Happy Birthday Jim!

It's Jimbo's birthday today and he finally got a bike!  I think he was very excited.  Happy birthday babe!  I love you~

Happy 63rd, Little Bro!

It is Johnny's 63rd birthday and we are celebrating with smiles!!  LOVE being in the same town and getting together with you!  Enjoyed our wine last night.  Sometimes it is fun to just be the two of us!  Hope you have a great day!!  You are special!!!  Love you!

Fun Sibling Day!

Johnny, Annie, Marc and I set out for Twodot, MT about 11 am this morning.  We stopped for lunch in White Sulpher (which was awesome) and then headed on out to the ranch.  Steve greeted us with enthusiasm and took us out to an area to look for granite rocks.  We were looking for the right size to bring in to have cut and engraved for Mom and Dad's grave markers.  How cool to be on the ranch where Dad grew up and look for something that would mean something to him and to all of us!  It was a beautiful day and we didn't even see any snakes!!  What a great day!

Grandma and her First Grandchild

Happy belated Rika!!  What a great picture of you and grandma. 

Happy Birthday, Maurika!

Although April Fool Day is drawing to close, we can't let it pass without acknowledging Maurika's birthday. I'm repeating this photo, because I think it speaks volumes about both of the women in it. And there is a resemblance between the two – more than just appearance. Happy birthday, darling Mo – I hope you celebrate well.

Happy Birthday, Connie!

Today is Connie's birthday. I won't say how old she is – just one orbit short of a big one. We love you and appreciate all you do to bring this crazy family together. Give this day your usual subdued celebration and enjoy it with our best wishes!

Happy 35th!!!!

Today, March 21st, marks the 35th Anniversary of my parents.  It's hard to believe that 35 years ago they thought they were living the best day of their lives only for it to be outdone 4 years later in July 1985 by the birth of their first child.

Regardless of what the best day of their lives was (we all know it was July 28th, 1985), it's quite the milestone and one that I'm extremely grateful for.  They've shown Shannon and me the right way to do things with fun, humor, love, and humility.  We are both better because of the love they've showed for our 30 years and 28 years we've been with them.

I wish I could be home in Billings to celebrate with you guys but know that it's all love from California.  Shannon and I love you so much and we appreciate all you've done for us.  Love the hell out of you.

Nate

Ben's Birthday Buddy

I liked how Grandma stayed really calm when we were playing hide and seek when we visited her in her condo where she lived.  The grass was really tall and she didn’t really know where we were.  I bet Mom would have freaked out.  Grandma had lots of experience with children and must have known they wouldn’t get lost in grass.  I liked her toy basket a lot too because it had a football in it.  And also I liked the old time matchbox cars she had in it. And she was my birthday twin.

Ben

"Sister" Grandma Jeanne

First of all, so very sorry to have delayed this post.

I was fortunate to join the same church as Grandma Jeanne when our three parishes combined.  Granted, I was a Holy Family member so we didn't often congregate with those from St. Gerard.  When we joined communities to form Holy Spirit we attended mass in the "old" church across the street.  This particular church wasn't conducive to viewing fellow church goers and since my family ALWAYS sat on the right hand side of the church anywhere from the first pew to the fifth pew back, our view of the left hand side of the church was minimized.  However, I have vivid memories of Jeanne at church.  She sat on the front left hand side and congregated with the Wingerters and a multitude of other church-goers.  I obviously didn't know her as Grandma Jeanne at the time, nor did I think of her as anyone's Grandma for that matter.  As a matter of fact, from a very young age, I believed that Jeanne was a NUN!

I continued to believe Grandma was a nun until the day Meghan and I attended church together for the first time and Meghan told me she wanted me to meet her grandmother.  Even after Meghan introduced Jeanne as her grandmother I still refused to believe she wasn't a member of some Catholic Order of sisters and that she had retired, which would explain the lack of the black and white attire.  I remember asking Meghan, "So why do you call her grandma?  Did you guys "adopt" her into your family or something like that?"  Give me a break here, I was trying to overcome 15+ years of mistaken identity.

At the time I didn't know why I had made the mistake of assuming Grandma Jeanne was a nun, nor could I believe that I didn't make the connection to the Wingerters.  It wasn't until Meghan and I lived with Grandma that I fully came to understand why I had believed what I believed for so many years.  To me the sisterhood has and always will be connected to women who heard and most importantly answered a calling to something greater than themselves.  Grandma was called to serve her God, her family and her community, all of which she did in her own unique way.  I was fortunate to watch her service in action while we lived with her for those months and consider myself a better person for having been influenced by Grandma's desire to live a life that was so balanced, authentic, and a true representation of what it means to become the very best possible version of oneself.

So there's that.  I was going to share a funny/horrifying/awkward moment that I shared with my soon to be grandmother-in-law while on a trip to Sioux Falls with Meghan, Jan, Molly, and Jen.  But you'll have to ask me in person after I've had a few beers and I'm more willing to relive the moment out loud.

-Ryan

Leap day

Happy leap day to everyone. I saw a cartoon in the funnies that said "It's just cruel adding an extra day to election years". I have to agree with that.
We still have a few people that could add their memories of Jeanne/grandma if you are so inclined. 😉

Nick and Christina's wedding

Hello Family!

