Alecia's Tribute

We remember your first steps, when you faltered and hit your nose.You, of course, started to cry; we cried with you. A huge purple bump appeared and we thought for sure it was broken. But it wasn’t and soon you jumped right back in there and before we knew it you were on your way.

From the beginning you loved to read. You loved to turn the pages, and would flip through them with mom on the couch or with Dad, who would sit criss-cross applesauce on the floor, holding you in his lap. Soon you began to realize yourself how sweet and cute you were and look at pictures in our scrapbook and say, “Ayesha”. Mom loved putting a mirror down on your level and watching you admire and pat your reflection.

You loved Barney, and weekend trips to Grandma and Grandpa Louder’s house, and quickly developed a long and lasting friendship with your cousins, Kylie and Dusty. You enjoyed spending time with your babysitter, Jodi, and her daughters, Bailey and Tess and your then-best-friend, Cloe.

By the time you were 2 you had developed an especially deep fondness for dress-up and tea parties. For your 2 nd birthday, mom and dad gave you a pink tea-party table and chairs and dishes. You would recruit all your stuffed animals, especially Barney, and serve a smashing bit of tea for them along with mom and dad. As you grew older, your sweet fun-loving personality started to shine.

Alecia, you always seemed to wear that beautiful smile, which continually touched our hearts, and lit up the entire room. You loved to laugh and entertain, putting on dress-up clothes and make-up. It seemed like you and Aunt Julie were always dressing up together or up to something slightly mischievous.

You loved to wear dresses, and for a while refused to wear anything else. There was also evidence of a shoe-thing early on--especially shiny black ones, and when you wore these you would avoid puddles at all costs.

Alecia, you were quite the performer and would often put on one of mom’s t-shirts, which would reach past your ankles, and then you would climb on her step-bench and sing and dance and carry on. You always loved dancing and started taking lessons at 4. Although you were nervous and a little shy at first, with each performance and each year you grew more confident, and got so good you soon developed a talent for choreographing your own dances. One of your favorite pastimes, whether alone or with friends or family, was turning up the volume of your favorite tunes and just dancing and dancing some more.

Before we knew it you were starting Kindergarten. You were so nervous and excited that day, and of course you had to wear a dress. We lived in Wanship then and mom had to drive you up the hill to catch the bus. That first day mom was anxiously awaiting your arrival home, but you did not get off bus. Panicked, mom chased down the bus to the very next stop, and you hopped off.

It was in Kindergarten that you got your first academic award, receiving a medal for a Reflections poem you wrote, which read like this: “Wouldn’t it be great, if I could ice skate. I could spin, I could leap, I could move my feet.”

Your brother Jace came that same year. What a wonderful big sister you were!!! You took to that just like everything else, with such ease, grace, and of course that beautiful smile. You gave him his very first bottle at the hospital and always loved giving him baths, dressing him, and were so good at rocking him to sleep. He thinks you are the bestest sister ever. You were also so kind to your cousins- especially McKyla and Sierra.

In the blink of an eye you graduated from South Summit Elementary Kindergarten class, and continued to excel in everything you did in your sweet, gentle-natured, kind-hearted, quiet way. You loved to learn and we loved watching you. Your creativity began to show and in Mrs. Bonner’s class your passion for drawing grew. You loved school and soaked everything in and were always looking for more.

We moved to Evanston the summer before you started 3 rd grade, and although you were apprehensive at first, boy, did you learn to love it here! Soon you found some great kids who shared so much in common with you. What an awesome group of friends! Your relationship with Alex and Jessica was especially wonderful. They will be your best friends forever!

Fifth grade was such a great year for you. With the help of enthusiastic classmates and a willing principal and teachers, you created a very fine and scary spook alley. When Mrs. Seale recommended you for Casper College’s summer program for exceptional youth, we were so proud, and you were so excited. That was such a fun experience for you, Alecia, writing, acting, and learning about Paris- as well as growing in confidence and making new friends.

Your love for books continued, too. Harry Potter was one of your favorites, and you read each book, and then read them all again last summer, just for fun. The fifth book was always your favorite. You devoured it in a matter of days when it first came out. Then, since you loved the series so much, you picked up the first book and started over, reading them a second time. We were starting to read the series a third time at the hospital, and Dad loved reading the 5 th book to you the last few weeks after we came home.

