila in Rapid City. The drive to Spearfish was a pretty one with everything so green after all the rain that we've had.

Last June I started taking guitar lessons. I've always wanted to play the guitar, so I thought I'd give it a try. Things have been going well with it, and I have been making progress. My teacher is an 80 year old lady who owns a guitar store here in Billings. She has a good sense of humor, so we get along quite well.(Except when she jabs me with her pencil when I hit a wrong note. I have a few permanent lead marks). For Christmas, Tom surprised me with a pretty red guitar. Click below to see a short example of what I've learned so far.

Blessings to all,
Jeanine

PS: The legend of superman

I watched Waiting for Superman last night and it really bothered me. I think you all should watch it and:

1. Be thankful for all the great teachers in your life
2. Do whatever you can to help the schools in your area
3. Support the children in your lives to become the best students they can be

Granted, I don't know much about education and don't want to think I get all my information form the "gotcha" media, but there really is no reason in my mind for a child to drop out of school or not succeed if they are given the right resources and support. I'm a bit of an activist when it comes to people who can't always speak up for themselves. I think I would have been great in the '60s!

O-HI-O

Greetings all! Although I love my extended and immediate family and think we are all amazing in our own unique and wonderful way, I am going to use this post to talk about something else near and dear to my heart - Alzheimer's disease.

I volunteered to put together a team at Billings Clinic to walk in the Alzheimer's Association's annual walk. The proceeds go towards research to find better treatments and faster detection of Alzheimer's. It can be a debilitating disease for both patients and families that suffer from this diagnosis. If you are interested, I urge you to donate to this great cause. You can either send a donation to my fabulous team or find an Alzheimer's Association walk in your area. In Billings, the walk is going to take place in September.

Another related cause near and dear to me is fighting for the rights of seniors. In our current economic and health care system crises, services affecting the elderly are often the first cut. I really think it is the new civil rights fight in America. In Montana, there have been significant cuts proposed such as cutting Medicaid reimbursement to assisted living facilities 10%. This will mean many facilities will join the growing trend of refusing to take Medicaid patients, resulting in these patients being placed in nursing homes and thus costing the state more. Often when government funds are cut, people who private pay have to foot the bill. Just so you are all aware of the high cost of long term care, it costs anywhere from $4500 to $7000 per month to live in an assisted living or nursing home. Who can afford that, especially in Montana?!

Anyhow, I'll stop rambling now. The kids are fine. Here's some fun, albeit old, pictures to enjoy.

Tennessee Time

This is so much fun! What a great family we have. I am so impressed at what willing, capable, and fun people are in this family! You all amaze me.
I was hoping to have some clever, tear jerking, laughter inspiring blog about my beautiful family and what ya'all mean to me - however, life has been increasingly busy in our little family and time has not permitted me to give it as much thought as would be required for this less-than-budding writer.
Therefore, my musings of life and family will have be simplified.
Here it goes.
I owe my world to my family. As I move through this life I find that so many people come from a family that they can not relate to, that does not support them, and that there just isn't as much obvious love involved. It breaks my heart, it makes me want to extend to them the love that I feel comes so fluidly to this family, to use our strength of love and laughter and support to bring lightness and also strength to their lives. But, you know what - people survive anyway, and in a lot of cases thrive anyway. It isn't necessary to have a close family that loves and supports you! But, life sure is a LOT easier when you have do.
In my own life I rely on the brilliance, support, and guidance of my siblings and my parents in every aspect of my life. They are my teachers, my business advisers, and my best friends. Not many people can say that about their family.
We're very luck. I don't take that for granted. Our closeness gives us strength and ease in life. Our bonds will give our children that same foundation to move forward from.
Thank you to all of our lineage that have come before us and paved the way for these moments with these people. Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa for instilling such a strong sense of family and love into their children that they have instilled it into their children, who will instill it into their children. And thank you to my papa and his siblings for giving us all the opportunities again and again know our family well and to create relationships that will carry us through our lives.
I love you very much,
Briana
ps. I am including this picture of myself because I wanted to show off what an amazingly talented photographer Hannah is! Seriously, she should make a profession out of it!

