K4P

class officer election time again,
and katherine is running for
senior class president!!!

good luck, love:D

love and God's blessings,
dani xx

ps. maggie approved this message!

i love summer...

but i

DIG

fall!!!

my babies are back:)


love and God's blessings,
dani xx

kentucky rain...

33 years ago today on a rainy kentucky afternoon, i sat in my grandmommie's living room watching television when abc anchorman, harry reasoner, broke into regular programming to report that elvis presley had died of an apparent heart attack at his home in memphis, tennessee.

i still remember the smell that lingered from the recent down-pour as i ran across the street to see if the neighbors had heard the news...

where were you when the news
of the passing of
"the king of rock 'n' roll"
broke?

love and God's blessings,
dani xx

12 years...

gone by...

(katherine's first day of kindergarten 1998)


(katherine's and jacob's first day of their senior year)


all in the blink of an eye.

love and God's blessings,
dani xx

pictures, pictures, pictures...

(my sweet girls)

(photos by martin studio)

steve martin has always had the ability
to capture the true essence of my katherine.
(go martinstudio.com)

(lexington photos)

my mom surprised katherine with another photo session.
this is the only other photographer that has ever worked with katherine.
also very nice work.

love and God's blessings,
dani xx

june...

in photos:


i turned 41.



katherine had her senior pictures taken by
"mr. steve" (click).



maggie sported her first hair-bow.


i hope you are enjoying your summer,
dear friends!!!


love and God's blessings,
dani xx

now and then, part deux...

(marshalls, ushers, and usherettes 2010)


(marshalls and usherettes 1986)

congratulations class of 2010!!!

love and God's blessings,
dani xx

now and then...

(honors night 2010)




(honors night 1986)

love and God's blessings,
dani xx

simply chase

i picked up katherine on tuesday night:
it was her first full day of work at the library.

katherine: did you dvr idol?
me: yes.
katherine: what did lee sing?
me: i cannot remember, but it was a lynyrd skynyrd song.
katherine: "sweet home alabama"?
me: no.??...
katherine: "simple man"?
me: maybe... (i'm not good with song titles)

after showers and jammies, i turned on idol,
and we watched.
casey james did his thing;
crystal did hers.
then ryan seacrest announced,
"here's lee dewyze with
lynyrd skynyrd's, 'simple man'..."

katherine: i love this song...
but it makes me sad.
me: why does it make you sad?
katherine: it reminds me of chase...
it was one of his favorite songs.

~@~@~@~@~@~

yesterday the john deere was low on fuel, and i knew that i needed to get the grass mowed given the forecast was rain for the next several days. so, i went to the gas station and filled up my can. i decided to drive the back way home because there was so much construction going on on the main roadway in town (the back way takes me past the cemetery where chase is buried). as i drove by, i couldn't help but glance his way...
i thought to myself, young parents shouldn't have to think about buying plots and a monument for themselves...
much less their children.
~@~@~@~@~@~



this morning i opened the tea-towel drawer to pull out a clean towel and dishrag. when i did i noticed a box in the bottom of the drawer. the box was labeled, mosquito coil. that box has been in the bottom of that drawer for years, and it's been years since i've paid any attention to it.

i bought it the night i took katherine, hannah, carlie, elise, and chase to the drive-in... yes, chase was the only boy in the bunch (totally his choice)! that was the night we started calling him hugh (hugh hefner).

he thought the nickname was epic!

that was a fun night for the kids (not so much for our neighbors trying to watch batman begins). the kids were a little rambunctious... let's just say, i would be willing to bet that the current owners of my old windstar could to this day still find skittles in its creases and crevices...

they can thank chase and carlie for those little finds of fruity sweetness, which went flying as hugh and carl were jumping up and down in the back of the van when the bag busted...
EVERYWHERE;)

~@~@~@~@~@~

chase may be gone, and the decal on katherine's back windshield may no longer exactly say, in loving memory of chase trent (as several letters have gone missing), but chase will remain in our hearts and our minds

FOREVER.

~@~@~@~@~@~

love and God's blessings,dani xx

may eleventh,

nineteen hundred and ninety...

at seven thirty in the evening.

love and God's blessings,
dani xx