2016, Boise, Idaho, USA
Rae and Nat before the holiday disco 🪩💗
— with
Raelyn Pratley
and Natalie Foster
1
2007
Hookah night
— with
Raelyn,
Regan Allen (Lineberger)
and Erin Denison (Funk)
1
Raelyn's Garden
In the summer of 2023 Raelyn and Trey spent a lot of time out in Kuna with my daughter Liv and I. I'll never forget the day I gave Raelyn her own designated garden box. She was absolutely pumped. She had had seeds and all kinds of flowers for years and was never able to plant them at our old house cuz the shade covered everything. She had no sunlight in her backyard. I gave her a box right out in the middle of the yard that couldn't find shade if you paid it.
Now mind you this box was not huge maybe 4 ft by 4 ft and recommended gardening for most vegetables is one square foot per vegetable. I attempted to tell her this but we all know you can't tell her anything. And with her excitement to plant the garden, I just let her go.
She went absolutely wild. She must have planted 40 separate vegetable plants in there. Anything from corn, yellow beans, green beans, peppers and even carrots.
I told her not to expect much out of the garden being that she had planted so much in such little amount of dirt. I had to eat that dirt. That card and produced all kinds of green beans throughout the summer It produced all kinds of yellow beans as well. Came up with a couple of small peppers and even though the corn didn't grow to full size we did get some little baby corn out of it. She was so excited about that and I'll never forget how happy she was eating the fruits of her labors.
This experience with her will always remind me of her playful excitement to experience new things. When I think about the vegetables that grew against the odds, I will remember her strength to push through.
I love you forever, Raelyn Pratley
Love, Matthew
2
Raelyn was my first friend when I moved to Boise in 2001. She made fun of my overalls I was wearing the first day of school but she quickly realized how cool both I and the overalls actually were 😎 We were basically inseparable for the next several years.
Our parents thought the other was trouble and we made a scene wherever we went. We didn't care who liked us- we liked us 🤟
The truth is, she was always the star of the show and I was happy to follow in her light. She was smart, quick witted, caring, outgoing, talented at anything she tried, beautiful, confident, daring, and people were drawn to her like a magnet. I wanted to be like her in every way.
There were a few years we didn't speak but it never stopped me from loving and thinking about her daily. When we finally reunited again, it was like we never stopped. In fact, we came to learn that we had both had our first baby, 2 months apart from each other. Our babies were going to be best friends too, just like we had always planned!
The years of friendship that followed were full of laughter, leaning on each other, and lots of Dave!!
Raelyn, a truly unique and wonderful soul. My friend. I promise to carry you with me always and I promise to keep an open door for Trey and anything he needs, always. ❤️
I love you. I miss you.
2
Raelyn was such a shining light and was a part of so many of my childhood memories. She was my first friend at Lowell Scott and she had me laughing all through middle school. In 7th grade we went trick or treating as the Angel and Devil and we decided we were “too old to trick or treat now” and we decided to do a photo shoot quickly after going to a few houses for candy. Rae join me and my family on a summer road trip through the Grand Canyon and Vegas. She kept the jokes rolling and laughs through the trip. I am sending my condolences on losing a wonderful soul too soon.
1
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