The tree is up!

Mama, can you light the candles?

Getting the Tree!

We went to our usual place for our Christmas tree, bringing Dad & Jared along for fun.

For the first time in a LONG time, the weather was amazing and we had a great time romping through the trees in the sunshine.

I think we "posed" by about 4 different trees before we actually cut one down, Keith got down on his knees several times to start sawing only to change our minds at the last minute.

Parker helped carry the tree back to the car.

Once we got to the car, we realized that the van doesn't have a roof rack and there's nowhere to tie the tree too.  We shoved it inside the van I spent the drive home hugging the tree to keep from falling out of my seat!

Bring on the Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is traditionally the day that I attempt to take a family photo and then put my camera down and forget about it for the rest of the day.  This year was no different.

Come on guys, would it kill you to smile?!?

I very nearly put this one on the Christmas Card, it's a remarkably accurate description of our life right now:

Seriously?!?!  Just one smile?

Fine!  Give Cecily the remote!

As good as it's going to get...

Oh right, and there's a turkey!

Baking

Cecily helped me make Dad's annual fruitcake.

Then, I got everyone in on the action peeling sweet potatoes for dinner.

Mom's Eulogy

Anne Ward Hamilton

July 27, 1943 – Oct 19, 2016

Anne Ellen Ward was born in Seattle on July 27^th, 1943 to John & Ellen (Hillis) Ward.  In the following years, Anne was joined by siblings John Jr., Joan (or Joanie for those of us in the family), and Mary.  John was in the military when Anne was born and the family moved to the Bay area for the duration of the war.  After the war ended they returned to South Seattle near her grandparents.  The family attended Whitman Avenue Gospel Chapel where Anne was very involved with the Sunday School and youth programs.  Anne attended Franklin High School and then the University of Washington (2 years).  She finished her education with a 2 year certificate program in Cytotechnology at Harborview Hospital; she worked in that department before her marriage.  Based on her observation of doctors in training she swore that whatever else, she would never marry a doctor.

In 1965, while attending her home church, Anne met and befriended Rosemary Hamilton (a transplant from Victoria, BC).  Soon, Rosemary introduced Anne to her older brother, Norman. One thing led to another and they were married on June 3^rd, 1966. (if you haven’t heard my Dad’s not-so-romantic proposal story, you should)  Shortly after the wedding, Anne and Norman moved to Portland and later California for his internship and residency in Anesthesia.  

While in California, Mom became pregnant with their first child, who was lost at 26 weeks.  My Mother often described this time, alone in a strange city with her new husband working long hours as some of the loneliest of her life.  After a 2^nd mid-pregnancy loss, my parents looked into adoption, soon welcoming my brother, Doug to the family on Sept 23^rd, 1968.  Shortly after this, my Dad was drafted into the US Army and the small family was sent to Texas for basic training (and US citizenship) and then to three years in Munich, Germany.  

While in Germany, they welcomed my sister, Dianne, the day after Christmas, 1969.  Mom enjoyed their years in Germany, there was a great community of military families on the base and many of the Hamilton and Ward family took the opportunity to visit them in Germany.  They had a small Renault that they used to tow their little camping trailer all over Europe.  My Mom speaks fondly of the winter she was pregnant with Dianne, wandering the outdoor Christmas displays in Munich and feeling a kinship with Mary as she carried baby Jesus in those last days before he was born.

Once my Dad’s military commitment was completed, the (now larger) family returned to San Francisco, to complete Dad’s medical residency.  In 1973, Doctor Hamilton and family settled in Ballard, buying the house above Golden Gardens that we will always & forever think of as our family home.  Settled into her permanent residence, Mom put her attention to caring for her children and being a member of her church community at Whitman/Hope Bible Fellowship.  

In May of 1977, Anne & Norman welcomed their daughter, Julie.  And, after Doug complained about being outnumbered by girls, we adopted Jared from Columbia in 1979.  

With four children, 6 rabbits, and a puppy, the Hamilton family was complete.  …except for the steady stream of folks moving in & out of our home.  My mother had a great heart for the lost and lonely and was constantly opening our home for anyone.  Whether it was welcoming a new family from church over for Sunday dinner, or having the son of a family from church live in our basement for months, my Mother loved everyone.  And she especially had a soft spot for those she described as “characters”.  My Mother was the most generous person you could ever meet.  If she heard you needed a coat, she would buy you two.  If you were hungry, she would fill your refrigerator with food, that’s just how she worked.

Mom was the ultimate hostess, every Christmas she would prepare a proper English Christmas Dinner (with roast beef, roasted potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding) for the entire church on the evening of the Church Christmas program.  Mom loved all things English, and she had a fine appreciation for the finer things in life, so no major family meal was complete without the good china, the crystal, and cloth napkins.  At some point, the Hamilton/Kneeling family decided that making a huge dinner on both Christmas Eve and Christmas day was too much effort, so we switched to having pizza on Christmas Eve, but that pizza was still eaten on the good china and the rootbeer was consumed from the fine crystal goblets.

