Today I sit and reflect.
One year ago today Loren & I were on a date in Florida. We took a drive to the Melbourne Pier while Grace stayed at home with my dad. We pulled into a parking lot to steal some WiFi for a minute so Loren could check an email from work. We were on cloud 9. Rounding out the end of our 10 day Florida trip that we'd been hoping to go on for 4 years and had been seriously planning for over six months. It was at that moment that his phone rang. I could hear Marks voice on the other end telling Loren that Kevin was gone. All I could do was say "no" over and over again while tears ran down my face. We were in a state of disbelief for the rest of the day. My sweet dad invited over his friends for a BBQ on our last night in Florida but all I could do was think about Loren and what he must be going through being all the way across the country from his dad and brother, Mark and not knowing what to do with the shocking news he had just received a few hours earlier. It was definitely not the way we had planned to spend our last night in Florida. All we wanted to do was get home and get home fast. Yet at the same time, coming home meant facing reality.
The next day we left for the airport. Sad as we had to say goodbye to my dad and Papabear, not knowing when we would see them next and sad at the thought of the long and draining trip we still had ahead of us and what returning home meant. On our layover we got dreaded news. Our flight was cancelled and we had to wait 7 hours for the next plane. No one cared that we needed to get back right away and wouldn't do anything to help us catch an earlier flight. When we finally made it to Seattle we had a two hour drive home, up and over the mountain pass with blizzard like conditions. After we got home, Loren slept for 3 or 4 hours and then went right back over the mountain pass to plan his brothers memorial.
Exhaustion. Heartache. Pain. Sorry.
The Memorial was one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed. I learned more about Kevin, his incredible character and colorful life that day than I had in the 10 years prior. It was a really touching experience and as much as we all cried we also laughed a lot with those who were courageous enough to stand up front and tell stories in memory of Kevin.
Healing. Love. Change. Hope.
To be honest, it has been an interesting and hard year. But as hard as things have been God had done some incredible things through this tragedy. Amazed at His constant goodness.
On this day as I reflect I think Kevin would be happy to know that Grace loves to be active.
Did you know that Kevin rode his bike across the entire country?
iBody Heath and Fitness Event at Central Washington University
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| Learning Football Drills |
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| She's hardcore |
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| Dude, she can tackle |
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| Learning Karate |
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| Karate obstacle course |
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| Jr. Jazzercise with Dina |
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| I love how working out can be super fun |
On this day as I reflect I think Kevin would appreciate how much Grace loves to explore nature.
I remember coming to Bellingham on my first trip to Washington (the week long adventure that lead up to Loren's proposal) and Kevin took us into the woods. It was glorious. And, it ended at a beautiful body of water. We all just sat quietly and enjoyed the peace it brought.
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| Japanese Garden at Central. See Grace exploring in the background? |
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| 1/2 was covered in snow, the other 1/2 in sunshine |
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| Finding all kinds of fun things to bring home |
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| looking for tree sap |
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| It was freezing but the sun was leaving us some incredible shadows to look at |
On this day as I reflect I think Kevin would laugh at silly food displays. He was such a fun and funny guy. I remember always being drawn into his conversations. He is incredibly smart but also very witty. I loved laughing with him.
The first time I met Kevin was at Seatac Airport. He picked me up, smiled and then gave me the nickname, Half Pint. I was hooked from that moment onward.
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| Breakfast this morning. |
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| Super easy. Just place a cookie cutter on top of the yogurt and use sprinkles. |
On this day as I reflect I think Kevin he would love to have been apart of pet bath day this morning.
Kevin loved his two sweet kitties. Cats were a huge part of his life. He even used cats as illustrations in his math classes. It's something many of his past students remember about him fondly.
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| Jake being the calmest he's ever been during a bath. I think he actually liked it. |
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| Sopping wet doggy. |
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| The cleaning after the cleaning. |
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| Someone else needed a bath today too. |
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| The she gave all of her lovies a bath as well. And, why not-it's bath day! |
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| After they were given a bath they got a prize for doing such a good job. A lady but for a lady bug. |
There are a great many things I think Kevin would love.
We miss him and are sad knowing that Grace will never get to know him.
Thankfully we have a great many stories to share with her.
She also shares his love for math and creativity. We see a piece of him in her.
What great joy that brings to us.
Mark, Ericka, Tyler, Loren, Grace and I will head out of Ellensburg at 8am tomorrow morning. Pick up Harris at 10am and be on our way to Bellingham. First stop: Lunch at Kevin's favorite Thai place.
We love you Kevin and look forward to celebrating you this weekend in Bellingham.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27
