A Gift

           Kimberly loved photography.  She used to have one of the best Pentax cameras money could buy.  She took courses while in high school and college at Kutztown University and at Lehigh University.  She was enrolled for real at Kutztown U (artist Keith Haring and Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer Andre Reed graduated from Kutztown) to study art.  One of her Dad's best friends taught photography at Lehigh U and would let Kim attend the class for free!  She did some great work there.  Lehigh recently attained some sports fame for knocking #1 Duke out of the NCAA tournament in March (Lehigh was ranked #64 and squeaked into the tourney after beating Bucknell on the final day of the season).
          Kim's photos always presented a unique perspective.  She loved to take photos in black and white - feeling it brought out more of the detail and forced the viewer to really study the shot.

           Recently, I discovered that Autumn has a love for photography...and some talent, too!  Midway through the year, she joined the JOII club (Jr. Optimist Club, perfect, right?  To follow in her Mama's footsteps!) and Ashley Curtis, the teacher who leads the children in this club, really helped her to blossom!  She helped make sack lunches for Casa Maria woman's shelter, collected books for needy children in the Sunnyside School District in Tucson's southside and helped at Casa De Los Ninos, a wonderful organization that Kim and I had done work for over the years we've lived here - they have a variety of children's services.  Ashley instilled a strong sense of community through the JOII club, gave the children a vehicle to experience giving back and did it in such an enthusiastic way touching all of the children!
          One of the things Ashley focused on, outside of community service, was teaching the kids photography.  They took several field trips.  One to Winter Haven over Christmas break to capture the myriad of Christmas lights.  The group went to Reid Park in central Tucson, taking beautiful nature shots.  And, one of the coolest trips - Ashley took them into the heart of Tucson on a mural hunting field trip and they took pictures of the neatest graffiti artwork there!  Cienega High School also helped mentor the kids and helped them with technique and angles. 
         All along, Ashley would tell me about the comments Autumn's work was receiving from peers, teachers and photographers. 
         Another neat lesson Ashley taught the children, was public speaking.  She gave them opportunities to present their photos to the Cottonwood Elementary School's Site Based Council (I may have been the only member of the council tearing up that day!) and, tying everything back into community, at an exhibit downtown at the Tucson Temple of Music and Art.  The kids each had to speak about their favorite photo and what they were trying to capture.  Then, they auctioned off their best piece and sold several of their other favorite photos.  All proceeds benefited Tu Nudito, another wonderful organization that helps children who have lost a loved one or have one very sick in the hospital.

                        The whole evening was so professionally done.  At the entrance to the Temple, each photographer had a photo of them selves, their best picture blown up and on canvas and a brief bio on an easel.  Autumn chose her outfit and only lamented that she did not know how to do her own hair.  I told her it looks beautiful just combed down, the way it is pictured here.

The Temple was built in 1927 and has fantastic architecture!!  Here is a view from the balcony.  The neighborhood is beautiful barrios style with brightly painted homes.

The entry plaza features a large fountain and saltillo tile.  A young lady played the violin during the show.  Ashley's parents are pictured here enjoying the music.

Each photographer had a table to display their photos, which were for sale.  Here is Autumn's, posing with some 'fans' who came to support her - Ami Bunch (Cody's Kindergarten teacher - she has triplets and her daughter, Hunter, is just to her right) and Mary Montes (Aut and Tonio's K teacher - I couldn't fit her daughter, Brinley, in this shot).

She found all of this art work throughout downtown (and more, this is just a sampling)

Here, she captures a can falling.  Kim worked hard at this technique - Autumn seems to have it down already!  I remember jumping off a guardrail on Route 378 so Kim could try to catch me in the air on film.

I'm not sure why this transferred so small, but, this 'Peace' sign was on the roof of a home in Winter Haven.

There are others that I don't have files for and hope to post them in the future...

                          Autumn was the first to auction off her favorite piece, blown up and on canvas.  She took a picture of her and her friend's shadow on the playground!  The auction was fast paced and exciting!

Autumn and Ashley in front of her work.

Antonio enjoyed the show and snacks/beverages served!

The bambini on the Temple's side balcony.

Man, I just loved the neighborhood - I could so live there!