Kentucky - A Bluegrass Blog

Hello all you Moore family descendants. Believe it or not, this is my very first Moore Family Blog response. Quite interesting when you consider I seem to comment (even when not asked to) all the time during face to face conversations. I truly have enjoyed reading all the updates and family narratives over the years.
Kentucky is known for its thoroughbred horses, horse racing, bourbon distilleries, bluegrass music, tobacco, and college basketball. Thinking about what makes Kentucky great is very similar to what separates the Moore clan and the Wingerter family from all others. As all the family members grow and mature, we seem to be like thoroughbreds - born and raised to be the best. And let's not get started on the competitiveness this family possesses. We never lose at anything we set out to accomplish - however we sometimes change our goals along the way. There are numerous distilleries and breweries not only in Kentucky, but all over this great country, our families have kept in business. And music - well that just goes without saying. I wish you all could hear me sing after a few of those breweries have made a gross profit from me. Amarillo By Morning has never sounded better. Tobacco reminds me of how smokin' hot this family is, even when some of us have rolled our own in the past. College basketball brings to mind the team work needed to win a championship while individual improvement is a must on order to propel the team to a higher successes. The Moore family has certainly proved the success of team concept with the individual accomplishments.
Please allow me for a moment to say how happy I have been to be a member of this family for the past 31 years. I could not have asked for a better group to laugh with, to cry with, to share my love with, and to pray with. Thank you all for the blessing you have been in my life.
And to my own family, you have made me a very proud father. I puff up my chest and let everyone know how successful you all are in your lives; a mother-wife-nurse, a physical therapist assistant, a doctor, a teacher and soldier, a high school senior more mature than many of the adults I know (including me), and a most beautiful eight grade daughter. The achievements you have all made not just in academics or occupations but to the contributions you have made to all those lives you touch makes me burst with love. And all this started by a couple of kids God brought together. Thank you Mary - I love you.
May God bless this great country we live in, may you all remember your roots wherever life takes you, and may this family continue its greatness.

Jim Wingerter

Vermont Addendum

Pics of Matt & Kelly Buyske Family can be found at

cindymorrisonphotography.com
password: montana

Just had maternity pics done by a friend who is starting up her portfolio.

Hope you enjoy!

Kelly

Hello from Mr. Vermont!

Great posts up to this point! So many fun things to read. Kelly and I have had a great time reading them all.

Our family has been doing well now for a little over two years in Florida. This stint will be coming to an end in November when we will be transferring to Dallas, TX. It will be tough leaving the house and our neighborhood, but the job and the climate will not be sorely missed. Unfortunately, I am not sure Dallas really gives us a whole lot of relief from the climate. :) But it will be an exciting change nonetheless.

Another change in the Buyske family (for those who have not heard yet) is that Kelly is expecting our fourth addition! We did not find out the gender because we love the surprise and I think it is just a little extra something to help Kelly get through the ridiculously hot Florida summer. The three boys are extremely excited. Will and Ben switch their predictions faster than they switch choices of ice cream. They are going to be great big brothers no matter what gender.

We are currently on vacation in Montana visiting my grandparents on my Dad's side and will be in Helena for a week starting on Saturday. The boys are loving the cooler weather and are using every ounce of energy from the time they get up until the time their little heads hit the pillow. Should be an amazing week of fishing and riding tractor with their great-grandpa. Then it will be another amazing week of carousel and children's museum with their grandma and grandpa as well as a few aunts and uncles. :)

I wish I had some pictures to post, but I don't have them on this computer. We will have to wait until Kelly's post to show some pictures. Hope you are all doing well and we look forward to seeing as many of you as we can in the next two weeks.

