Until We Meet Again...

I have had so many everyday things to post about the past two months but I like to keep things in chronological order (I don't know if that is more for me or more for the kids when they look back on their journeys, but that's what I like to do). On October 9th, Mitch, our best friend/brother/neighbor died in a plane crash. The news was shocking! The past 9 weeks have been some of the hardest in our lives! I didn't know how to put into words what this loss means to all of us (Bryan, myself, Keira & Isaac) so I just didn't write about it, but I need to write something to acknowledge what an amazing person Mitch is and share his philosophy on life...live each day to the fullest, have fun and do what you love! Mitch had an incredible impact on our lives and will NEVER be forgotten!

Here is the email I sent out asking for prayers right after Mitch died. For those of you that didn't see it, it will give you a little background...

Most of you have heard Bryan and I talk about our neighbors, our best friends, Mitch & Michelle. We both moved into our houses at the same time back in 2003 and were instant friends! Keira is 9 months older than Addison and Isaac is 8 months older than Matthew. How perfect that we both had girls first and then boys. Keira & Addison became instant best friends just like their parents and I'm sure once the boys are a little older, they too will be best friends. The 4 of us had so many plans and dreams to do together with the our families. Unfortunately, all of the plans and dreams will have to be done without Mitch.

Mitch died Friday afternoon in a plane crash. He was an excellent pilot and loved flying. (Bryan has flown with him several times and he even took my dad on a flight to Sedona this past May) This is obviously an unexpected tragedy and shock to all of us! I am doing my best to hold it together (although sometimes I feel like I am going to lose it) so I can help Michelle through this extremely difficult time, but Bryan lost his best friend and is having a hard time processing this news.

I waited to tell Keira until Michelle had talked to Addison. Both girls found out yesterday afternoon. Michelle told Addison with her family surrounding her and I told Keira shortly after she woke up from her nap yesterday. Neither of the girls know the details surrounding his death, just that he had an accident. They are so young, we don't want them to be traumatized by plane flights. I mention this to you only because Keira may talk about Uncle Mitch (which we have encouraged her to do) but she has also has questions like "why did he have an accident? why is his body broken?" For now, I am telling her, "I don't know all the details, but Uncle Mitch is in Heaven with Grandma Eileen and he is watching over you." She has told me a few times "I miss Uncle Mitch" and she has been very sensitive and a little clingy since she heard the news (which of course is to be expected).

Please pray for our family, for Michelle, Addison and Matthew and for all of Mitch's family & friends that love and miss him.

Here are the opening remarks I read at his Celebration of Life...

Good afternoon, welcome and thank you all for coming. Or as Mitch would have said “WHAT UP DOG?” I’m Christine Appleton and my family has been lucky enough to live right next to Mitch & Michelle and have become best friends and family with them.

This Celebration of Life is about doing our best to honor a man who in one way or another had a HUGE impact on so many people. High School friends have planned another Celebration in honor of Mitch tonight in California. What a perfect way to pay tribute to an amazing person! You know Mitch loves the fact that he is having 2 parties in one night! And apparently there is one more in California tomorrow as well.

This service was intentionally called a “Celebration of Life” as opposed to a memorial, because Michelle and the rest of Mitchel’s family wanted to keep this event as True to Mitch as they could. We are sitting in an outdoor Amphitheater because Mitch loved to be outside and loved to play at the park with Addison & Matthew. All of the poems and songs have been selected because they were either one of Mitch’s favorite or the lyrics express how Mitch lived his life. A small group of family & friends met with the pastor a few nights ago so he could learn a little more about Mitch. It was close to 2 hours of stories and laughter that totally (another Mitchism) could have continued for days. Michelle even said “I want Friday to be just like that.”

While of course we are all grieving and in shock about why we lost someone who had so much more to offer the world, the family wants today’s focus to NOT be on what was lost but on what was gained by knowing Mitch. We hope you will help us remember Mitch by sharing your memories later in the service.

In just a few minutes you will meet Pastor Eric, after spending time with him this week, I think all of us were confident that he was the right person to help us with today's celebration. Although Eric never had the joy of meeting Mitch, I know if he had, they would have hit it off......BBQ's and play dates would have ensued!

Just one more special person that Mitch has brought into his circle of friends....It makes me so happy to know that this group of amazing people will continue to grow!

But before we get to Pastor Eric, I would like to introduce Vaughn Shackleford & Randy Martin, two people that have been in Mitch's circle of friends since the beginning. Vaughn, Randy and Mitch grew up together and were like brothers...having adventures and playing sports, which is why they are the perfect pair to read a poem titled "Adrenaline Junkie".

Although 9 weeks have passed, there are moments where it feels like it has only been a few days since we lost him and there are other moments where it feels like it's been years since we last saw his beautiful smile and heard his laugh and famous sayings. We saw Mitch (& Michelle and the kids) probably 5 days/week and sometimes twice in one day. Mitch & I would take the kids to the park in the morning and then we'd meet for dinner that same night. The kids are starting to adjust to not having Uncle Mitch around but it's not been an easy adjustment. Even Isaac at 21 months knows Uncle Mitch is not with us but he answers questions about him and points him out in pictures. The kids still ask about him and talk about him and all the fun things we did and the funny things he said like "snap-a-lap-a-ding-dong". We still go to Uncle Mitch & Aunt Michelle's house. He will forever be a part of their lives and I am happy they got the chance to know him and hope they will hold on to their memories with him!

As for Bryan & I...we are also trying to adjust to life without Mitch. I use to joke that Bryan & Mitch were "brothers from another mother" because they were so much alike! While it hurts to think about all the things we won't be able to do with Mitch (like our family trips to Walt Disney World, hiking & camping, Hawaii etc) we try to focus on what we did get to do with Mitch, from the little things (meals we shared, laughs we had, trips with the kids to the waterpark/ music in may/ the park, swimming at their house and the list goes on) to the big things (road trip to California-in the same car, with 4 adults and 4 kids age 3 and younger-so we could to to Disneyland, and our road trip to the snow-again in the same car, but the boys were both under 1...oh the memories will last forever.

We still see Michelle and the kids at least 5 times a week, that will never change! They are our family. Keira even said one day in the car "Daddy and Uncle Mitch are brothers" and I told her "they are like brothers, you have to have the same mom to be brothers" and she said "oh, Isaac and Matthew are like brothers and Addison and me are like sisters and you and Aunt Michelle are 'dark sisters'." When I asked her why we were 'dark sisters' she said "because you both have darker hair." That girl cracks me up!

Mitch, we love you, we miss you, we thank you for your friendship/the laughs/the memories. It was never goodbye, but until we meet again!!