ON WEDNESDAY MAY 24TH OUR LIVES WERE SHATTERED AND COMPLETELY TORN APART, THE DAY WE RECEIVED THE CALL THAT KAY AND MYKA WERE TAKEN FROM US ALL IN A TRAGIC CAR ACCIDENT.

AS SOME OF YOU KNOW OUR NEICE, KAYLEIGH, LIVED WITH US AND BECAME A SPECIAL PART OF OUR LIVES.

OUR HOME HAD BEEN GIVEN MANY NAMES OVER THE LAST 12 YEARS.

A FEW BEING: FRANK’S MOTEL, HOTEL CALIFRANKIA, AND FRANK’S B & B. BEFORE KAYLEIGH MOVED IN WITH US WE HAD MANY FAMILY MEMBERS STAY WITH US FOR PERIODS OF TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.

WITH THAT BEING SAID, BEFORE KAY MOVED IN PERMANANTLY, SHE HAD SPENT MANY WEEKENDS WITH US.

AS TIME PASSED, HER VISITS GREW LONGER AND HER TRAVEL BAGS WERE LARGER. MY LOVING HUSBAND WOULD JOKINGLY ASK, “HOW LONG ARE YOU STAYING FOR THIS TIME KAY?”

SHE WOULD JUST SMILE THAT PRICELESS SMILE AND SAY “I DON’T KNOW”.

THAT WAS HERE FAMOUS RESPONSE FOR EVERYTHING. “I DON’T KNOW”.

WITH EACH VISIT, SHE WOULD ASK IF SHE COULD MOVE IN. WE FELT BLESSED AND HOW COULD WE NOT LET HER DO SO. I TOLD HER TO LET ME DISCUSS IT WITH UNCLE DAVE AND BEFORE WE KNEW IT, SHE WAS BRINGING STUFF INTO THE HOUSE. AT FIRST SHE SAID IT WAS HER TRIAL PERIOD, IT WAS FUNNY. NOT MUCH TIME HAD PAST AND BEFORE WE KNEW IT WE WERE TAKING THE STAR WAR’S FATHEADS DOWN IN LOGAN’S OLD ROOM, PAINTING AND DECORATING IT JUST FOR HER. WE WERE BLESSED WHEN KAYLEIGH MADE THIS DECISION AS NOT ONLY DID IT MAKE HER HAPPY, IT MADE OUR FAMILY HAPPY AS WELL. WE TREATED KAYLEIGH AS OUR OWN AND MY CHILDREN CONSIDERED HER A SIBLING. THEY LOVED LIKE SIBLINGS AND THEY FOUGHT LIKE SIBLINGS!

KAYLEIGH WAS SO SPECIAL AND HAD A WAY OF MAKING PEOPLE SMILE. SHE WOULD TAKE A BAD SITUATION AND ALWAYS MAKE IT BETTER. SHE TOUCHED SO MANY LIVES, OUR FAMILY, HER FRIENDS, TEACHERS, CO-WORKERS, AQUAINTENANCES AND EVEN PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T KNOW HER.

HER GENTLE AND KIND SMILE, THE SMILE MY HUSBAND WOULD CALL PRICELESS, WAS SO INFECTIOUS. SHE HAD A HEART OF GOLD SHE SHARED UNCONDITIONALLY AND HER LAUGH AND THE LOVE SHE HAD FOR HER FAMILY WILL BE FOREVER WITH EVERYONE WHO ENCOUNTERED HER. WE WILL FOREVER MISS HER TEXTS, EVEN THE ONES THAT WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO COME TO US, SENDING OUR BITMOJI’S BACK AND FORTH, HER #GOALS, EATING DINNER TOGETHER, WATCHING MOVIES, HER AND MY KIDS LAYING IN OUR BED GOOFING OFF AND VACATIONS TOGETHER.

WE WILL FOREVER MISS YOU WALKING THROUGH THE DOOR SAYING, “HOLA”, OR “WHAT UP FAM”. WE KNOW THAT THROUGH SPIRIT YOU ARE ALWAYS WITH US. IT IS NEVER GOODBYE BUT, WE WILL SEE YOU LATER.

MYKA,

THE MOMENT WE MET YOU WE FELL IN LOVE, SO SWEET, FUNNY, WITTY AND SARCASTIC WHICH WAS RIGHT UP OUR ALLEY. THE WAY YOU TOOK TO KAY THE MOMENT YOU MET HER AND THE LOVE YOU HAD FOR HER. YOU AND KAY WERE MEANT TO BE BEST FRIENDS FROM THE BEGINNING. THAT WAS GODS PLAN. THE COMPASSION YOU HAD FOR OTHERS, YOUR HEART SO GENUINE AND THE GIFT YOU HAD TO OFFER TO THE SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN. YOUR DEDICATION AND SELFLESSNESS TO WANT TO HELP OTHERS AND ALWAYS PUTTING THEM FIRST! I BELIEVE IN MY HEART YOU WALKED INTO KAY’S LIFE FOR A REASON. SHE NEEDED YOU TO HELP GUIDE HER. YOU WERE THE GLUE THAT HELD HER TOGETHER, HELD THE BOTH OF YOU TOGETHER. I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THE DAY YOU RAN UP AND JUMPED IN MY ARMS AND YELLED “I LOVE YOU AUNT TRACY”. WE KNEW YOU AND KAY WOULD ALWAYS AND FOREVER BE FRIENDS TO THE END. BECAUSE OF KAYLEIGH WE WERE BEYOND BLESSED TO HAVE KNOWN YOU. WE WILL NEVER SAY GOODBYE BUT, WE WILL SEE YOU LATER.

I NEVER SAID GOODBYE TO YOU,
INSTEAD I SAID “I LOVE YOU”…
AS YOU DEPARTED ON YOUR JOURNEY
TO A PLACE WHERE LIFE IS NEW.
I HELD YOUR HAND AND KISSED YOU
YOUR LEAVING MADE ME CRY.
BUT IN THE END,
I KNOW I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN…
SO, I NEVER SAID GOODBYE.
WE LOVE AND MISS YOU BOTH SO MUCH….. LOVE YOUR AUNT TRACY