You were so excited when you started sixth grade at EMS. You were thrilled to find out you had a locker next to your best buds. You were excited about all the styling new clothes you got in Chicago with Dad and Tracy that summer, and the highlights in your hair- looking to be a real trendsetter. Blooming. Confident. Comfortable. It was so fun to watch you mature and grow up, but in a new and different way than previous years. You were learning more about yourself and what your passions in life were- animals, volleyball, history, writing, continuing to dance and be creative, developing musical talents with the flute, piano, guitar, and even taking an interest in composing your own songs. You talked of creating a band, and had such dreams.

One of the most beautiful dreams you had during this time was, “Make Your Mark.” Together with best friends Alex and Jessica, you wanted to raise money for charity, selling lemonade outside Wal-Mart was just the beginning.

We had a lot of good times in Evanston and spent a lot of time outdoors. In the summer you, mom and Jace started taking mini weekend road trips, with our friends Veronica and Jaidyn. We went camping in the Uintas, to Flaming Gorge where you and Jaidyn loved paddling around the lake on a rubber raft, to Moab, Bear Lake, Vernal, and more. We went. We saw. We laughed. We learned. We sang. We explored. Eventually we bought a tent and since it was snowing that May, we put it up in the living room for a day or two, just to get the feel of it.

Provo River Falls was a new favorite place for you. Last summer when you went there with mom and Alex, it was almost impossible to get you to leave. You and Alex took your shoes off and explored, up and down those falls for hours.

You also so loved spending time with dad in Chicago. He kept you busy and laughing nonstop for days. Together with your step-mom, Tracy, you guys did so much, like riding roller coasters- 6 times in a row, painting ceramics, and spending countless hours at the water park. And of course shopping- Dad and Tracy were always the best at helping you find just the right outfits for school. These were such precious and fun times for you and you looked forward to those visits. You always came back so energized, loved, happy, and confident.

When you were diagnosed with that awful C- word (we still can’t believe or bring ourselves to say it), our lives changed, but you did not. You never let it get you down for long. All those trips to the hospital and the chemotherapy would really take it’s toll, but you stayed strong, and always bounced right back each time, always looking forward to and waiting for those days when you felt good enough to go back to school.

The first time we came home from the hospital, we were so very excited and optimistic as we were on our way home. Never had a homecoming been sweeter. Your aunts and uncles had fixed your room up cute and nice. The ride home with both mom and dad by your side, made you smile and perk right up. Of course we had to stop at Arby’s and get that roast beef sandwich you had been waiting over a week for. We laughed and continued to joke with you when you spilled that shake-- all over the place. We had to stop in Wanship to clean up a little before continuing home.

It seemed like we were in and out of the hospital a zillion times, but you never complained. Home health nurses, Kim and MaryJo, were so great to help us between visits when we were home. Through it all you never stopped inspiring and amazing us all. You never gave up hope and always fought so bravely. Your beautiful smile and gentle, kind-hearted nature continued to shine.

There was lots of quality time with mom and dad during the past few months. These are times that were so special and precious and we will treasure these times always. From “secretly” driving mom’s truck in the movie theatre parking lot, to movies and sleepovers and dances with friends. There was our spa-makeover weekend getaway, and other times with friends and family- all these times are so precious and beautiful. What great memories!! Boy, we had fun! Alecia, you made it fun and beautiful, because that’s who you are. It was not nearly long enough, but Alecia, you came and you made your mark in an amazing way in such a short time. You taught us all so much with whom you were and the way you lived your life.

Two of these things that we know you would want people to remember are 1) make every moment count--Live, love, laugh deeply and fully each day and 2) kindness matters, we know you would want everyone to practice random acts of kindness each and every day forever in your honor, making this world a better place because you were here.

You left this world with a tear in your eye, and a smile on your face, leaving this adventure to start another. It was hard for you to leave behind so much love and laughter, and harder still for those of us that had to be left behind. But, sweet baby girl, you are surely happy and pain free now, and in better, more beautiful place, a place more suitable for such a beautiful inside and out, sweet, sweet girl.

You are the lucky one, Alecia, and now you are in heaven, and free from pain and all the crazy seemingly unfairness and wrongness that exists in this world. The rest of us will struggle with the pain of missing you so deeply and dearly, but we know that you will be watching and loving us from afar, and keeping us good, because of who you are.

They say heaven is beautiful place; it had to have just gotten more beautiful when you arrived on May 9 th. You touched so many lives and the world is no doubt a better place now and forever because you were here. We could not have been prouder of you or loved you more, and are so very very grateful for the time you were here. Thank you for all you were and all you continue to be.

This is not good-bye, but see you later. We look forward to seeing your sweet smiling face again. You will be in our hearts--Always.

TRIBUTE TO ALECIA