Hi, my name is Karen Altus. (and yes, I did type that out since I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get through this today...)
I met Chris 19 years ago in graduate school.
Together, our families along with the Sellers, Tsagalakis' and the Collins shared meals, birthdays, holidays, weekends... too many memories to count.
I'd like to share 3 things that I will always remember about Chris; extravagant beauty, grace, and glitter.
Christine Moses learned from her parents, Allen & Elizather & her extended family to appreciate God's beauty in the world. She loved gardening, flowers, and the outdoors. Many of us had Chris along to help us shop for plants for our own gardens, and many of us shared glorious hikes through fields of wild flowers or along beaches flecked with beautiful stones and driftwood.
Chris shared her appreciation for natural beauty with everyone. How many of us were blessed at one time or another by a flower arrangement created by Chris? Everything she did was extra-ordinary. No one knows better than Tom. Ask him about choosing a Christmas tree each year. It took days of searching to find the "right one" and then it took another few days to hang each light and ornament so that everything was as beautiful as it could possibly be. Debbie reminded me that Chris got so carried away making the altar arrangements for the Rochefort's wedding that by the time she was done they were too big to transport!
Extravagant beauty - enjoying God's creation and sharing it with others - that is a gift Chris brought to us all.
And then there was her hospitality and grace. Chris had a magical way of making sure she could be everywhere and do everything. I remember the time that our St. Patrick's day party fell on a weekend that was already too full for the Halls. Rather than politely turn down the invitation, Chris insisted that she could make the colecannon at her sister's house in Eatonville, drive to Seattle in time to drop it at our house to warm while they brought Maddie to soccer practice, and then returned for dinner, before bringing Kaki to another friend's house for a slumber party. She even managed to slip in a stop at home so they were all dressed in the appropriate green! Chris was the kind of dinner guest who not only didn't show up empty handed, she usually brought half the meal, three bottles of wine and a gift for everyone!! Grace - freely given elegance in action. That was Chris.
But what I will always treasure most about Chris was the glitter. I think most of you with children will understand my point of view... kids are great, but sometimes keeping things simple is a good thing. There are days when just taking out one game at a time makes sense. But not for Chris. Chris always put the kids first. What other parent would do laundry every night because her daughter wanted to wear the same sailor outfit everyday for a year? Or who could listen tirelessly to "sing along songs" without ever selecting her own music choice? Or let every toy and dress-up costume come out at the same time just for the sheer joy of it?
Chris is the only one I knew who could serve snacks, pass out toys and stage a musical puppet show - all while SHE was driving!
And when we came to their house, Chris always had a craft project out for the kids. But these were not just coloring books or stickers... Chris always brought out the glitter! Many fine parents would only consider the likes of glue and glitter for a special occasion. But for Chris, every day with her girls was a special occasion worthy of glitter.
Madeline and Katherine, I knew your mother before you arrived, and you changed her world. She was well on her way to a busy and successful career, but suddenly you were all that mattered. Being a mother was what she was meant to be. Her love for the two of you is perhaps her greatest legacy.
I realize now that God blessed Chris with such extravagant beauty to share, because He knew that she was only going to have half a life to fit it all in. She had to double-time her parenting, hospitality, grace and love. And she did! Chris made everyone she met feel special. Chris brought beauty and joy into every occasion and Chris gave 200% everyday of her life. Tom, Madeline and Katherine, you will have to ration out the double-duty love and parenting that Chris gave you. She loved in 50 years to last 100. Cherish her love everyday. She gave it to you early.
By knowing Chris, we have all been blessed with an extra dose of her extravagant love. And whenever you are having an ordinary day, bring out the glitter, and Christine will be there.