MY LIGHTHOUSEThis is not my typical blog entry, but I decided I wanted to share this with my friends.......Yesterday marked the 8th year anniversary of my mom's death and as I was laying in bed last night I realized that most of my friends now never even met my mom. They've heard stories of her and know how important she was to me, but they unfortunately never knew her. A good friend of my mom's wrote an article in the Puyallup Herald shortly after her death. While it doesn't tell you everything about her, it does give you a good idea of the type of person she was. So, for everyone that didn't know my mom I hope you'll feel like you kind of know who she was and for all of you that did know her I hope you'll take a minute to remember how special she was and how much she is missed!
Friend passes quietly........by Rick Roff
Rena-Jean Schrader was a lighthouse that shines no more.
She was my greatest fan.But that's only a tiny beginning to this story about Rena-Jean Schrader, who passed away two weeks ago. Rena was my greatest fan because she always read my columns in the Herald and thought they were wonderful -- no matter how bad they were. But my greatest fan also knew I was my own worst critic, and I think she found this as a way of balancing the equation for me. As much as I appreciated my greatest fan, I always knew Rena was many greater things to me, and to far many more people.Rena was not a president's daughter or a Hollywood movie star. She was not a professional athlete or a rock musician. She did not flaunt herself before cameras or in courtrooms. Rena did not seek the limelight, have blue hair, wear rings in her nose or tattoos on her arms. She did not appear on the front pages of newspapers, on CNN or MTV. Heaven forbid Rena would have done these things, because we most likely would not have known her or been supported by her; we would not have had a chance to benefit from her love, or love her in return. And what a waste that would have been. What a travesty. What a tremendous loss.Lucky for us, Rena was a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, relative and best friend to those who were closest to her. She also was a teacher and protector of children, a Christian and a person who cherished the life she led, knowing all the time there were few greater things in the world than her devoted husband and family.Who knows how many lives Rena influenced, through her teaching or her everyday life? Children become parents, who have children, who have more children.People like Rena leave a mark on others that travels on forever, a mark that traces through generations. That's why people like Rena are so valuable when they are here, so missed when they are not.For those who did not know her well, or who had never heard of her, you will marvel in Rena, because she was really something to behold.Rena-Jean Schrader was a light-house.Everyone has a lighthouse in their lives. Everyone has had someone to lean on and who lit the way when things seemed darkest. That was Rena.If you had a chance to know her, you were fortunate, because you likely benefited from her guiding light, her optimism, her vitality and her smile.And, if you knew her, you surely gained from the love she had with her husband. One day their cherished relationship was inseparable in mind, spirit and body, and the next day, life reminded us how tragic and fragil -- how absolutely precious -- such a relationship can be.My ... how dark it seems right now without this lighthouse.The heavens cried these enormous tears the day she said goodbye. But as sad as it was, the world of those who knew Rena took the time to stop for a moment.Everything became a little more precious. Trees and clouds seemed as though they were painted in the sky. Appearances of children and people were breathtaking. Things so important in our lives suddenly paled. Life, as Rena and we knew it, came to a screeching halt, as if commemorating the moment. As her best friend took her hand, Rena took her final breath. She was with those who loved her when she left us -- the way it should be. But as it always is when someone dies, there was so much that couldn't be said, that shouldn't be true ... so much living to be done, so many things to be shared. We all, at some point in our lives, experience the loss of someone close, and when it happens, the holes that remain are enormous. Time makes things a little more bearable, as it heals the wounds of those who are left behind.There are a lot of holes today that require filling -- as attested to the more than 400 people who attended the memorial in Puyallup last week.There are many, many wounds that need healing. These things will happen, but in the meantime, the world will mourn for the bright lighthouse that was Rena-Jean Schrader.This is why, late at night with my wife -- Rena's best friend -- we stare into the blackness wishing for the light we know will never come.Unfortunately Rick Roff, the friend that wrote this article, passed away a little over a year ago. It makes me smile to think of him and my mom up in heaven together watching over all of us.
Our trip to the beach ended with Maleah, Alex, Rena and Cameron burying Megan in the sand!
Cameron, Marcus, Adam, Rena and Maleah at the park.
We went to the beach to play and everyone got completely soaked and filthy! Everyone had fun, though! 
Maleah immediately jumped right into the water and was wet from head to toe about 30 seconds after we arrived. She had fun for a little while and then decided it was really no fun being cold. She spent the rest of the time wrapped in a towel watching the other kids play. 
Rena & Adam were having fun burying their feet. I kept hearing "mom, help....I can't find my feet!!!".
Laurel searched for baby crabs with the kids. They found a few and thought it was pretty cool!
If you can't tell -- we had a John Deere theme!
Everybody's got their bags and is ready for the pinata!
HIT IT MAX!
The sandbox is always a big hit with the kids.
Here's Sydney and Sara doing a little swinging.......along with their dad, Pat.
And David has the little slide all to himself........along with mom, Marie.
Here's Stacy in-charge of pushing Rena and Ainsley in-charge of pushing Isabella!
Looks like Dan is in-charge of pushing all three here.......Sydney, Elizabeth and Jack!
The kids had their first sleep-over on Friday night with The McCullough's. Stacy picked the kids up at about noon on Friday and kept them until 7:00pm on Saturday. All 3 kids were very excited on Friday morning. Maleah walked around the house with her backpack on for about 2 hours, Rena went around the house collecting as many little toys as she could in Ziploc bags to take with her, and Cameron wanted to eat lunch at about 10:00am because I told him Stacy would be here to get them after lunch. They all had a great time.....and so did Jeff & I. We celebrated our 7th anniversary on Saturday enjoyed having some time alone. THANKS Stacy!
