This is the first time I have scrapped pictures of my Dad since his death in 2011. I have tried to do so, but it was never right until tonight. Thank you to the Daily Download - which had the perfect flowers for this! I also used Summer Crush Bead Spill, smudge, and stitching, My Guy backgrounds and alpha.


 


Journaling:


This scrap page is a long time coming. I have wanted to remember this picture with a beautiful scrap page, but I have never been at the point to open up my emotions and actually spend time with this picture and do it. 


This is my absolute favorite picture of my Dad and my daughter. It was taken at my Dad’s favorite place for brunch: Madison Square and Garden Cafe in Laguna Beach. We would go there every Sunday after Mass as a family and enjoy being outside, eating together, and then taking a long leisurely drive home through Laguna Beach, Dana Point Harbor, Los Rios Street in San Juan Capistrano, and then finally home. 


This picture is such a dear one to me because on January 11, 2011, that beautiful bright smile holding that coffee mug at Madison that morning, was promoted to glory and went to our Lord. I have never felt more desolate, more sad than that morning. I will never forget when the feeling sunk in that this was real; that my Daddy would never come home again. I don’t think anything or anyone else’s experience can prepare you for the shock and the hurt and the confusion of those days. 


As time has gone on, the pain moved to a different place in my heart - a place where I can see pictures of him and not break down in tears. It’s moved from “I can’t handle this!!!” to “It’s manageable most of the time. ”. I don’t ever want to reach “I’m fine” because then it means I’m forgetting him. The pain reminds me of how much I loved and still love him to this day. That will never go away. 


This picture also touches my heart because you can see the happiness and the love on both of their faces. Melissa and my Dad were buds - they always had so much fun and so much laughter together. I will cherish the times when I was gifted to watch this wonderful man interact with our daughter, and see how much he loved her. 


This picture captures completely my Dad, his personality, and his love, and it shows our daughter beaming next to her beloved Grampa who took such delight in her. 


Finally, I could sit down and scrap this picture. As I am writing this, I am remembering the beauty that was my Daddy, and my eyes are misty thinking of these most precious times. I love you Daddy. I will see you someday in Heaven. Until then, I will keep your memory alive.