As I’m finishing up the last of 2020 senior pictures and orders and attending some grad parties (including my sweet niece’s), it is hitting me pretty hard that my youngest child is now a senior! I have done this senior thing a couple of times already, so these feelings shouldn’t be surprising…and yet they are.
The End of Junior Year
The end of junior year certainly was surprising, though. As AimeeGrace watched her senior friends get ready for all the traditional end of year activities, everything suddenly changed. And we empathized with the class of 2020, when school, activities, competitions, proms and even graduations were cancelled.
Honestly, I think she was a tad annoyed when I nagged her into spending some time with me at the studio modeling her new prom gown. But looking back, I am so glad we did. It may be the only chance I get for photos in that dress – and I really really love it! Shopping for it was so fun, and I was looking forward to her first prom and grand march and all the fun of preparing for it all. Sigh.
Losing Grandpa
Everybody has their Covid-19 stories and experiences and losses. Ours included the loss of Grandpa and not being able to celebrate his life with a memorial service. Grandpa was the backbone of our family and a beloved member of the Hazen community. I think he attended just about every Hazen Highschool basketball, football and volleyball game over 30+ years! And when his grand daughters showed no athletic abilities, he started showing up to speech meets, dance competitions, and band and choir concerts! AimeeGrace loved him fiercely as the youngest grandkid from our side and they had a special relationship. He taught her to drive, took her to speech meets, and nicknamed her LuLu. She doted on him right back. Losing him unexpectedly was devestating. She spent hours and days with Grandpa in his hospital room, held his hand as his soul entered heaven and sobbed when he was gone.
Getting Sick
When school went to distance learning, I didn’t worry too much about AimeeGrace. She’s a good student and diligent about keeping up. It would be a transition, but one we could manage. I’m appreciatively lucky in that instance. What we couldn’t plan for, was AG coming down with a severe case of mono, being hospitalized and then battling a long recovery as her liver healed. I didn’t know the liver could be effected by mono, but that was the road she traveled! Keeping up with school work suddenly became more challenging. She’s just about all better, except for a strange case of lingering hiccups!
Start of Summer
I’m proud of how she perserverd. And in AimeeG fashion…quietly and nicely. That’s the kind of kid she is. Honestly, she’s been an easy teenager. We enjoy each other’s company. I love talking with her about her life, and do think she shares quite a bit with me – even for a teenager. And this may be a little lengthy for a blog post and not at all about photography, but I guess I just want to document what it was like for us in these strangest of days.
Well, maybe a little about photography…its her senior year, so there are going to be LOTS of senior pics – starting now!
