Kaya Graduated

And it was awesome. Well, it rained so we had to move it all inside and it was hot and we had too many people in a small place, but it was still awesome. She was so proud and said her part in the poem nice and loudly. She looked incredible, too. She was so proud and so happy. She kept asking me to take more pictures. I loved it. I love anything that celebrates life and accomplishments. Here are some pictures....

I was so lucky to have been her Pre-K teacher for 187 wonderful days.

I cannot even imagine

the pain a mother goes through when she buries her child. My friend Val has a dear friend and neighbor who lost a 16 year old daughter on Monday. She was in a car accident in the rain on Memorial Day and she died as a result of her injuries after a week of intense surgeries at the hospital. She was a twin. So she left behind her best friend and sister of 16 years and an older sister.... I simply cannot imagine. So, I offered to help my friend Val prepare for the wake which is tomorrow. For about the last 24 hours I have scrapbooked non-stop with the help of about 30 teens for a few crazy hours last night. I took it all home afterwards and worked on it all day today. I created a four foot by eight foot wall (using a huge sheet of foam from Lowes) of the FRIENDS pages that ended up one of the most incredible things ever. To see that many pages set up like that was just amazing.

I also trimmed a 3' x 3' foam piece for another board and used three nice boards the funeral home provided. I put a few pictures in frames, too. It is all in page protectors (with the holes trimmed off) and the page protectors are glued to the boards. This way, after the funeral, we just slip out all 58 12 x 12 pages and put them into a binder Val has purchased so the family will have it forever. I hate that this family has to do this tomorrow. I hate it. I hate that their daughter is gone forever because of rain on a road at 2 PM on a Monday. I hate that all of their lives changes forever in that one instance. It all just makes me so sad. I pray they find some comfort somehow.

I love pictures like this

I just love looking at them helping Busia. I love watching them from behind when they really have no idea I am looking. I love watching them sort of walk into the future.... there is something about photos of their backs looking forward that make my heart race a little. I pray they never forget how much love they brought into every day of Busia's life.

K crew

I love that my little camera has a setting that helps you take self portraits because we sure love taking them.

Missing My Mom

Here is where we went on Mother's day.... we went to the farmer's market and then we took Busia to see the Stone my dad had purchased for my Mom by this big statue of Mother Mary in a neighboring town. It was happy and horribly sad at the same time. Busia had no clue Dad had done this so it was a bit overwhelming to her. The girls thought it was so cool to see her name carved in the stone. I just kept wishing we were cooking out with her instead of standing by a stone bearing her name. Man I miss her. I guess I just always will. It never really gets better. Ever.

What I woke up to on Saturday....

Busia had babysat for Kaya on Friday night so I could go to the movies with friends and then Matt and I went out to hear Neil play live guitar at a bar. Kalli was at a sleepover so Kaya slept with Busia. When I got up on Saturday, this is what I saw... I ran down to grab the camera to capture this cute little moment on film. Kaya was so funny trying to teach Busia how to play guess who. I love that Kaya is playing this game with her Great Grandma. I love it. And, how cute does Kaya look anyway??