woodworking
My daughter and son-in-law, Amy and Travis Royce, met while he was in high school, and she had just graduated. Nevertheless, once they met, they were inseparable. Looking back now on these 27 years of their marriage, it’s easy to see that they are perfect for each other…they always have been perfect for each other. They have always been headed in the same direction and had the same interests…some of which have been a bit of a surprise to me over the years.
I knew that Amy really loved the beach and really enjoyed the Pacific Northwest, and I knew that Travis had lived in Washington, but somehow it never occurred to me that they would actually move there. Of course, now I can’t 
imagine them living anywhere else. They love it there, and I love to visit them there, because I have grown to love the beauty of that area too. The rainforest, the beaches, and the islands all hold a great appeal. I don’t say I’d move there, but do I love to visit.
These days, things have changed some for Amy and Travis. They are both working from home now, and they really are enjoying that. Amy’s work as an insurance agent has continued, but since Covid, her company found that they could be just as efficient with agents who worked from home. Travis, on the other hand has decided to open a woodworking business, and I can tell you firsthand that Travis’ work, and that of their son, Caalab is very, very good. Caalab is just learning, but he is his dad’s son, and the talent is definitely in his hands too. The new dynamic of their lives is rather freeing. Their daughter, Shai was also working from home, but her 
company has asked her to come back to the office in an additional capacity. Shai is an agent too, at the same agency where Amy works, but they want Shai to assist her manager with interviews. So now she is assisting with interviews too, and that job, for now anyway, needs to have her in the office. For Amy and Travis this new lifestyle is very relaxing, but of course it is also a lot of work. While they are at home together, they both work full-time at their jobs. Nevertheless, it is a new dynamic, and it comes at a great point in their lives. Today is their 27th wedding anniversary. I am very proud of the people they have become. Happy anniversary Amy and Travis. Have a great day!! We love you!!
For my nephew, Shannon, Moore, life has taken some big route changes recently. Of course, he biggest change is that Shannon became a daddy to daughter, Mackenzie Rose, on September 12, 2017. Shannon is a great daddy, and I totally taken by his little girl. She is his little princess, and he is totally wrapped around her little finger. Of course, Mackenzie has an adorable face, and she is always smiling, so it’s not hard to get wrapped around her little finger. Shannon loves every part of dad life. Many men aren’t so sure about things like diapers and such, but He is incredibly hands on. Whatever Mackenzie needs, Shannon is ready to provide. He handles diapers, feedings, comforting, all with ease.
Shannon loves to do woodworking. He has spent a lot of time this summer on projects around their house. For about a month, Lindsay and Mackenzie came to Wyoming for a visit, and Shannon too that opportunity to create a surprise for Lindsay…and brand new deck. Lindsay was so surprised, and she says it’s just gorgeous!! He also built a some new chairs to go with it!! Shannon likes to keep busy with all the little woodworking projects he has going. Woodworking is a great hobby.
Shannon is a coach for the Eastern Carolina University Pirates football team, and is entering his third season. He has been the special teams coach, but this year he is the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator. Coaching any area of football is something, Shannon has done, but Recruiting Coordinator is a new position for him. Nevertheless, like everything he does, Shannon will excel it too. Lindsay says that it really is his element! Organization and getting to know people! And that is something we all knew. Shannon is a very social person, 
and can strike up a conversation with just about anyone.
While Shannon loves his job and meeting people, his heart is always at home with his girls. The first time I met Shannon, I could see just how deep his love for Lindsay was,and now that they have their sweet little daughter, I can see that his life is complete…well, at least until the next baby comes along, down the road. Then, both he and Lindsay will wonder how they ever managed without that baby too…just like they have felt with Mackenzie. The great thing about being parents, is that with each new baby, the love just grows bigger and bigger. There is always room for more. Today is Shannon’s birthday. Happy birthday Shannon!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
That first grandchild is such a unique event in the life of a grandparent. For years their family has had grown children in it, but no babies. Then comes that day that will take the family into a new era. The kids become aunts, uncles, and parents; and the parents become grandparents. The funny thing is that no one seems to mind this drastic change that one would think feels like aging. The reason is quite simple…a precious new life has arrived, and that is what really matters. It is a new and exciting time, and there is a new little life to love. That is how my grandparents and their family, my Uncle Bill, my dad, Allen, and my Aunt Ruth felt, when my cousin Gene made his debut. Any of us who have been aunts, uncles, parents, or grandparents can fully understand what a special day this was.
The day was November 5, 1939, when Eugene Herman Fredrick was born. He was a gentle child, with a quiet disposition. He would grow to be a man who loved to learn about the inner working of machinery, and also a love of woodworking. He built furniture that his son, Tim would later call a legacy. Tim would inherit that love of woodworking from his dad, and I suspect that Tim’s som Daniel might too.
Gene was instrumental, along with his sons, Tim and Shawn, in helping his Uncle Bill get as far as he did on the family history. Gene was much more computer savvy than his Uncle Bill, so he was able to scan things for him and even save pictures that might otherwise have been lost forever. Uncle Bill mentions Gene fondly in several places in the family history, and was clearly devastated at his death, saying that his “grief and heartache at Gene’s loss would be very 
difficult to out live”. I don’t think he was alone in his intense feelings of loss, as Gene was a sweet, gentle man, who loved everyone, and was kind to all.
Gene’s greatest love on this earth was for his family. He was totally gone on his wife, Paula, and his boys, Tim and Shawn, and grandson, Daniel. His boys were his friends in so many things, sharing in his love for making things, especially wood furniture, and so many other things that would turn his sons into the wonderful men we all know today. There are many of us out there that will always miss him. Today Gene would have been 74 years old. Happy birthday in Heaven, Gene!! You are loved and missed very much by all who knew you.
