On August 15, 2013, we formalized our relationship with our son, Jess Williams (b. 8/12/1975).  Jess has been a long-time member of our family, since he came to live with us for a time in high school, and then again later.  We finally talked to him about making it official, and he accepted.  (For those of you who get our Christmas letter, you may have wondered why he was always mentioned.  He has lived in California for many years, and now lives in San Francisco.)

The adoption was officiated by my friend Judge Lori Kay Smith, and was attended by many of my friends from court, as well as by Jess’ natural sister, Sandy.  Leslie participated by conference call because she was unable to attend from California in person.

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My uncle, Bob Donovan, left us today after years of struggle with Alzheimer’s.  After the death of my father in 1985, Bob was sort of the patriarch of the family.  Since he was only 15 years older than me, he could have almost been an older brother, and he was my good friend and a faithful balloon crew member.  We used to enjoy traveling together, including Yellowstone, the Oregon coast and Eastern Washington.  I worked for him as a teenager, and he was the only one to ever fire me! (I was soon reinstated.)  He was a kind, funny and generous man.

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Our daughter-in-law Katie met someone last year with whom she felt a connection and a relationship blossomed.  She married Jeff Goldsmith, a State Police officer from Minnesota, on February 17,2013.  We were happy to get to know Jeff and are pleased for Katie that she has been able to start a new relationship.

Jeff has a daughter, Kathryn, 16, a charming young lady.  Jeff, Katie and their girls traveled to Hawaii for the wedding.  Jeff was retiring from the police department, and planned to move to Washington, but they wanted to allow Kathryn to finish her school year.  It was a long-distance marriage until June, when Jeff and Kathryn moved here.

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Today we lost another member of the family to liver failure.  This time it was our lovely sister-in-law, Sue, a genuine loving spirit.  We send our love to brother Bob, and to Jesse and Noel and their families.

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We lost this very special lady on June 5. She was a mentor to many–especially me. I am sure she mentored many people in the fabric arts, and she mentored me and many others in ballooning. Luana created a balloon repair station in Tacoma. She designed her own balloon, and then as the fabric became worn, she redesigned it with a beautiful Heron design. I was privileged to be able to take over that balloon when she retired from ballooning. I won’t go into a full description of her life here, but she was one of the most influential women in my life (and there are many). Luana mentored me not only in how to fly a balloon and how to do it safely, but she also mentored me in how to be a good person with an even disposition, that has served me well for the the rest of my life.

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After 10 years of living with liver disease, our beloved son Jason lost his battle for life, leaving his wife and two daughters.  The final month was one of great ups and downs, at times with hope and at other times with fear and despair.  When it was over, it felt like someone had reached into my chest with a burning hand and ripped out my heart.  While we were very thankful for the love and support of our friends, those of you who said “I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose a child.” were right.  Neither could I until it happened.  We will miss him every day.

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