Alexis Rose showed up at the Rose Bowl Parade as a TULIP :)) Typical Alexis :))

It was a beautiful New Year’s Day and I have good story , well it is really a God story starring God with Alexis in a supporting role.  First let me give you a little background. As you know we bought the rose to put on the Donate Life Float and I wanted to get a photo of the float so badly but didn’t think that would be possible until my friend Lisa Durbin Cortez contacted me and said she lived in Pasadena and would take a photo for me. That was such a blessing and that is a great story in itself:  Lisa and I went to High School together but she is a couple of years younger than I.  I knew her brother Les who was a year behind me fairly well when we were in High School. He died about 6 1/2 years ago which deeply saddened me. As with so many other classmates Lisa and I reconnected on Facebook. We had a connection through Les and through Andra Campbell ( because I dated her brother) so although we didn’t really know each other we really did if you know what I mean. She like so many others didn’t know the secrets I carried from my childhood and how my life got so off track.  When she learned of my trials and tribulation  she was so very encouraging and supportive as were so many others. I have immensely enjoyed talking with her. It was so sweet of her to offer to take the photo. That could have been the end of the story but  NO this turned into an adventure : ))

As I said  this story goes beyond two high school acquaintances becoming friends with one being so kind to take a photo for the other, a photo that would mean so much. This is a GOD story . This is a story that revealed Alexis and God to me on so many levels.  So let’s take a trip to Pasadena, California . First of all Lisa SOMEHOW found  the actual rose that was dedicated in Alexis’ name and got a picture of that as they were preparing to build the floats.

The Rose dedicated In Alexis' name

I was so touched by that because there had to be a gazillion roses and she told me she would get a photo of the float after it was completed.  I was so excited !!  This will be something the Roo can have forever to remember our sweet Alexis.. These photos will become precious eternal memories of and for my Rosebud . As I watched the parade on TV we screamed loudly when the float went by as Riley shrieked “There’s my Momma “and I took a photo of the photo of the float. It wasn’t that great but I waited in anticipation to hear from Lisa.  The photos came later with the greatest story of all that made me know God and Alexis were with Lisa the whole time !!  

We will now take up with Lisa’s story in her own words. This is priceless stuff !! I got chills when she shared this adventure  feeling the presence of my baby that I miss so badly and feeling the presence of my Heavenly Father.

Susan, they always park the floats for viewing not far from my house. It has always been one of my favorite things to do, to see the floats close up. There are only about a gazillion people in Pasadena so I thought I would go later by myself to take a close up of the float, so about 4:30 I drove down. I was in luck because I found parking right in front of our church/school and walked over, so you can imagine my horror when I saw the sign that said the last ticket sales to view the floats was 3 pm!!! So, I walked up to the fence and there was a big worker and I said, I need to walk straight over to that float and take a picture and come right back. He said "no" can't let you in. I said, "even if I give you full price and I'm just in there 10 min?" He said, "No". I said" I don't think you understand, I promised to get a close up of that heart". I think he was tired of me and told me to walk over to the exit and maybe the police would not be watching and I could get in over there. So, I get to the exit area and all these people are walking out and the Pasadena police are on the right side , they have security guards posted there and I sweetly asked the new big security guy if I could just walk in and get a picture of that float right over there??? He said, "can't let you”   So, I looked at the police and I looked back and I said "Please, I need to take a picture of just that float for my friend, she lost her daughter and she needs a close up picture of that heart, she lives in Texas and can't be here today and I can't come back tomorrow" and he said  “I lived in Texas for two years" In Plano! AND THEN, he said, "I'm going to step over there and talk to that family.  He let me slip in behind him, Susan!!!! You have never seen an old lady run so fast!! I thought the other security guards were going to come after me!!! It was so funny!! So I get to the float and start taking pictures and talking to the workers and then I think “hmmm, I'm already in here, might as well go take some other pictures and I went off to try and find the float that had two owls. It was starting to get dark and I thought, wait a minute, what if I can get a rose from the float, and I said "Alexis, I think we can get a rose, I'm going back to talk to the nice lady" and Alexis didn't say it, but I know she was there because I walked back over and I slowly walked around the float plotting in my mind how to get one and I walked all the way around and there were no flowers on the ground but the  I walked back around again and this TULIP was lying under the heart! And I said, Alexis I know this is you because that was not there a minute ago. So I went up the two workers that were there and said sweetly, can I please have that tulip for my friend in Texas? It's on the ground and needs a home. And they said "yes , I hugged them both and said "what are the odds I could have one of the roses" and they said, "don't push it. So then, when I walked out, I went up to the security guy and told him "you have no idea what you just did. You are going to have a little 4 year old child in Texas praying for you and a whole bunch of other people!!! Then, once I got to my car, I realized I forgot to ask his name!

 The tulip Alexis dropped for Lisa to find :))

Many of you may be thinking I wish she could have gotten a rose instead of a tulip but the TULIP is perfect !!  When Alexis was just a little older than Riley and we lived in the rock house in Rockwall ( We always called it the rock house because it was made out of stone , no drug innuendo intended )  she stole about 20 tulips from a very mean ladies garden. I will never forget a knock on my door with a screaming lady saying my daughter just stole all her tulips. You would have thought they were prize winning tulips as angry as she was : )))  I caught Alexis red handed  with all those tulips gently laid in her bedroom.  We laughed about the tulip story always and it was something we always kidded Alexis about causing all of us to laugh and smile at the memory.  Being the witty girl that she was, and she was witty, of course she dropped a tulip so all of our smiles would reach deep within the melody of our hearts as we remembered our Rosebud stealing all those tulips years ago. It is a beautiful memory and this is a beautiful story :)  Thank you Lisa !!! This has certainly been a  Journey for my Heart , in so many ways !!

There are 26 red roses placed in the corner in remembrance of the Sandy Hook victims.