Meet Kalee... (pretend there is a current picture here) This is us 23 years ago.
We were born in the same hospital on (almost) the same day. We were lucky to grow up together. I remember playing on the trampolene at my Grandma's house for hours on Sunday afternoons. My grandma was "super cool" and let us take her blankets outside so we could play exciting games like "snake in the grass" and "candyland" (a game we invented ourselves). Here is a picture of all of our Crandall cousins (check out Megan).
We played city league volleyball together for years. One year, we were champions! She was super good and I was just average. We went skiing all the time in the winter. We had a bus that would take 50 kids to The Canyons Resort every weekend and turn us all loose (one time, I got left at the resort). Every once in a while, we could talk our parents into letting us out of school to go.
Here we all are at our annual Lake Powell family reunion. We participated in some extreme "water weenie wars", family games, fishing, and wakeboarding.
Sometimes we fought over the same boyfriends, but mostly, we had different tastes (so it all worked out).
In our early years of highschool, she made the volleyball team (I got cut), she made the cheer squad (I got cut) and we didn't hang out as much.
When we were seniors, we hung out at a Leadership retreat in St. George, got to raft the mighty Grand Canyon, coached a little girls volleyball team together, and were even Homecoming Queens.
After highschool, she went to UVU, I went to USU. Before I knew it, she was engaged, and before she knew it, I was.
We both got married to good husbands and have sweet children. She has a degree in Health Education and I have a degree in Home Ec Education.
For 2 years, I have taught Child Development to high school students. I teach a unit on SIDS. I have always taught the unit without really thinking about it.
Just one month ago, Kalee lost her sweet baby to SIDS. And while we're lucky to know that we will see him again, it has been difficult for all members of our family.
I decided to post this so you all would have a chance to read the website she and her husband have created. The amazing things she has written have inspired many. This website had over 6,000 views within the first 3 days it was created.
Make sure you read the "updates" section in order, beginning with Our Story written on March 9th.
I think we (our extended family) would all agree that this event has brought us closer together and helped us get our priorities in order.
Thank you Kalee, for letting us into your life and helping us all be better.
We (especially I) love you!