Matt

Rhode Trippin'

As many of you know, I graduated from optometry school this year and am getting ready to head to Okinawa for a 2 year Navy gig.  Very much looking forward to the new location but have been enjoying spending time with family and friends in and around Montana the past few weeks.
The move also brings and end to my 11 year relationship with my car - which for some reason I named "Marge".  She was originally sold/leased to Connie and Bill when Jim was back in his Bennett Motors days (I think that's how it went anyway).  I bought it from them after college graduation even though I figured I'd be the only person under 50 driving a Buick around.  But, just like Johnny Cash sang, "I've been everywhere" in that car.   Driven through 48 states while bouncing through the country for Navy and optometry rotation travels.  And cities like Seattle, Portland, LA, San Diego, New Orleans, San Antonio, Chicago, Boston, D.C., etc.  She's been a great car and I'm sad to see her go.  Hopefully the next owner will get some more great miles out of her.  "Morris Motors" has since sold 2 more cars to the Buyske family so I might be hitting them up again when I get back from Japan.  Anyone interested in some fresh sushi is more than welcome to come visit anytime!   Sayonara.

Happy Birthday Abram Isaac!

I think we agreed that we would continue to do birthday and anniversary posts as we forge across the fifty states, so I thought I would send a quick happy birthday message to my darling husband. Here he is playing music with some friends in Los Angeles. Happy Birthday, b! I love you!

Farm Summer

Perhaps I am mistaken but I swear I once heard a story about a young Johnny who forgot to make his bed as he hurried off to school. His parent (was it Grampa?) promptly ventured to Johnny’s school and had him return home to tidy said bed. Is this a fictitious memory or based somewhere in the Moore Genealogical record? It reminds me of a similar story from my youth when this same John ventured to a middle school dance to apprehend Maurika and have her come home to finish her kitchen cleaning chore of rinsing out the drain in the sink. I remember our daylong marathon of Saturday chores and our hard earned allowance being a bright shiny quarter. Not being allowed to eat candy (much), the 25 cent treat was a tasty round of beef jerky purchased at the little corner drug store and our joy was full.
So I think it is partially due to this Moore family work ethic as part of my upbringing that I lost it the other night. It was one of the first days of summer and close to bedtime when I ventured downstairs to see my sweet and lovely children (because despite this following description, they truly are sweet and lovely) watching TV in an utter mess of a livingroom – popcorn on the floor, throw pillows strewn about, a cup carelessly tossed to the side. It was at this moment that I welcomed the poor lambs to Farm Summer. The ensuing rampage went something like this; “Do you know why summer was invented back in the day? It wasn’t so that children could have a break from school!! It was so that they could work on the farms from dawn til dusk to ensure that there would be food to eat throughout the winter!! They worked so hard that going back to school was probably a nice break from the heavy labor of summer plowing, planting, and harvesting!! And that is what we are doing this summer, my young chickadees, learning how to work – we’ll call it Farm Summer!!”
Did I overreact? Perhaps. It has been known to happen. However, I prefer to call it a moment of clarity. That as a society, we have truly done our children a disservice by entertaining them the way we do. With all the video games and 20 million television stations and many varied and unique handheld electronic devices – we have created a great minion of minis that are programmed to play. And we have forgotten to teach them how to work. Carter is nine and the first toilet he has ever cleaned was last week. There is something wrong with that picture.
Our first day was long and full of chores; cleaning and weeding and scooping and scrubbing. Lots of “I don’t know how to do this” and “Seriously?” but do you know what Jerry noticed when he got home that day? How happy the kids were. It was so clear that good hearty work creates fulfilled children rather than children pacified by technological entertainment.
I do plan on slowly letting them earn playing with friends and going to the pool and enjoying the fun that only summer holds but it is something to be earned – not something they are entitled to. And it is this Moore-ness that we all so cherish that has brought me back to this really important basic that I am so grateful to re-learn myself.
Love ya’ll!!





BTW Thought I would throw in a couple pics. We did go for a nice drive after church on Sunday so I am not completely controlling and cruel. Here is Carter with his fancy summer Mohawk – you can see how much I love it, the girls in the setting sun, and my awesome Jer since I never post pictures of him. Did I tell you that he has coached almost all of Carter’s sporting teams this last year and that he is a rockstar of a husband?