Our family was hugely involved in Lakeside Bible Camp up on Whidbey Island.  Mom spent several weeks a summer up at camp, cooking for over a hundred people at each meal.  And she did it up!  One year, the camp director asked for turkey loafs for one thematic dinner, so Mom did him one better and roasted 10 whole turkeys for a summer-time Thanksgiving dinner.  Another year, the theme at camp was a Luau theme, so Mom sent Dad down to Chinatown to get a whole suckling pig that we roasted over a pit for the entire day.  Mom was not interested in the spotlight, but she was always working away in the background making sure everyone was having a great time.  

Mom had always wanted to be a Mom, so when she finally became a mom (at the ripe-old age of 25), she jumped in with both feet.  She was the Mom who made cookies for every birthday party, came on every field trip, and was closely involved in every moment of our lives.  Mom grew up in a family that was not overly demonstrative in their love, so as a parent my Mom made sure that there would never be one doubt in our minds that we were loved.  At some point, Mom read that you need “100 good touches a day for your psyche”.  So, often as we were leaving the house Mom would be touching us *tap* “I love you” *tap* “have a good day” *tap*.  As I’m sure you can guess, as a teenager, we totally loved that.

In the late 80’s/early 90’s, with all four of the children settled in full-day school, my Mom had a little more space in her life, and she discovered quilting.  This quickly became her passion (or obsession, depending on your perspective).  She joined the state-wide “Quilter’s Anonymous” club, as well as joining a smaller, local group of like-minded ladies, the “City Stitchers”.  I feel like so many of my memories of my pre-teen years were of wandering around “In the Beginning” and “Pacific Fabric” as my mom picked out fabric, after fabric for her latest quilting project.  Mom made quilts for each of us, as well as nearly all the babies born in the church and her community.  Mom’s greatest project was a Baltimore Tribute Quilt that she spent years hand-appliquéing and when completed, it won several awards at the quilt shows and was included in a professional quilting book.

In the early 90’s Mom & Dad bought “the property” up at Snoqualmie Pass, and in 1994, began construction of our not-so-small log cabin in the woods.  This cabin became Mom’s pet project, she picked every detail from the trim color to the china hutch that she painted 15 times before she hit the right color of red.  Mom made and collected quilts until nearly every surface of the cabin was comfy & cozy and covered with Americana.  And, as any visitor to the cabin knew, the third drawer down in the kitchen was the chocolate drawer that Mom kept stocked at all times.

Once all the children were grown, Mom and Dad started to travel more frequently.  Mom has always been obsessed with all things English.  She loves English gardens, English customs, English High Tea (although not the actual tea, she always hated tea).  Mom & Dad took several trips to Europe with friends and traveled through England, Europe, and the Holy Land in the later years.  It was always a dream that Mom & I shared to open a tea shoppe and serve English High Tea, although I think we really just wanted the tea shop as an excuse to travel to England once a year.

 

In March of 2004, Mom finally achieved her life goal of becoming a Grandmother, when Dianne had her first child, Joshua Caleb Andrews on March 14^th.  Two years later, Joshua was joined by his sister Nora Kathleen on April 5^th 2006.  Mom LOVED being a Grandma to Joshua & Nora and she LAVISHED her love on them.  Mom was always a great giver & receiver of gifts; gifts were her love language and Christmas was always a BIG DEAL in the Hamilton family.  But, the year that Joshua was 2, Mom really showed her gift-giving obsession.  I still remember tiny Joshua making it through about two gifts, then running to the other room to watch Curious George while the rest of us opened his gifts for the next hour!

Eventually, we added a few more Grandchildren to the fold.  My son, Parker Scott was born Aug 26^th, 2010, followed by Doug’s daughter, Fiona Elizabeth on November 20^th.  And finally, my daughter Cecily Anne born August 6^th, 2012.  Unfortunately, by this point Mom’s disease had progressed to the point that she didn’t really know who any of these children were.  Mom always loved babies, and although she knew Parker for a while, I still remember his first Christmas and Mom was lovingly holding Fiona, then looked down at her and said “who’s baby is this?”  

Over the next few years, we watched her memory fade as her personality was lost.  Alzheimers is a mean, nasty disease that takes your loved ones slowly, leaving you with the empty shell of your mother.

In December of 2014, we settled Mom into the Aegis Living Memory Care facility in Lynnwood.  Over the next two years she experienced a slow downhill course with gradual loss of intellectual ability and physical strength.  On October 19, 2016 she went home to be with Jesus.   Although we mourn the recent loss of her body, and the longer loss of her mind, we now rejoice to know that she is now whole & well once again. 

We miss you & we love you Mom!