Memorial Day

Okay, I know Memorial Day was a little over a week ago and I wanted to post this then but obviously that did not happen. I've always known that Memorial Day was set up as a day to remember fallen soldiers who have given their lives for our country and each year I do think of them even more than normal because of it and greatly appreciate their sacrifice. I hope this does not make anyone think I'm trying to lessen the meaning of soldiers and what they do for us and our country but just to share with you what it means to me. As I get older Memorial Day means even more to me as I also see it as a day to remember everyone who has passed away, whether a close part of my life or not!
A year ago it came to mean more to me and I would like to share with you why because it is what prompted me to even start this blog. Kim and her husband Gary did not serve their country in the military sense but they did have big hearts and were very loved by their family and friends. Kim and I were acquaintances in high school, we both sat by each other in Chemistry and were in Les Jongluers choir together. We weren't best friends and lost touch after high school but were able to reconnect at our 10 year reunion in 2007. We had been emailing on occasion and I had checked out her blog a couple times. It had been a couple months since I last got in touch with her and she had been on my mind more than usual when my friend Shannon asked me if I had heard yet what happened and then informed me that Kim and her husband had been killed by a tornado in Kansas while on their way to visit family for the Memorial Day weekend! They were traveling late at night on Friday the 23rd when they hit a big storm, unfortunately they probably had no idea until it was too late that they were actually right in the path of the tornado that would claim their lives. From what I remember reading in one of the articles was that they had even done the right thing by stopping on the side of the road to wait out the storm. Hearing about that hit me a little more than normal because she was my age and what happened really could happen to any of us! So I just wanted to share and let you all know about Kim and that she is the reason I started blogging. That way we could be more accessible to our family and friends as a great way of keeping up-to-date with us and also as a way for me to remember a dear classmate and re-newed friend.


Clockwise from top left; Shannon,
Audrey, Kim, myself


Myself and Kim
(these pics are from our HS reunion)