More Big 12 Championship Game

Our suite was in the corner of the end zone, and as you can tell, we were pretty low. Even though we were in the end zone, we could see everything at the other end of the field clearly because of the giant big screen! 

Ryan had a blast playing with Nolan. This kid is crazy and on the go. You blink and he's off like a flash! It was fun to hang out with the little dude. 

Trying to bring the Cyclones good luck to pull of a win. It didn't work but it sure made us laugh!! 

Tracey & Conner

The whole group

These crazy ya-hoos got up on the big screen. They were pretty excited :) 

The game and experience was fun but I was severely disappointed that we lost. We were happy we made it there and it was fun to go, but I wanted a win more than anything. My track record traveling to big games is pretty awful...... 

And as much as we were happy to be there, our hearts weighed heavy this weekend. On Thursday before we left, my Uncle Gary was admitted to the hospital. He hadn't been feeling well, so him and LuAnn went to Rochester. Alecia had been keeping my dad updated on all the tests and everything they were trying. My dad told us after the game that things were not going the way we had hoped. It was so hard to hear. He was able to call LuAnn and got to talk to Gary for a few minutes. We know my dad was really having a hard time that he was in Dallas and not back home. Due to COVID, visitors were not allowed at the hospital. Gary and the Julius family are quite the Cyclone fans (all the cool people are). We know Gary would have wanted my dad to be at the game cheering hard for the Cyclones. 

These were from the Big 12 Basketball Tournament in 2014. Gary loved to go to games and they enjoyed traveling just as we did. We had a good time that year, drinking beer in KC and cheering on the Cyclones. 

Gary passed away on Sun. Dec. 20. We are all heartbroken and can't believe it's real. I should know the exact time, but my dad and Gary probably farmed together for 45 years. They saw each other almost every day of that time. As I think about things now, I realize how much those two were alike. Growing up, they were always together and that was just normal to me. We are all lucky they were so close. Gary was just a happy, fun-loving guy. Always had a smile on his face. At the funeral, it was said that his eyes always saw the best in people. That really hit me. It's so true. Both about Gary and my dad. 

I really like the picture above of our group at a bar in KC :) 

This is hard to write about and honestly, I've been dreading it. I don't want it to be real. It's been hard knowing that I will never see that smile or hear that laugh again. And I hate seeing the people I love hurting. 

Addison, you got to meet Gary this past summer. He came over when we were at the farm and came up to the house to talk to us. You were jumping on the trampoline and he told us about his grandkids. You told him that you knew Reagan, Erin, and Reid. He met Mason that day. We had a really good time chatting with him. We got in the car to drive home and you talked non-stop about Gary. Then you got home and said to your dad "I met Uncle Gary, do you know him?" And then you talked all about him being Grandpa Ron's brother, how he came over to get a tractor, etc. 

You talked about Uncle Gary days after that too. You learned how to spell his name. (You are totally into letters and spelling right now). Shortly after this time, you and I started saying prayers at night before bed. We prayed for Gary every night. Then we went to the farm again and you were going to ride in the tractor with Grandpa Ron. We went to Gary's house and you talked to him again. That was in October. We had another good chat, I'm glad I got to see him then. I was lucky to have him as an Uncle and see him as much as I did growing up.