Beautiful Memories

..: Heaven seems so far away :..

A sweet soul returned back to Heaven too soon for us to understand here on earth. There things in this life that none of us will ever understand. One is why God takes away our friend before we are ready to say goodbye. Losing someone so close to you will always a hard thing to handle, at least it will be for me. The fact of the matter is that, you never want to let someone go. You want them to stay here with you on earth. Not having them around and seeing their smiling face, is such a hard thing to have to go through.

My friend Ashlee passed away this past weekend. We were always so close growing up, and as the years have gone by we have drifted apart. Life, School, and Friends can do that to people. You never realize though how much you will cherish the memories you created with someone. Until they are no longer a phone call away.

I will always remember Ashlee for her, shall I call it “witty” sense of humor. She always wanted to make you think that she didn’t care, but in all true honesty. She had one of the biggest hearts I know. She would do anything, including give you the shirt off her back if you needed it.

There have been so many memories of our childhood that have flooded into my mind the last few days. Here are a few of my favorite ones. I don’t have a lot of pictures of us growing up, because we were kids and we didn’t carry cameras till we started being teenagers with phones.

• I remember the day as if it were yesterday. Ryan had been annoying us as he usually did when all of us girls were over at the house hanging out in your purple bedroom. Finally we took off after him and we were chasing his around the house. We turned the corner and the grass was wet. We all slipped and collided into one another, forming a massive pile on the front lawn. We all couldn’t stop laughing, with huge grass stains all over our clothes.

• Girls Camp 2005 – It was my 3^rd year and your 2^nd. Lindsey, Kylee, You, and I were all in the same tent together. This was when you decided you were going to bring an entire cooler of goodies, yes an entire cooler. You were so mad when you opened it up and all the little punches had exploded all over the snacks. Oh well you aired them out and wiped them off, determined to eat it all. You were obsessed with your phone that year too. Oh I remember you took it everywhere because you swore you were going to get service so you could text people in “civilization.” You never did and finally gave up. On the car ride home, you phone seriously didn’t stop buzzing or a solid 30 minutes one you had service. It was hilarious.
  
  
  

• The day you told me you were pregnant. We were in Samurai 21 and you very casually told me that you were pregnant. You thought by telling me in a very public place I wouldn’t freak out, oh but I did. Although at the time I didn’t know whether to be happy or sad. Watching you through your pregnancy though, I could see it was such a good thing for you. I loved it. Braxton was a miracle in your life.

• The day Lindsey ruined my favorite white shorts and cute sandals. We had all decided we were going to go out to dinner, and so we spent all this time getting ready and all cute. Just in case we ran into cute boys or something, oh the life of little girls. I remember we seriously were so loud and obnoxious in Chili’s, thought for sure we were going to get kicked out. Well after dinner you started chasing Lindsey in the parking lot when she slipped on the asphalt and went completely under my car. White short were no longer white, and her leg was completely black to match. I don’t think I had ever laughed so hard watching you too go after each other that day, and then you almost peed you pants from laughing when she turfed it. You honestly sat down on the ground outside, cross-legged, laughing hysterically. Funniest day by far, that one is down in my books for best laugh of a lifetime.

Geez I could go on and on with all my memories, but I will just share one last one. Of course, the best story is saved for last.

• Blue Bunny: The giant colossal of Ice Cream. When I say giant, I am talking about the one where it has like 25 scoops of ice cream in a huge bowl with whipped cream and sprinkles. Yes, you could choose whatever kind of ice cream. If you ate it all, you got it for free. So of course who decides that we are going to get it, and we are going to finish it. No other than, Miss Ashlee Nelson. Holy that thing was enormous. We didn’t even eat half of it with the three of us girls, yes Lindsey was there because we were all inseparable. So the best part of this story is that Ashlee made me pay the bill, which was like $25 in nothing other than Quarters. Yes, you heard me right, Quarters. I wanted to die. Crawl in a hole and die. The waitress looked at us like we were freaks, who carries that much money around in quarters. Well I do.! Obviously.! Then to top it off, she leaves thanks spelled out in quarters as a tip. Oh Ashlee the laughs we had. I will miss them.

Ashlee, I am very grateful for the time that we had while you were here on this earth. I am so very sad to see you leave so early in life, all though I know you are up there in Heaven watching down on Braxton and your family here. Please make sure to wrap your arms around them tight, they all miss you very much. I will never forget you, your smile, your laugh, and your friendship that we had. The short years that we had while you were here, I will hold close to my heart. I will cherish all the love, laughter, and memories made. Love you Ash, I hope heaven is beautiful. Rest in Peace, till we met again.

I wanted to leave you all with a poem and then some pictures of beautiful Ashlee and her darling boy Braxton

The Broken Chain

We little knew that day,

God was going to call your name.

In life we loved you dearly,

In death, we do the same.

It broke our hearts to lose you.

You did not go alone.

For part of us went with you,

The day God called you home.

You left us beautiful memories,

Your love is still our guide.

And although we cannot see you,

You are always at our side

Our family chain is broke,

And nothing seems the same.

But as God calls us one by one,

The chain will link again.

-Ron Tranmer

Much Love, Kenzie.