When we still lived in South Carolina, Keara used to visit us a lot with Jason & the kids. We always had Thanksgiving at our house too. This picture was taken during one of those visits. Keara is holding Seanathon, I'm holding Tori and Justin is hiding behind his Daddy. Grandma is taking it all in and smiling.
This was a day that we all went to the zoo. Tori was a baby and Justin was 4 years old. We (Lauren & Karl) met everyone there and we all spent the day together.
Keara loved April Fools day and could fool me every time. One year when I was still working at the shelter Keara called the sheriff who she didn't even know and asked him to particpate in playing an April Fools joke on me. He was a little reluctantnt and wanted Kear's assurance that I wouldn't have a heart attack. I received a call from the sheriff's dept. saying that the sheriff wanted to see me. I figured it was about a client and was busy-could it wait till later. I was told "no" so I went. The sheriff called me in to his office looking grim and told me he had called to discuss a complaint about me. He said "don't you make pictures with real flowers?" I said yes. Well he said that someone called to say that I was collecting flowers on their land. I was wracking my brain and starting to get nervous. I told him I always got permission to collect from private land. He was scowling at me and I got more nervous and then I hear "April Fools Mom" coming from the speaker phone, and Keara and the sheriff laughing and laughing.
When I was pregnant with Leigh you loved to put your hand on my belly and feel her move. I was worried that you might not treat her well because you were the "baby" but you were so gentle with Leigh. Sometimes you "acted out" to let us know you were around and wanted some attention but the two of you got along well and always played together easily even though your personalities were so different. It was so obvious that you loved each other.One time when we were doing a show in a mall and I left you with your Dad for a few minutes, I came back to find you, Leigh and the stroller gone. I was running around frantically trying to find you. In the Penney's store someone told me you were headed to the bathroom. You had gotten Leigh and the stroller in there but couldn't hold the door open and get her out. So you left her and ran to find me. By the time I got in the bathroom there were a group of women crowded around Leigh, thinking she'd been abandoned. It is funny to think about now but at the time I was frantic!
