Corinne: Life Must Go On

(September 7, 2011)

transfered from Multiply blog

As I look back on Corinne's life so far...

I am so grateful for where she is headed!!!! She's had a rough couple of years, growing independent and rebellious. I wasn't sure what to do or where to turn, but it seems we have made it through those years.

To begin with the present, she is 17 and ready to move forward, to establish and work towards new goals, to create a brighter future for herself.

(btw--seeing these guys tonight in concert!!!)

August 11th, 1994 I had my one and only girl. She was certainly the joy to my life and to our whole family. She was always a ray of sunshine. Even as an infant, her cry was so little and cute it made me laugh.

Of course she was my princess and I had to dress us alike at times. :)

Her smile was always a big one. She would wake up happy and ready to play, or even help the grown ups. She was one of those who tried very hard with something we asked her to do and wouldn't give up until she got it done.

Even though she and her older brother did not get along, she would have her times of trying to be sweet to him. She loved playing servant...which sometimes made me mad because her brother and friends would make her do everything! haha.

I remember well the summers of her (middle) and her cousins creating dances in my back yard. I would see this view from my kitchen window as they performed for their ghost audience. I snuck this pic and they about died. :O

Each of the girls did take dance...and as usual she gave me a big grin right before her jazz performance at one of her recitals.

This was a very happy day, when Corinne was baptised. I love how this shows our whole family.

Beach bunny with her lil bros. She was a great mom for both of them. As a toddler, Spencer called Corinne mom. I was the "other one mom". lol

I'm sure my friends have seen this pic before. I've used it on Picture Perfect a couple of times. As you can see I used it for the theme THREE. One of my fav pics. :)

Yes...then she turned into a punk. ;) She was still a cute pink punk, but at 14 her head (not just her hair) went a little crazy. She started 9th grade out fine, but by Christmas she had made some not so good friends. In January I would take her to school and instead of entering, she would walk past the school to the townhouses where some older boys who had dropped out (ages 18 to 21) were doing drugs and about nothing else. No good kids. Older boys looked fun to a young 14yr old. About a month later I found out and things exploded. Long story short, after several calls to us by cops, calls to cops by us, sending her to my parents for the summer, counseling and pulling her out of public school and home schooling...it took a year for her to get back on the right path.

It was a roller coaster even when she started down the right path. We were taking it day to day, trying not to get too excited when she was doing good, but definitely showing her our love and gratitude when she was. We have learned a lot of patience.

She has come out of a dark place

and is ready to bloom.

Yes, we all go through the Topsy Turvy (she modeled for my PP topsy turvy pic)

and we learn and grow through such experience.

She decided she wanted to learn more about photography when I was home schooling her and joined our PP group for a while. Two of her photos where applauded by our administrators.

de coloures was given honorable mention

and urban decay was chosen for top 10! she was thrilled. :)

Well, she is settled in her new digs and very excited.

Her first day (yesterday) was an experience. She broke her acrylic nail on the way to school *gasp* and they didn't have her schedule ready when she got there. She texted me both times frustrated. haha. I told her take a deep breath! She called me right after school and said it was good. She likes her teachers but the "kids" can be annoying. lol. kids...

But at lunch she was sitting at a table by herself and a girl came over to her and asked her to join her and friends at another table which she did. YEAH!!!

I LOVE YOU CORINNE!!!! I MISS YOU BUT AM SO HAPPY YOU ARE MOTIVATED TO TAKE THIS ON!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND REMEMBER NOTHING WORTH HAVING IS EASY.

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Henry David Thoreau