This is a season of celebrating life. With new fallen snow over the past two days, the arriving Weddell Seals are magnified against the blank canvas of the frozen bay. My family and I are mourning the loss of my grandfather, Kenneth L. Snively, who passed away on Oct. 16 in Billings Montana. My grandpa lived an incredible life full of rodeoing, ranching, volunteer work, as a judge, and taught two generations how to love their family and to love God. With the sadness of saying goodbye to my grandpa, the entire family is eager to meet the newest member of the group, Natalie Goble. My brother Brandon and sister-in-law Jessie are ready for their little girl to arrive any day now. It's a truely joyous time as we all celebrate the life of my grandpa and the beginning of life for Natalie. Although the landscape reminds me that I'm not there for any of these events, Aaron and I have found some ways to feel close to our family without being there in body. On our recent trip to Cape Evans, we found a peaceful spot on a hill top that overlooks the frozen bay and surrounding glaciers. We built a cairon (a trail marker made of stacked rocks) at the top of the hill in honor of my grandpa Snively. A lasting monument to a life well lived in communion with the earth beneath his feet and the big sky of Montana. Grandpa would like this view from the bottom of the earth.
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