New York, New York

Obviously, this is not a picture of me in the Big Apple, but is a picture of me with a Big Fish!  Actually, this photo jogs good memories of a trip I took just as my posting under New York jogs memories of my visit to New York.  After graduation from college, and failing to then convince Jan to marry me (I later did accept her proposal), I went against Horace Greeley and headed East.  My uncle was an executive in New Jersey and I stayed with him while I went into the City to search for employment.  I recall sitting in Battery Park waiting for an appointment with Mudge Rose Guthrie Alexander and Nixon (yes, THAT Nixon) to interview for a paralegal position.  A seagull decided to make a political statement (must have been a staunch Democrat) and made a deposit on my suit jacket.  Since the jacket was a fairly loud check (it was the 70s after all), the remnants of the deposit blended, but I wondered if that was the reason for not hiring me.  I also recall thinking that walking in New York was a little like walking in a small town, as everyone seemed to be only concerned about those people in the very near vicinity, so the numbers did not seem overwhelming.  This attitude on my part was, however, blitzed when during one walk on 7th Avenue at noon I looked up (I was going down a slight incline) and saw nothing but people from building to the edge of the 20 foot wide sidewalk for as far as I could see!  Rather sobering.  My cousin and I made a deal--I would go endure a montage of ballet piece at the American Ballet, and she would endure a showing of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (made in GF if you recall).  Again, a fond memory!  Every time I smell the diesel exhaust of a passing bus, I remember walking the avenues of New York.  So, that is my "New York, New York" (you are to imagine Ol' Blue Eyes singing!)

Marc Buyske

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

Virginia is my state and I can honestly say I'm one of the few who have actually lived in their state. I was stationed at Virginia Beach when I was in the army.
Since everyone has talked so much about the family and I agree with it all, I thought I would tell you a little bit about myself for those who don't know my story.
I was born at home in Butte, MT. I was the 13th of 14 (yes my family is way bigger than yours). I was in 7th grade when my mother passed away and I lived with my older sister Dorothy and her family until I graduated from Butte Central. After attending Western Montana College for 2 years, I joined the army. I ended up getting discharged from Fitzsimmons army hospital in Colorado. I stayed in the Denver area after that. On February 1, 1975 Connie and I got married in Great Falls. It was a cold night--temp was at -29 degrees. We stayed in Denver until 1978 and decided to move back to Montana. That's when I started working for the IRS and I did so until I retired in 2004. In 2005 I suffered a stroke that left my right side unusable and my speech rather difficult. Both of us have learned to live with this and get along pretty well. I agree that family is the most important thing in the world. I have lost several of my brothers and sisters, but still keep in touch with the remaining sisters (yes I'm the only boy left) and many of my 50 some nieces and nephews.
Bill

The Newest Hampshire

Hey all. Just got home after a long day and had a text from Nate that I'd better not forget to do my blog post. Come on, hermano. Like I'd forget?

I think we've all sufficiently complimented each other and ourselves about what a great family we are, so I'll just give you a quick update about what's going on around here, then drop in a few random pictures for you to enjoy.

Diz and I have both been very busy, she with her new venture and me with our old trade. Heading to Los Angeles tomorrow for a couple of hearings, then back for a Friday night birthday dinner in Chicago with some friends. The next few weeks take me to St. Louis, New Orleans, maybe San Diego . . . All just prelude to The Brackett Creek Inn (tell me you've signed up!).

Last weekend, Diz and I headed down to South Bend for a ten year law school reunion. It was really fun, even though it was only my nine year reunion. I just had a bunch of buddies in the class ahead of me so we decided to join them for a weekend of barbeque, golf, some fishing, campfires, guitars, etc. I love Notre Dame in the summer. And really any time.

Ok, all. So far, I think the only guests we are expecting this summer are Rileigh and maybe Molly. You all need to get on the ball and plan a trip out here to hang out for a bit. You'd like Chicago in the summer, and we're in a pretty nice spot next to the lake and Wrigley. Come on out!

Finally, here are a bunch of random pictures, just because pictures make blog posts more fun. Here's Diz on the Chicago River a few summers ago.

Here's Sabina at the arboretum in Lincoln Park.

Here's us with the Philpot kids last summer.

And finally, here are a bunch of pics from when the girls and I were kids. Yes, that's a homemade go-cart (a.k.a. Death Buggy) that I used to fly on, brake-free, down the hills of Boulder.