                           
                       

Flotsam and Jetsam

   Miscellaneous...I find that a lot of events and photos have not quite evolved into full blown blogs...while others, are still in the works and I just haven't had the time to bring them fully alive.  It's been a good week - not that I know what day it is today, but, that we have had 6 or 7 pretty good days.
    I can see Antonio coming back...He's been the slowest to rebound.  Requiring every ounce of energy I have and attention.  Thank you to all of you who have helped prop him up and given him random hugs to make him feel whole.  He is so deep and thoughtful - each night, wishing his Mama a good night in Heaven and telling her that he hopes she is enjoying it there.  Each day, visiting her garden at school and tending to it lovingly.  He has certainly had his ups and his downs - but, I've noticed, more of that sweet, happy, lovable boy shining through of late.
    What haunts me most about Tonio, is, that night I had to tell him that we were losing his Mama.  I remember the chaplain at St. Joseph's, Wendy, shepherding us into a private sitting room off of that horror show of a surgery waiting room on the third floor of St. Joseph's.  Leaving behind the comfort of our southwest family and friends.  It had that dream like quality of being neither real nor an illusion.  And I thought, how can I do this?  Kim was always the one to help the bambini through emotional problems and tough situations.  But I needed to be the one...
      When I explained the situation to the bambini, there was dead silence.  Like that eerie calm before a major storm hits...and then, it sank in.  The meaning reaching down into their souls, tearing their little hearts out.
      But what comes to me in my dreams nightmares most vividly, is Tonio's reaction.

      He stands in the middle of the room, dawning realization removing the smile from his loving face slowly, like a wave receding down the sand on the beach...going paler and paler. 
      His actions seared into my memory... I can't write about the rest...
      ...Anyway, he has found his way - becoming so helpful and even more loving and caring than ever...I feel so blessed to have him (and Cody and Autumn of course - but, being that Tonio was the most lost, it is a relief to see him smile more and more!).

At the UofA v Stanford baseball game.

Learning to dive at the Sunshine Swim School

Sporting the new Tony Hawk t-shirt that Angie gave him for Easter

                                       Tonio, Autumn and Brinley at Peter Piper Pizza with their kindergarten teacher, Mary Montes.

With one of his best buddies, Bryson at Joe's Crab Shack for David's birthday party

                                Fighting off boa's at the Reid Park Zoo with great friend Breanna

 

And his best little friend from Cottonwood, Monsi!

                                   It seems like Tonio has found his way - his good friends and family have helped him find his smile and he is regaining his confidence...And he makes me smile and laugh every day!!

15 part due

             Ahhh Cody...turning 15 on me.  Where did that time go?  I look at him and I am amazed at how far he has come in such a short time.  It has been 15 months, one week, 5 days and 3 hours and 17 minutes since Kimmy passed...but who's counting?  I can still tell the days he is thinking of her...the songs he chooses to play "You're Never Over" by Eminem...The Prayer by Kid Cudi...sad and soulful.  But mostly, he has done an amazing job transforming himself into a helpful, conscientious young man.

           Helping his old man get the back yard up to Kim's standards...

         
              Working hard to excel in Track while maintaining honor roll grades, with two honors classes.  He had a fantastic track season.  First of all, to get into top shape, he enrolled in 'zero hour', getting to school by 7:20 to lift weights for an hour before school and then attending grueling running practices until 5:45 each night.  He improved his PR (which I found out did not stand for Puerto Rico, but Personal Record!) in each of his last 4 track meets in the 100M, his best event.  In the above photo, Cody is the 2nd runner from the right. 
               It was inspirational to watch Cody run.  He spent time in the infield, stretching, practicing his starts, focusing...and when that starting gun would go off - it felt like the whole world would pause...for the 13 seconds flat that it took Cody to jet off of the starting blocks and make it 100M down the track to the finish line...as he crossed the finish line - BOOM! - the world's busy-ness would instantly start again!

                 I think my favorite thing about Cody, well, there are many favorite things, but I love that he still wants to hang out with the family, no matter what we are doing...he hasn't become 'too cool' for things like a rousing round of mini golf with the bambini!

               He has not forgotten the face of his Mama.  She spent so much time preparing him to have good values, make good decisions and choices and to be thoughtful.  As he turned 15, I spent most of the day reflecting on that...I'm so proud of Cody.  And so thankful for Kimmy.

               During his big day, I felt her guiding me - making the brownies that Cody loves, decorating the house with streamers, banners, etc as she always did.  Even remembering to buy a # 1 and #5 candle to bring to Mama's.  And I brought plastic baggies, as my southwest family has taught me, so everyone could take a brownie home with them!

And there was Kimmy smiling down on her boy on his special day...

Turning 15

    Cody turned 15 Monday.  15.  It was a happy occasion...and we pretty much began our celebration Thursday, meeting Andrea at the Pima County Fair around 3ish.  Andrea let me know that admission was free with two cans of food.  Check.  And, she said, bring a bottle of Dr. Pepper and you'll get $5 off the all you can ride wristband...got it!  And as some kind of bizarre bonus, Cody Simpson was going to be in concert and the girls were dying to see him (think Justin Bieber clone)!!! 
    