I hope everyone is wrapping up their winter in fine fashion. It has been pretty nice down here in Arizona (80 degrees the last 5 days, no big deal). But I did not get on to post about the weather- I want to make sure that everyone get this invitation. I am about 95% sure it went out to the Aunts/Uncles (if you did not get one, I welcome all shouts of outrage).

I will keep this brief-

If you will reference the lower portion of the postcard above, you will notice there is an option A and an option B. While we realize we are a little late getting these out for an already quick turn-around, we want everyone to feel welcome and part of our wedding celebration. So please consider attending both/and, either/or event.  I will caveat that the below hero of the 10 C District Champs will also be graduating the day of the Option B BBQ at Wingerter HQ... So you could attend the bonus graduation of our favorite #6. (#6 being her order in the Wingerter sibling chronology).

So please consider what you can do! I know there are moore weddings out there this summer, so please take into account that neither Christina nor I will scoff at anyone who does not attend either of these events. Just promise us to send up prayers and shouts of Alleluia for our future together. She says we will be married for 80 years, so you all have plenty of time to catch up with us and give us hugs. Also she likes lemon bars, if you really want to sweeten the deal.

Ok I love you all and if you have any questions about anything, just direct them to my mother. Or I guess you can call me.

406-868-4770.



GFCCHS wins the 10C district tourney!

Maddie's basketball team has a great season going.  They were undefeated in their district during the regular season and went into the tournament Thursday as the number one seed.  Had two great games Thursday and Friday and then the Championship game last night.  This is so cool for these girls!  4 of them have been playing together since 4th grade so it is really fun.

Now on to the divisional tournament beginning on Wednesday! 

 The end of the game the Dutton/Brady Diamondbacks began fouling.  They got Maddie to the line twice for 2 shots each time.  And yes, she makes them all!

This is the 2016 Great Falls Central Mustangs!

A prayer after the game.  We are definitely in the right school!

We are very proud of you Maddie!  Congratulations~

Family Picnics

Off to the right side of the blog, below the list of states, you'll now find a list of the family picnics, at least to the best of the collective knowledge of the uncles and aunts.  Feel free to list corrections or more details in the comments below.  Thanks for Tom for compiling.

Now, where's 2016?

Happy 65th, Marc!

Happy birthday to my sweetheart of a guy!  We celebrated last night with dinner at Lucca's with Meg and Ryan.  It was lots of fun after spending a day in the gym selling tickets!  I hope that you have an awesome birthday with Meg, Ryan and the kids!  I am sorry to be abandoning you, but I will make that special cake next week!  You are a loving husband, wonderful dad and awesome grandpa!    Love you tons!!

Memories

Okay, the ball has dropped!  This was a great run and we can't let it go.  Truman, Kaitlin, Emma, Ryan - someone has to pick it up and keep it going.  This has been a true healing process for all of us and I would like to see it continue!  I am sure the last people have something to offer!!

Happy Birthday, Little Bro!

Tommy, just want to send a shout out your way for a very happy birthday!!  You are creeping toward that big 6-0!!  Can hardly wait to throw THAT party!!  Hope you are home celebrating with Jeanine!
Love you!

Ranch House print

I've sold 20 of the 50 prints. That means the Moore Family Reunion account and the Lost & Foundation are each $241 stronger. Thanks all. And keep in mind – there are plenty more prints available.

Happy Birthday, Mom

Our wonderful mom turns 55 today.  Dee and I made it over to Great Falls for a long weekend and all the siblings (minus Nick) will be here to celebrate as well.  Madison plays a game in Cascade tonight then it's a 48 hour party!  I feel very blessed to have been born into this amazing family and feel like I won the lottery as far as moms go. Don't mind my brother in the picture above, I just love Mom's smile in this.

Love ya!

Remembering

I am going through the smiling/crying period.  I have all the family pictures laid out on the floor to arrange so we can put them on the wall.  We have PJ and Sanford; Bid and Grandad with Bid's mom Josie;  Nan and Gran with Nan's dad Peter Shannon; Dad and Buck as littles; Mom and Dad's high school graduation pictures; Marc's side of the family.  What memories we both have looking at these. But then how much we miss each and every one of them!

Memories from Will

Even though I met Grandma a few times, there is just a little I remember about her and her house.  Like most of her great-grandchildren, a very clear memory of Grandma’s house is the toy basket. Maddie used to play with me and I would drive a little Jeep around the house while she chased me. I will probably always remember Grandma’s smile and chuckle as we went past her. When I was eight we visited Grandma at her condo. My brothers and I wrestled around in the grass next to the house while Grandma chatted with Mom. I would usually ask my brothers what their favorite part at Grandma’s was, and they would almost always answer, ”The toy bin!”

At Grandma’s funeral I wished that I had met Grandma more before she passed away. She was such a kind-hearted, gentle lady, and I’m glad that I met Grandma while I could. God bless you all, and I especially pray for the health of Joey and Erin’s second baby.

Love and blessings,

     William Buyske