Simply Maurika and family...

This is great!! I haven't been on this blog in way too long. It would actually be embarrassing to say exactly how long. I am killin it late tonight to not break the chain. Arg!! News: new house, you saw... Still moving in and getting alla cozy. New job at saint Patrick hospital: internal communications specialist, (obviously this needs some attention on my internal family front!!). Kids are amazing, Rileigh is in DC this week- she can fill you in soon. Bridger had his early 15th bday party this past weekend. Played paintball against a bunch old men and kicked butt. Mark is still sore. Truman is still the amazing athlete but also very musical! He tattler on piper in a perfect scale the other day. Piper is demanding funny and with her brother emptied all of their clothes from their dresser into the full kiddie pool this weekend. I found them tromping in a slosh of wet clothes laughing big time.

Life is good. Miss family. Wish I wasn't so busy.

Will see all of you this summer and can't wait!!!

Love love. M.

A Maryland Moment

I was talking with Tom and he said I better post something as to not break the chain or he would come down here and kick my you know what. I would hate to see him resort to violence so I will say a few words.
Most has already been said about what a great family we have and how fortunate we are. I would agree with that but also add that it started with two great people and the lessons learned keep trickling down.
Connie said she, as the oldest, felt like the guinea pig as mom and dad were honing their chops as parents. As the youngest I just thank God for the patience they (and Mary) had with me.

Peace and Love from Idaho,
Jim

Massachusetts by Mary

My turn!
It's always hard to wait your turn, but as number 5 I have learned how to wait. When I was teaching 4 and 5 year olds, my mantras were you get what you get and you don't throw a fit, and you have to take turns!
So you get what you get...we have been truly blessed in what this life has given us. We have great families...lots of parental support, great siblings, awesome children and fantastic nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews, grandkids etc. My gosh! What amazing families!
You have to take turns...that reminds me of playing games. When we were at Lake of the Ozarks with MB's family, her uncle said...I have never seen a family as into game playing as Liz (MaryBeth's aunt) until I met your family. You guys are crazy! After watching Mom play cribbage with Nick when she joins us for dinner on Sundays, I understand where I get that competitive edge. But how fun it is!
All in all, life is good. No, I take that back. Life is great! We live in the most beautiful place in the world (even if there is A LOT of water around here) with the bestest people around. We are sitting by the fire, on a great Montana evening, with a gooney dog named Angus panting in our faces. What a great way to spend the night! Massachusetts ain't got nothing on Montana~
Lov'all and see you in August if not sooner!
Mary

Georgia Gist

I guess it's my turn, if a bit out of turn. The recent posts have been great, especially on the theme of family. I can't add much to those thoughts, other than to agree that we siblings were blessed with a close-knit and loving family. From that foundation, we gained the insight and inspiration to raise our own families. For my part, all I can say is that my children have exceeded my expectations. Mainly, that's because I didn't have a lot of expectations. I had only faith -- in them. As Gramma Rice imparted to me, "Feed 'em well and make sure they get enough sleep, they'll turn our okay," that bit of wisdom worked. The rest I credit to of them -- Maurika, Abram, Hannah, and Briana. Each is gifted in his or her own way, and each has put forth the energy to realize those gifts.

Over Memorial Day weekend, we visited Bri and family in Portland. We always enjoy our time in their space, admiring and enjoying the life they've built. Here's a photo from our hike to Wahclella Falls -- a fine site east of Portland. As summer comes into bloom, we look forward to fine family gatherings. The Family Picnic promises to be special this year, and we hope many of y'all can be in attendance.

Connecticut Connection

It's Friday morning, and I'm sitting in Casper, WY trying to come up with my post for the day. I'm the first state without a backup blogger. This also means I'll get to welcome the next member of the family to the great state of Connecticut. Maybe the newest addition to the Matt Buyske clan will be able to post for the Constitution State the next time around.

