for Ava

Little Pink Balloon

On Saturday at 10am Brisbane time (1pm here in New Zealand) Ava will be laid to rest but her family will continue to grief, and for those of us who have lost one's close and dear to our hearts, we know that really that is when the grieving begins and some of the numbness begins to wear off. In honor of Ava, pink balloons will be released at her final farewell and all over the world people will be joining them. Professional photographers, friends and family who can't be with the Rosemeyer family will be letting three pink balloons go...one for each precious year of Ava's life, the last of which I had the privilege to witness via Sheye's amazing images some of which can be seen HERE. So if you see pink balloons flying over your house it is possible that they have come from England, Canada, USA, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa...just some of the places I know they will be released. Look up and remember Ava, remember all the other children whose time with us is so short and whose deaths are so difficult to understand. Meg, I know you've tagged me! and I'll follow through with it after Saturday...as well as updates on my two classes ....OnLine Layout at Scrap of Faith and a Photography Course at Scrapbook Outlet NZ, but right now I just wanted to send you all Hugs and THANK EVERYONE for your kind words and checking in here to let Sheye know that a community of women and mother's bleed with her. I thank God for Sheye's photos and her Blog....we never guessed it would become more precious than gold, a diary of Ava's life and memory. Keep taking those images and keep journalling....but I pray that you will never need it in this way.

My Heart is Breaking

The above banner is courtesy of Carrie Young.... My colleague and amazing photographer Sheye Rosemeyer, lost her 3 year old daughter last night. It was a horrible tragic accident. She got locked in the family's black car which was parked outside in the full 36 degree sun and no one could find her for half an hour of panic stricken terror. The grandparents live next door and it is normal for the kids to flit between their house and home. Sheye said that Ava was being mischeivious as little kids are...and told Grandad she was going home but really she got in the car. Mom & Dad thought she was at Grandad's, he thought she was at home and by the time she was discovered she had been in a 60 degree car for too long. She fought bravely for two days in an induced coma but lost her battle last night. I can't even imagine the horror that family is feeling right now and their despair. The worst of it is, this is the fourth child this month in Australia. So please, hold your kids a little closer and tighter today and then take them outside and teach them to blow the car horn...hard and long if they are ever stuck in one. Sheye said she could go over the what ifs forever but the reality is, she can't take the last 72 hours back, all she can do is say to other parents, please teach your little one's to not play in cars, always lock the doors when you get out and show them where the horn is. Through the tears that have come and gone all day, I am so grateful that I belong to a wonderful community of photographers on "Grow"...a group that have rallied around and prayed, supported, cried and done practical things to somehow try and tell this family how much we love them and how we feel like we all lost Ava and her shining light too.

Make a Change!

Global Warming is such a scary thought and for us down here at the bottom of the earth, so close to a mass of ice that is melting, it is a super scary thought! We couldn't believe the images of HUGE icebergs floating off our coastlines in the middle of summer!...and speaking of summer, it is a simple fact that we just haven't had one. All my American colleagues are hanging out for their summer, well guys, all I can say is I hope you get the one that we didn't! So...to my point, it is time we all joined together and did something about it, go HERE and join the Cause! In other news, I'm Guest Designing for Scrap of Faith this month so please come join me and the online class...a Valentine's Layout all about the most difficult person to love in our lives : ourselves. Here's a Sneak Peek: Welcome to the world, Ethan! Just a few hours old and absolutely beautiful! Laters!