    We got there so early, thinking the fair would be mobbed.  Our strategy was to hit the rides early and often - letting Cody, Andrea's son, David, his buddy Cameron and Janene's son, Brendon, loose to ride the 'big rides', while we took the little ones on every fun house from here to eternity, slides, and other assorted kiddie rides (but we failed to see the two headed squirrel or get inside the giant bubbles on water!).  Then, we'd feed the kids, see the concert and get out of there by around 9:30.  It was Thursday.  A school night, so we wanted to be home by a reasonable hour...

 

By 5ish, we realized the kids had already hit about 30 rides each...and figured the crowds would be coming.  But we didn't care, because the kids were totally enjoying themselves and had gone on almost every ride they could!  So, we told them to keep going and we'd eat around 7:30 or so, before the 8:00 start of the Cody Simpson concert.

We headed over to the main stage by 7:30, got the kids roasted corn, corn dogs and we got the Indian fry bread tacos and found a table nearest to the stage.  After eating, Lexy, Autumn and Breanna made their way towards the stage as the show began!

                         It was the girls first concert and they were thrilled!!  They got pretty close and really like the dancing, singing, screaming and light show that Cody Simpson put on!!!
                        After the show, we discovered that the rides still had no lines and decided to stay until 10...David, Brendon and Cody quickly talked us into 11...and then, the curse of the 'smart phone' hit!  All of our phone's batteries died one by one...except Andrea's, who has stuck by the flip phone with no apps or internet!  Lacking communication, Andrea asked the boys to meet us at the ticket booth by 11:00...But, in today's world, without a phone, the boys concept of time was lost and we ended up closing the fair!!  We got large funnel cakes as we exited, covered with chocolate and some fresh made donuts too!  Luckily, the kids had just finished a week of AIMS testing and had pajama day at school the next day...And the late night was well worth it!  We lost count of how many rides our kids got to go on!  Cody's favorite rides were the Zipper and Speed, I didn't see him most of the night, so I go no pictures of him and the boys to post, but...it was an incredible night!

                        What Cody had wanted for a party, was to take David, Brendon and buddy Jesus to play laser tag at Funtasticks.  So, Friday, we picked up Cody and Jesus from school, drove to Janene's and picked up Brendon and then watched the end of David's basketball game and picked him and Breanna up from Andrea.  Hungry, we headed to Shane's Rib Shack, where the boys devoured an amazing amount of wings!

                           Once I got everyone their wristbands, the boys headed straight for the Indy cars, while I took the little ones on the rides!

Breanna was a fearless driver!!  Autumn took first!

  

These kids were drenched on the bumper boats!  They'd ride them, go on the mini Indy cars to dry off and go back on the bumper boats.  Once again, there were no lines, no waiting, so they all got their money's worth.  They all played a rousing game of laser tag and the big boys played mini golf, too.

The boys slept over at our house and they played XBox until the wee hours of the morning... I let them sleep a couple of hours, waking them up to go to Brawley's, our favorite hole in the wall, for breakfast!

One of Cody's 7th grade teachers was kind enough to give us passes to the Tucson Botanical Gardens, where they had a butterfly exhibit going on.

The butterflies were incredible!!

Sunday, after church, we had an enormous breakfast at Viro's with Andrea, Janene, Lupe, Manny and their kids...

Rosa and Vito made these special gelato filled treats for Cody's birthday.

And then it was Monday...My boy young man's actual birthday!!  Autumn and Antonio helped me to decorate.  Putting up banners, hanging streamers and balloons...just as Kim did for all of us.  I baked him his favorite 'cake'...brownies!

And it was a special day...

Janene snagged Cody from school early, around 1 and took him, Brendon and her son's Bryson and Kason back out to the fair!!  He was so happy and surprised - I left him a note for the office saying that his 'Aunt Janene' was picking him up for an 'appointment'!!  They had fun going on the rides and then met us all (Angie, Andrea, Janene, Kim, Roshan and kids) at Mama's pizza for dinner and brownies!!

Cody enjoyed the company and the food - his favorite pizza!!

When we got home, Cody asked me if I'd give him a haircut...which I'd usually leave for Janene!  But, Kim used to cut the boy's hair and Janene had given me some lessons...so...

Doing my best Zohan...

As I monkeyed around for the camera, the guard fell off the blade and I literally buzzed Tonio's head!! It happened in slow mo...I saw the guard falling, as I touched down with the clipper...but, I was able to save the hair do by going to a lower guard setting.  Both boys actually loved their new haircuts!!

It was a fun filled birthday celebration!!!

Thank you all for your birthday wishes for Cody!!!