My Mom passed way too young in February 2017. She was a strong and independent woman her whole life and a good worker before she became disabled. She worked for Mrs. Baird's Bakery for 17 years when I was growing up and only a child. I of course resented it as a teen because that left me to watch my little brother but in hindsight I know it was for us and that the rivalry is normal. She had a great love for pugs and although some had already gotten their wings long before she passed we still have her precious last two, Jager and Lucy. They will be cherished and loved for as long as we can have them in our lives. My Mom was the one person I knew I could tell anything and she would no matter what love me completely. I feel like I always  made her proud by being honest and responsible and I was and continue to be honored by the words she relayed to me on what a good mother I am and how wonderful Allison is. It is going to be extremely difficuly not having her at the wedding in body but I know she wouldn't miss it for the world and wanted so badly to be there with me. I am grateful for a lot of things in my life but some of the recent ones are that my Mom got to go wedding dress shopping with me (even though my choice wasn't hers lol), that she got to meet Eric and see how well he fits into our family and I was able to read to her Eric's wedding vow to Allison the day before she left us. We both cried over how special their bond is already and I was there to tell her I love her. Eric was definitely Mommy approved and she made many a comment about him being my soulmate and how glad she was that he came into all our lives so I know she will be in spirit on our most joyous day of making it official in front of all our family and friends. 

Mammaw was a wonderful person. I have so many memories of her taking me and my other cousins to look at Christmas lights and to drive thru animal parks. We all went to Mammaw's house for every holiday and she cooked a feast for everyone to enjoy. There was always visiting and laughs and great food. She made special desserts for each of us that requested and loved having us all together. Mammaw also had a special love for her chihuahua Staci all the way to the end. Staci always had a new fleece blanket for every holiday as well and was spoiled rotten. Mammaw passed away right after Allison was born but I am thankful I did get to speak to her on the phone after delivery so she at least knew that her great granddaughter made it to the world safely. This is a photo of her with her son Johnny. He unfortunately passed away also way too young and has been greatly missed by all but I know they are watching over us and will enjoy our lives in spirit.

I don't remember alot about my Pappaw because he died when I was only a toddler but I know he was a good man. He loved his family very much and overcame great odds. My grandfather suffered from a progressive eye disease which left him blinded by an early age but he didn't let him slow him down. He was a Pentecostal preacher and I've heard many a tale of him fixing cars and babysitting and playing with us grandkids without issue at all. He was a man to be looked up to and just because he lacked vision didn't mean he didn't know what was going on as my aunts can attest. I know he has watched over all of us as we have grown and I am honored to list him in Memoriam. This was always my Mom's favorite picture of him with his seeing eye dog Vidor. 

Louis Sydney and Lillian Everet Lyon married during the depression over their lunch break after having met in Terre Haute IN and having danced under the harvest moon at the ATO house at DePauw University (Eric's eventual Alama Mater). They raised three children, Nancy, William and Mary Lou. Grandpa Lyon was the trickster, historian and government man. He enjoyed teasing his children (even as adults) and studying history, the Civil War in particularly. He gave all his grandchildren a bond when they were born so that they could travel to England and ride trains when they graduated HS. After serving in the chairborne Navy during WWII, he entered a career in the U.S. Civil Service, instilling an appreciation for government and politics into his children (and grandchild) in the process. My fondest memory of Grandpa Lyon was going with him to the model store and then helping him work on the background for his ever under construction model railroad in his project room at the back of the garage. Grandma Lyon was the elegent lady of the household. She ensured everything ran smoothly. I used to love to play on the electric organ that she had in their living room, an instrument on which she had also taught. My fondest memory of her is how much she loved her iMac and that when she moved to Seattle to be close to family she wanted to make sure she had a place for her iMac. It was her tie to the family spread out all over the US. I know they are smiling down upon us with love and wishing April and I a marriage as blessed as theirs.

Andres "Neche" and Ignacia "Nash" Padilla were both from small towns in Arizona, settling down in Clifton where they raised their two sons, Alex and Robert. Neche worked in the Phelps Dodge copper mine and refinery in the close by town of Morenci. Nash would work various jobs, including working as a seamstress. My earliest story of my paternal grand-parents is when I was 2ish, I was put on my grandpa's shoulders for a ride, as I had often done on my dad's shoulders. However, unlike my dad at the time, Grandpa had no hair, which is what I would grab on to to steady myself while on the shoulders. I have been told the look on my face when I realized there was no hair was quite humorous. My grandma was a great cook, and I was lucky enough to learn her recipe for refried beans and beef/pork roast. It was always a pleasure to eat in their kitchen and at the glass dinning table. My parents had desired for them to teach me Spanish but they were always so pleased when I learned any single word that my lessons did not venture far beyond learning how to say face, tummy and cheese in the hand. They passed away still living in the small 5 room house in Clifton in which they had raised their family and attempted to teach me spanish. Even though they have been gone for years it still feels weird not traveling to Clifton to celebrate X-mas with the family. I know they are celebrating with us and sharing their love with us from afar. 

I only knew my Aunt Nancy a little bit as she lived in Indiana and our family lived in Texas. She raised two wonderful children, my cousins Bill Sutton and Linda Sutton Moll. My fondest memory of her is when we traveled to Indiana for her marriage to Lou Kaminski (the gentleman in the photo) and seeing layer upon layers of books throughout the house, rows tall but also deep. Though she and I disagreed on the entertainment value of Charles Dickens or Henry James, we both had a deep love of language and books. I hope she is looking down on April and I in joy for our marriage.