Uncle Lee's Memorial!

Shortly after visiting Uncle Lee & Aunt Linda in Wyoming last summer my Uncle was diagnosed with Stage 4 Renal Cancer. It was awful and it just plain sucked! I hate cancer! After a short 4 month battle with cancer my Uncle passed away on Friday, January 12th around 10:30am. I'll never forget where I was.....I was home since it was a Friday and I have Friday's off. I was going to work on my blog since I don't get much time to do that (obviously it's April and I'm blogging about things in January). I had talked with a friend from my Mom's In Prayer group and told her about my uncle and how he was in hospice and how I was going to blog. She just put me right in my place and said that I needed to turn on worship music and just immerse myself in that and let the music just pour into my spirit. So that's just what I did. I was folding laundry and doing things around the house all the while pouring these wonderful worship songs into my heart. I was in the kitchen when Dad texted me the news. I literally couldn't even take it. I ran to the office and fell to my knees and just let the tears flow from my eyes to the floor. It actually physically hurt! He was so young....he turned 64 years old when we were there in August. He had so much life left! It was just so unfair. I can't remember the exact song that was on the radio at that moment, but the words said something along the lines of God is holding me. And he truly was! I was so thankful for my friend being upfront with me about needing to worship the Lord. I know that it did really help! 

Fast forward to February....Uncle Lee's Memorial was scheduled on February 3rd. It had to be moved out so far due to vacations that had already been planned for a few of the immediate family. At first Michael and I wanted to drive out with all the kids. They love Uncle Lee! But the more we got to thinking about it it just wasn't feasible for all of us. Michael had his test coming up and the kids would have to be taken out of school. Plus it would have been a drive out and come home type of trip and I really wanted to be at Aunt Linda's for a few days afterwards. So....we decided that I would fly out and with the help of friends that are so amazing the kids got to school and were picked up afterwards until Michael got home at 5pm. 

The day I flew out I was able to take the kids to the bus. They were all a bit concerned that I was leaving so I started taking pictures and that really loosened up the mood. 

I know this may sound morbid, but this is where my mind goes so I'm going to document it. In the process of taking these pictures I was thinking in the back of my mind that if the plane goes down or something happens to me at least the kids would have these pictures as a reminder of the last time they were with their mom and that it was a fun time. I know I told you morbid!!! 

On Thursday mornings I also make sure that Rachael's kids get to he bus. So of course Kendra and Lilyann had to be in the pictures as well! :)

One more picture with my baby girl! 

Ryan and Steph were also coming to the memorial. Ryan had just recently started a new job at Costco so he wasn't sure if he could come since technically Uncle Lee wasn't immediate family and he doesn't really get any vacation time until he's been working there for a year. Thankfully they were understanding and he was able to take unpaid time off. 

This is how I felt after going through security and them finding one of those fold up credit card knives in my wallet....so embarrassing! I had confiscated it from one of the neighbor boys years ago and just put it in my wallet and completely forgot about it. The TSA guy was so nice and knew exactly where to look because of the X-ray machine showed him. He just confiscated it from me and sent me on my way. Sheesh! Add that to the long list of seriously ridiculous things I've done in my life! 

I get a little nervous flying...hello I'm thinking the plane is going to go down before I even get on it. Ryan and Steph wanted to get a drink and a little something to eat prior to our flight and they bought me a Strawberry Lemonade that had mint and some sort of vodka in it I think. It was so yummy! Of course it's the airport so they can gouge you....my drink was $17!!! I think Ryan might have been rethinking if he really wanted to pay for my drink after all. Hahaha! 

The original plan was for Ryan, Steph and I to fly into Billings, MT and then drive to my Aunt's house in Cody and spend the night. On Friday we were going to drive to Gillette, WY since that's where the memorial was. Well...in normal Wyoming fashion the weather decided to be a bear and it was looking like it would be better just to drive straight to Gillette instead. My parents and Aunt Linda decided to leave Cody on Thursday as well and they met us at the airport. Aunt Linda drove the rental car for Ryan and Steph and I rode with my parents. 

The roads were pretty good then, but there was a bad storm coming in the next day so it was a good call to switch things around. 

Steph was SO glad that Aunt Linda was driving though...she's a California girl through and through! :) 

On Friday we met with family for lunch and then dinner was out at my cousin Marshall's house. 

Dad, Uncle Clif, Marshall, Jamie and Lane. 

Mom, Tiffy, Me, Hope and Shamber. 

Caden, Dillion, Colton, Aunt Linda and Payton. 

Marshall, Dad, Dillion and Lane. 

Lane, Aunt Linda and Payton. 

Aunt Susan and Uncle Clif. 

It was fun visiting with family, but you could also feel like there was a big piece of the family missing. 

Saturday was the memorial at Walker funeral home. The same place we had my Grandma's funeral in 2015. 

Uncle Lee was cremated and his ashes were put in this cool wooden box with a fisherman engraved on it. So appropriate! 

3 of the siblings....Mom, Uncle Clif & Aunt Linda. 

The cousins and their spouses that were present...Me, Steph, Ryan, Jamie, Marshall, Melody, Loren, Troy and Gena. 

The kids and grandkids with Aunt Linda, 

The kids and their spouses with Aunt Linda. 

The grandkids with Aunt Linda. 

It was a wonderful memorial! Lots of memories shared and music that Uncle Lee loved. The pictures on the TV where fun to see. The funeral home was PACKED. it was just a testament to how amazing my uncle was. He was such a wonderful....husband, father, papa, son, uncle, boss, friend and person. He will be greatly missed! But.....we know where he is! He's whole, he is well and he is with Jesus. Praise the Lord I will see him again! 

On Sunday we packed up and drove back up to Billings MT to head to Cody WY. It was much easier traveling on I-90 than going over the big horns. Ryan and Steph flew out on Sunday, but I rode with Mom and Dad to Cody. We stayed there from Sunday to Tuesday. While we were there we just visited with Aunt Linda, Uncle Clif and Aunt Susan. We watched Eagles beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl....best game ever! The next day I went with my Mom and Aunt Linda while they got their nails done. We also visited the hospice house where Uncle Lee died to give them some of the flowers from the funeral and say thank you for taking care of him for his last few days. On Tuesday we left...of course goodbyes were so hard! Mom and Dad took me to Olive Garden for lunch and then dropped me off at the airport and then they continued on their way home. 

Lee Roy Sigman 

August 16, 1953 - January 12, 2018

My favorite picture with Uncle Lee.....at the Cody Rodeo, August 2017!!!