SMILES FOR AMELIA!

Just over a week ago I shared a post asking for your prayers on behalf of  sweet little Amelia.  Tragically, Amelia passed away the next day.  Her loss has been heartbreaking to say the least, but thankfully has also brought miracles and peace to her family.  Today I am excited to announce "SMILES FOR AMELIA!"  During the month of April, Josie Robison Photography will be offering photo shoots in honor of Amelia.  Book a photo shoot with me during April and your fee will be 100% donated to Kurt and Ashley to help with the expenses of this tragedy.  If you are in need of a new family picture, extended family picture, senior portraits, newborn pictures,  baby's 1st birthday or the kids just need an updated picture, please call me to schedule during the month of April and contribute to SMILES FOR AMELIA!

Since all prices will be donations, and I want to help this family as much as possible, prices are as follows:

Newborn Shoot  - $150
this includes however long it takes to get the good shots, which can be a couple of hours

Baby's 3,6, or 9 Month Pictures - $90
this includes up to an hour shoot, as many outfit changes as you like

Baby's 1st Birthday - $125
includes an hour shoot, and if wanted a cake smash (and who doesn't want a cake smash?)

Baby/Kids' Birthday - $100
this includes up to an hour shoot, as many outfit changes as you like

Kids Mini Shoot - $45
for those you just need a new portrait for the wall and not a full photo shoot, 10-15 minutes

Full Family Shoot - $200
includes hour long shoot, several family poses, candid shots of your family having fun together, individuals of all kids, and couples shots

Extended Family Shoot - $150
includes how ever long it takes to get ALL those kids to cooperate!

Deluxe Extended Family Shoot - $300
includes the WHOLE Family plus individual family groups shots for each married couple/family

Senior Portraits - $150
includes an hour shoot at location of your choice and as many outfit changes as you wish

Missionary Shoot - $100
includes one hour at Temple ground or location of your choice

Professional Head Shots - $50 per person

Please email or call me with any additional questions or to schedule an April shoot
josierobison@gmail.com
619-3228

As always, all pictures are edited and put on a disc for you.  

Please share this opportunity to donate to this wonderful family while getting some fun updated pictures,
thank you all for your support of this amazing family!

You can read the beautifully written account of Amelia's Journey Home by her Mommy, Ashley, and her Daddy, Kurt, below -


Kurt and I aren't the biggest users of face book. We have been updating friends and family of our situation through phone calls and others means. But we wanted to make this post to thank everyone for all the prayers and love that has been sent our way, and to let you all know of our situation.

Tragically we are faced with the reality of having to say goodbye to our sweet Amelia. As you may well know, she was involved in a drowning accident. She was rushed to the hospital and her family gathered round to give her a blessing before she was life flighted to Primary Children's from St George. Being involved in business at the airport, Kurt's dad and brother had the opportunity to help load her and Kurt into the airplane in St George. After arriving at the hospital in SLC Amelia was met by Elder Andrson of the quorum of the twelve apostles. She was given a beautiful blessing by Elder Anderson with her dad and his cousin Tim standing in. The next morning the presidency and latter day twelve apostles meet in the temple and in their prayer circle they prayed for our Amelia. We know 100 % recovery was more then possible, but blinded by the Vail we know not the better good nor the will of our heavenly father.

As the days progressed, which seemed to us more like weeks, we were always faithful that the Lord could grant us a miracle and bring our little girl back. However we understood, and still do, that we do not know everything and have accepted the fact that our way isn't the same as the Lord's way. With that framework in mind we faced each hour holding our girls hand and praying for her recovery.

As each minute slowly passed, and we searched and prayed, we began to feel peace. In the midst of our unspeakable trial we found ourselves calm and collected. We didn't and haven't given up on our Amelia. But we felt the spirit so strongly testifying to us that she was under the Lord's care and a full recovery will be made of body and mind, it will not be here on this earth life now.

Amelia has filled so many and touched so vast with little tender mercies knowing she did not have much more time with her family and friends.

Please remember her with happiness and know she is working hard for her sibblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandpa, grandmas, Mimi, papa, friends and all those she has meet here on earth and in heaven. She wants us all to return to Amelia and Jesus.

There is a list of tender mercies of the Lord and tender mercies of Amelia that have comforted us, many much too sacred to mention here. We were able to have a small or rather large family pray with siblings and our parents in a room here in the hospital and were able to share some of these with our siblings and their children to help comfort them.

I know these coming days weeks months and years will be difficult for us but we need to remember remember upon this tragedy mircles will never cease, angles directed by Amelia will be assisting in the safe return home of so many.

