eli, my top 5 for you

Many of you know the "news" in our family of recent, but many don't. And I don't want to talk about it much here, as I'm not the one to share her story. She is. But since I like to tell stories through images, here's my part of the story.

I know this is supposed to be my Top 5 Images and why they are so important to me. Why they touch my heart. Why they make me feel.

Why they make me feel.

But I've tried to post several times this past few days and I can't get past, "the feeling" part. I simply can't.

All I can feel and absorb myself with is Eli. So, my TOP 5 will be of her or what I'm feeling about her. As a photographer I know these images pale in what every one's expectations are of my Top 5, but roll with me and just go with it. K?

She's married to my husband's cousin, Garett. But she's so much more than that to me. She is my Cool Friend. The one who makes me feel normal and loved and REAL. She's laughs full heatedly. She's short like Bridgette, but not that short. (Kalyn wanted me to put that part in, because she loves that about Eli.) She's the one who introduced me to good wine. And good cheap wine. She carries a wine opener in her purse for goodness sake, and is so cool doing so! I love that and so much more about Eli. She loves to play card games, dice games and any games. And she usually has cards in her purse or bag or car. And she remembers how to play them? That's the part that astounds me. She remembers?

She's just FUN. That is it in a nutshell. She is FUN and when you are with her, there's JOY.

She's a BELIEVER.

Sometimes we call each other at the drop of a hat and go meet for bad movies. (we can't seem to pick good ones. LOL) And end up wearing the same color! Or, we can go eons without talking and then when we do and it's like we never stopped.

I know all of you have friends like this. Ones you connect with and LOVE and are LOVED by. That's my Eli. I ask that you hold her in your heart and head today, even for just a bit. Hold her close. She needs it. I need you to.

AND BELIEVE.

Most of you that read this blog are believers. (Got a total Izzie Feeling here from the last GA Episode...her BIG Believer Speech at the end? LOVED IT! Did you see that? Hear what she said?) By Believer I mean BELIEVE in HIM. I do.

But regardless, even if you don't consider yourself a Christain, you must have a core energy that you resonate with that you receive your peace from. Right? Well dig deep and resonate with Eli in mind.

BELIEVE that everything will be OK. BELIEVE that HE knows the plan, the will and the way. BELIEVE that Elizabeth is fighter and can FIGHT and will FIGHT.

BELIEVE THAT GOD CAN HEAL.

BELIEVE in the GOOD.

I believe we will all wear lime green and go to really bad movies at midnight.

I believe that we will have the chance to laugh and live always.

I believe that when we laugh we will laugh some more about how laughing makes us pee. and snort. and get silly.

That's my good.

Okay, now for the pictures.

The first one on this post and the one below is from Eli's birthday this year. I have many more images I could dig though, but I don't want to cry right now. (even though I have in the two days I've tried to post this) Gosh, Girl! I didn't even put on makeup for you this night? Or maybe I did and it is all washed off now? From laughing? Not too sure there. It could be from the "lemon drops" Jill kept buying us. See, I share an October BDAY with Eli. She's the 27th, I'm the 21st. And we went to hear Elivs and the Busboys play on a Friday night. These photographs were taken in the back seat of my Yukon around 2 AM while Bridgette was driving. I will get in serious trouble for posting these and at the time I distinctly remember Eli saying, "These better not show up on your Blog, Kristin!" But since I look decidedly worse than her, I think I'm OK. right?





We had such a great time that night. We made memories.

There's something in the works. And I need you to stay tuned. If you are a Catholic Believer (or not) and simply want to participate, please drop me an email at info@kristinbednarz.com. So many people feel like they want to do something. Anything. o they can deal with the pain. And Keri Bednarz (my other cousin I love) has that something she's working on.

Stay tuned. We need your hearts.