Most of the previous blogs have extolled the virtues of this great family. I'll second everything that has been said and back it up with an example. On Mother's Day weekend we had a great time in Chicago with Abe and Dez acting as the perfect hosts. Jeanine, Nate, and I flew in from Billings about noon on Thursday. Shannon and Birch got in from Rapid City later in the afternoon. Nate's girlfriend Ashley came from Kansas and got there about the same time as Shannon and Birch. We all took the train into the city and the fun began. I had some free nights coming from Hilton, so Jeanine and I got a room downtown. Everyone else stayed at Abe and Dez's.

On Thursday night we met up with Abe for some Chicago style pizza and visiting. We spent Friday doing some downtown tourist stuff. A river tour, Millennium Park, and a drink at the top of Hancock Tower kept us busy for most of the day. On Saturday Abe got his firm's suite at Wrigley Field, and we were treated like royalty. It doesn't get much better than an afternoon game at Wrigley. It turned out to be a great game with the Cubs winning on a walk off single in the ninth inning. A great Italian dinner finished off a super day. Finally on Sunday, we all met at the Lincoln Park Zoo. It's a very nice zoo in a wonderful neighborhood. After the zoo we went to lunch then took the bus and train back to the airport.

Besides letting you know about our trip and thanking Abe and Dez, I also wanted to relay that the time we are able to spend with family
always turn out to be the funnest, most memorable times of our lives. We have a great opportunity to make more memories this summer at the family picnic. I hope everyone makes a sincere effort to be there. If we start taking these family get-togethers for granted, I'm afraid they'll go by the wayside. Let's not let that happen.

Love you all,
Tom

Charlie's Post

I decided it would be appropriate to do my first ever blog entry on the art of being a "copy cat." I have this down to a T (pun intended since the person I copy the most is big brother Tyson). It's amazing how Mom can go from a sane individual to having a crazed look in her eye afterTyson starts throwing a fit and I manage to match him pitch for pitch. I find it a thing of beauty.

The great thing about being part of the Moore family is that there are SO many people I can copy. Right now, I've gotten a lot of practice copying my aunt Molly, Grandma, Grandpa, Tyson (of course), and a little bit of the Buyske Boys and my other aunts and uncles at Christmas. I really can't wait until the family picnic when I can truly show my skills. And now that I'm able to form some words, it makes it that much better. Now instead of just hearing Tyson say "Nooooo," Mom can hear it from me too - usually just a split second after Tyson. Everyone always wants surround sound, right?

The thing that saves me from getting into any real troublewith copying is the fact that I'm just so darn cute....and I know it. One bat of the eyelashes and a sly look, and I am off scott-free. Maybe Tyson should start copying ME......he would have less "chill out" times!

Look forward to seeing most of you this summer! Start practicing some fun mannerisms so I can copy you, too!

Love - Charlotte Ann Marie

A Note From New Jersey

Well Dez, Isaac and Connie have made it pretty difficult to follow up!  Gosh, a daily thought - there are so many rolling around in this head!  

After working in the high school these past four years, I have noticed that many of the words that Dez used to describe our family are just not as common in the everyday household.  The norm is to come from a three or four parent family; to have lots of stepbrothers or stepsisters; to bounce from place to place.  They come to us for a few weeks, months, a year and then back to the other parent.  My heart aches for these little lost lambs and makes me that much more thankful for my upbringing and the upbringing that we were able to give our children.   I am also thankful that I am in a place where we can have some impact on these kids and try to help them out.  It is easy to do this because I am secure in who I am thanks to my parents.  We have a beautiful extended family and I want to express how grateful I am for all of you!!!

The oldest Moore speaks

Boy, how does one follow those first 2 entries. As the oldest Moore sibling, I sometimes felt like a guinea pig as mom and dad were learning their parenting as I was growing up. But I think they learned well and all 6 of us succeeded beyond all expectations (which were rather high).
I can remember when I left for college and there were only 7 people at the dinner table (yes we did all eat dinner together) that dad was pretty bummed for a while. I think he got over it and as we all left home he began to realize how nice and quiet it was.
When the grandchildren started coming and everyone would come home to visit, mom and dad would let them all have the house and they would come over to our house for the night. It was a little quieter there!
Now with the great grandchildren coming in droves this family has grown beyond all expectations and, as Desi said, shows marvelous faith and resolution.