Thank you for the faith, keep it living.

Amelia's Journey Home

Amelia has never liked being indoors. Unless there are shows and suckers involved and then one of her favorite places to be is what she calls Amelia's House (pronounced Ya-ya's house).

As mentioned in an earlier write up we found ourselves at an unthinkable juncture in life. One in which we had to decide the fate of our little girl. As difficult as one would think it to be, we already knew the answer. Amelia was already free, we were the only ones holding her back at this point. She had already put on her show and cause divided families, long lost friends, and countless others to knock down walls of pride to gather around her and each other so she could teach us all some lessons and share with us some of her spirit.

This morning we took Amelia off the ventilator. There was much that went into this decision both medically and spiritually and I can tell you that we have never been so sure and assured of anything as we were of this. The doctors told us to expect something under an hour of her being able to sustain her own life. They obviously thought this was an ordinary girl. She had others things in mind. Amelia, being miss independent and always her own boss, decided to show us who was really in charge. As Ashley and I held her in our arms during the morning we enjoyed the peaceful presence of the spirit of God and of our girl while cherishing the opportunity we had to hold her (she is not into fuzzy hugs and snuggles. Head bonks and best-friend beeps are more her style). After many hours singing to her and kissing her we began to realize that we were going about this in the wrong way, and Amelia wasn't going to go along with it unless she got hers.

We made the decision to take Amelia to where she, and the rest of us, really wanted to be. To Ya-ya's house! It seemed to be the right thing to do and it turns out that it was. Getting a drowning victim out of the hospital is no easy task. Technically we couldn't take her since all drowning victims are supposed to be examined by the State Medical Examiner according to Utah statute. But with the help of an outstanding staff of not just medical professionals but also compassionate people they made it happen. Strings were pulled and the door was opened to take Amelia outside and get her homeward bound. This is where she wanted to be, not in an ICU room connected to machines. Although those ICU rooms are wonderful places where miracles happen every day, it just wasn't right for our girl and she was letting us know.

After Ash and the nurse got Amelia cleaned up and ready to go in PJ's, I carried her down to the car. Ashley sat in the back holding her little girl and we hit the open road. We drove out of the Salt Lake Valley and down I-15 like we were busting out of jail. Everyone was in a happier place, Amelia included.

Earlier this same day I mentioned we were singing songs to Amelia thinking that we were singing her to sleep, as we continued to peacefully roll down the interstate that role reversed. Ashley was holding Amelia with her little head nestled up against Ashley's neck and her precious arms over Ashley's shoulders, holding on to Mommy. I had the pleasure and privilege of watching this in the rear view mirror. Amelia's labored breathing against Ashley neck was a sacred lullaby for Ash. Soon I saw Ashley sleeping and Amelia peacefully resting on her mother's shoulder. Sometime later, as we continued down the road I could tell Amelia's breathing was getting softer and it started to fade from my ear. At that same time Ashley slowly opened her eyes and looked at Amelia. As Amelia's beautiful face came into Ashley's focus she drew one last breath and let it out in a soft sigh and then lay still in her mother's arms. Ashley and I looked at each other in the rear view and we didn't have to say anything. We both knew that our little girl was leaving the arms of her mother to be embraced in the arms of her Savior. We both smiled at each other and enjoyed the silence and peace that the spirit brings. Amelia was where she wanted to be and after she let her mom know she loved her and sang her to sleep she left us for the eternal world.

Ashley and I have been privileged to know Amelia and to have her in our lives. We will forever be changed from what she has taught us in the short time that we had with her. Amelia is still with us and will continue to teach us. She has changed venues in order to assist us in obtaining salvation and to seize the opportunity to be together again. She is here to help our family make righteous decisions and to comfort us in times of trial. She is our beacon, our light on a hill, to help us maintain direction in times of trouble. When we falter she will be there to give us strength and reason to make the right choice. This seems to be the theme of this tragedy. All who came into contact with Amelia were touched by her irresistible spirit. She made friends out of strangers. And this same little girl has inspired thousands to be better people in order to get where she is now. This is our wish and Amelia's, that all who were affected by this and touched by Amelia would take this tragedy and use it for good. Use her example as a reason to be a better individual so that you too may one day see Amelia be welcomed into the arms of your savior as she has been.

Ash and I have been surprisingly calm and comforted during this time. Never in my life have I felt the hand of God working such miracles. We are devastated to lose our little girl, but this pain is overpowered by the happiness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and by the miracles that Amelia was able to work with her little hands.