A very busy May.... remembering Ken, birthdays, dance recital and more!

Here it is, already the end of May.  I can honestly say that I don't know where this month has gone!  Today, on Memorial Day, Doug and Susie invited me to have breakfast with them to remember Ken for his birthday.  This was his very favorite place to go for breakfast. With Covid, and then Ken's sickness and death, I have not been here since early January of 2020.   Imagine my complete surprise when our favorite waitress Terri ran up to me and gave me a big hug.  Of course, she was sorry to hear about Ken and said she has been wondering what happened to us.  I can't believe that she is still there after all this time and the closures with Covid.  It was a very bittersweet time, but I kept thinking that Ken would be so pleased!  It was a very fitting way to remember Ken.

In addition to Ken's 70th birthday on the 14th, the 18th would have been our 48th Wedding Anniversary.  I went to the Morton Arboretum and renewed my membership and stopped at Ken's favorite spot.  It was a rainy day, but such a nice way to remember him.  He loved the Arboretum so much and spent so much time here.  

Next on my calendar was Grace's Preschool Graduation.  Grace has truly loved this "outdoor" preschool program that is held at Blackberry Farms.  Finishing up this year, she will head to Kindergarten in the fall, ready to succeed!  This was the second year she has been in this program and the outdoor activities were really a plus to this program.  

Next up was Zeke's 11th birthday.  No matter how prepared I think I am, I will never get over seeing how much these kids have grown. He is quite the young man these days. He loves video games (following in the footsteps of his father) and also Lego's.  This special car I gifted him seemed so difficult.  But it was not very long and the car was completed!

Then came the yearly dance recital for Gwen's three girls. This was Lia's 13th recital, Ellie's 7th recital and Anna's 5th. 

I will never get over how professional these recitals are.  Dance Connection in Grayslake does a truly amazing job with these young people.  I was remembering that very first recital when Lia was a tiny Disney Princess.  Watching her on stage this year, took my breath away.  The ballet pointe presentation was amazing.  In fact ALL of the dances were amazing.  Lia danced in 7 dances, Ellie was in 5 dances and Anna was in 3 dances.  After two years of "unusual" recitals (both 2020 and 2021 were held outside in less than wonderful circumstances) it was so good to see the dancers on the big stage in an auditorium.  I especially loved seeing Lia and Ellie on the stage together.  Ellie had a couple of "quick changes" this year and Anna had her first real costume change during a recital.  Considering that these changes not only mean the costumes but also their hair styles, it is surprising that it goes so smoothly.  I can't imagine how many of these "quick changes" Lia has done!   So much more than dance steps are gained in these classes.  Commitment, determination, teamwork, practice, and friendships will stay with these girls for years to come.   
 

Next was Jimmy's birthday.  Can you believe that he is ONE already!  It has really been a whirlwind year and I have loved watching him grow into this delightful little boy.  I took these pictures on the day of his actual birthday.  His big party is next weekend and there will be many more pictures to share after that.  He is not only walking well, he is trying to run!  He loves to chase after Grace and both of them giggle in pure joy.  He has a word for Grace that doesn't sound anything like her name - sort of sounds like "Ga-gy".  I remembered that Doug had a very similar "name" for Gwen when he was this age.  Those "g" names are hard for babies!  

Finishing out the month, Lia just turned 16 on the 28th.  I haven't celebrated with her yet, so expect an update in a later blog.  I decided to include this bonus picture of Lia and I taken 16 years ago.  

Again, it just doesn't seem possible that this much time has gone by.  I have certainly aged 16 years!  

Earlier this month, I was shopping and looking for some craft items.   Suddenly, this package caught my eye and I had to purchase it!

All  I could think when I saw this was, "Ken would be so happy to see these!"   Shortly after Ken went to work at Sanford in 2002, he gave me my first Profile pen.  I instantly loved these pens.  They fit my hand perfectly.  Over the next few years, I grew unhappy with the way the plastic clip would break off the pen.  Ken went to the engineers and talked about this.  Shortly after that, the Profile pen with a metal clip hit the market.  While these were slightly better than the first model, the metal clip still broke off the plastic body after a short use.  When Ken retired they were still working on this project.  I remember that Ken told me that an all metal case was the answer to this problem.  And here it is.  A stainless steel case on a Profile pen. It felt like a very real present from Ken.  

This month has been filled with memories and times to celebrate Ken.  In addition to the events I just talked about, I also spent a wonderful evening with some good friends, Bryon and Pat.  We met at Ken's favorite pizza place, Pal Joeys.  Bryon told me that he went to lunch to remember Ken on his birthday, at the restaurant they often frequented.  It was so good to remember many fun times we had together.

This was a reminder to me that Ken's life (and death) had an impact on more than our family.  Seeing Terri this morning and hearing her talk about Ken, is just another example. Ken's life had an impact even greater than I could imagine. All of the people he worked with over the years.  The fellow photographers that he met at conferences and events.   Even down to the people who might use that Profile Pen that he had a part in changing for the better.  Our children and grandchildren.  What a legacy.

I have been thinking about my own legacy - what I want people to remember about me.  And I know that I want people to see Jesus in the things that I do and the way I live my life.  I want my life to be about love for others.  That is the central focus of Jesus and his teachings.  Love God and love your neighbor.  After this troubling week in the news, once again, there is nothing that matters more than that.  How different our world would be if we all just loved God and our neighbors!  Now is a good time to reflect and act on that.  Let's all make our small corners of the world a better place by changing the way we live.  Let's all love God and our neighbors!

Jesus, thank you for the reminder that you care how we live towards others.  You want us to touch the world with your love.  Holy Spirit, thank you for the reminder that Ken's legacy was far bigger than I could image.  Remind us all to love first before we act.  Give us courage and boldness to stand up for those who can't defend themselves.  Thank you for your plan for families.  Let your love shine especially to those closest to us.  Help us to have grace and patience with ourselves and others when we are stressed or tired.  Holy Spirit give us peace.  Amen