This memorial website was created in the memory of our daughter, Kelli Marie Spaniel.  Kelli was born in Illinios on August 12, 1988 and passed away in a car accident on June 18, 2005 at the age of 16, less than 2 months before her 17th birthday. 

 

     





The day of her accident, Kelli played in 4 fast-pitch softball games in 100-degree plus heat.  She loved the game.  Softball was a passion of hers.  "Play hard and Play smart" was how she always tried to play the game.  It didn't matter whether she was diving for a ball, leaping up in to the air to make a play, eating dirt on a stolen base or ripping the ball to bring in a run or to score herself...she always gave it her all and expected the same from her teammates.


                    
       

Kelli was driven when it came to softball and giving it 110% effort.  Kelli's sister, Rose, was the same way when she played on her softball teams.  It was almost funny watching the two of them practice with each other, whether it was when they were throwing the ball to each other, practicing ball at home in the net their Uncle Don gave to them, or batting at the cages...they always, always, always had to do better than the other one.  They never just threw the ball to each other...they whipped the ball to each other, fast and hard, no matter the distance.  The goal was to make the other person's hand sting.  On long fly balls which were thrown to each other that were off-center, they dove, rolled, and leaped to get the ball and make "the play" so the other sister wouldn't laugh.  They were competitive at the cages also...trying to best the other when it came to hits...though if they saw the other person's stance a bit off, each of them would help the other by offering suggestions for improvement. 


 


As much as Kelli loved to play softball, that is how much Kelli loved to bake.  Along with her sisters, she started baking at my side around the age of 4 helping me roll out dough.  She usually wound up wearing a good portion of the flour we used, whether it was from the actual rolling of the dough or taste-testing the cookie dough.  What a sight she was  :) .  The mess didn't get any better as she got older...her and flour went hand-in-hand. Kelli learned to make some killer brownies and awesome chocolate chip cookies to rival her sister, Christina, who is a terrific baker.  Kelli's chocolate chip cookies became even better than mine, and I told her so every time she made them.  She loved to bake brownies and cookies for her dad, Mike, to take to work.  If I wanted a sample, she would tell me no because they were all for him to take to work.  The times she would bake something for me to take to work and her dad, Mike, tried to sample, she would tell him no because they were for me to take to work.  Kelli also baked for home, but she loved to send us off to work with her goodies. 

 

  

Kelli was also passionate about her horses, or at least the horses she dreamed of having.  She knew which ones she wanted, and she was going to have them one day.  She was very determined and tried to learn everything she could about horses in the meantime.  Kelli volunteered with Braveheart which is a riding program for children with special needs. She was one of the guides who walked alongside the child on his/her horse.  She helped out in Braveheart's barn mucking stalls, watering and feeding their horses, as well as grooming their horses. She owned several "how-to" horse books and soaked up all of the information in them.  When we moved out to the country at the end of her freshman year, Kelli used to ask us almost on a daily basis when she could get her horses and could we put a fence around the area where she wanted to make the pasture.  I am oh so very sorry that her dream of having her own horses did not have a chance to come true.  My only solace is I know Kelli is now racing across Heaven on a horse of her choice, lying low on his neck with the winds whipping at her hair, laughing and smiling as hard and as joyfully as only Kelli can do.

Despite the fact that Kelli had not yet had the chance to own her own horses while here on earth, Kelli was estatic with our move out to the country.  You'd never catch her living in town again, at least that is what she always said.  Kelli loved the country that much.  She loved the wide open spaces.  She loved the fresh air and the changing scenery.  She loved running with our dogs who loved her as much as she loved them.  Kelli used to think it was pretty great when she would walk down our lane to catch her school bus, on days when she would take the bus, and the field alongside our lane would be full of deer....the deer were familiar with seeing her, they wouldn't run because they knew she wouldn't harm them, and they would continue to graze, even with their young...so, Kelli would walk to the end of our lane, put her backpack down on the ground, sit on the backpack and watch the deer until her bus came.



Kelli enjoyed school tremendously.  She always did.  On her first day of kindergarten, she never even looked back to wave at me as most of the other kids did to their moms.  I was crushed, but I understood what motivated her.  School was an exciting world for her.  She was driven to learn, despite her learning disability. She overcame and conquered what the "experts" said she would not be able to do.  She proved them all wrong, and she was so very proud of that.  We were so very proud of her and told her so on a regular basis.



Aside from Kelli's strong desire to learn and to grow and to enjoy school, there was also the social aspect which she really loved.  All of Kelli's friends who are reading this right now know exactly what I am talking about.  There wasn't a friend to be made at school that Kelli couldn't make.  It didn't matter if it was someone who grew up in the area, or if it was someone brand new to the school district.  It didn't matter if the person was an athlete or into gothic.  Kelli had a ready smile for everyone.  We had one new teacher at a fall HS conference tell us that he loved having Kelli in class.  She was a great student and an eager learner.  The only thing was...Kelli liked to be social.  He said that he moved Kelli's seat at least a half a dozen times, and we were only in the first quarter.  He thought that if he moved Kelli to an area of the class that he knew she didn't know anyone, her socializing would slow down...he was wrong...within 5 minutes of moving, whoever she was sitting around would be her best friend.  He said he finally gave up moving Kelli's seat and just went with it.  He said her smile got him every time.



Kelli was full of compassion and kindness and thought of being a social worker, or something along those lines, one day.  For a short time, Kelli had thought of going into the Army.  She had a friend who had been in the Army and thought maybe it was for her too.  However, Kelli's love of people, especially of children, won out.  She loved to help others and had a ready ear and shoulder for her friends and family.  Empathy was also another strong trait of Kelli's.  She had the ability to feel for others, to step into their shoes, and always extended a hand to help those in need.  

Kelli also had a tremendous love of animals, and she may very well have gone on to a career working with animals.  We used to kid her that she would love and bring home anything which had 4 legs and a tail.  She was one of those people who had the ability of unspoken communication with dogs and horses.  She always seemed to know what they were thinking, as they with her. 

Kelli had a heart which seemed to be made of gold.  She filled our lives with lots of smiles, love and laughter.  Our family was blessed with the knowledge of how much she loved us, just as we know she knew how terribly much we loved her.  Those words never went unspoken in our home.  How very lucky for us. 


                  


To help keep Kelli's memory alive, we have made a sizeable donation, from her memorial donations, in memory of Kelli to The Covenant House Missouri which is a home for runaway children, for children who have no place to go.  After a lot of searching and trying to decide where the memorial donations should go, we thought a great deal about what would be the closest to Kelli's heart, and we knew that it would have to do with helping kids.  Many of Kelli's friends have shared what a good listener she was, and how Kelli was always there for them.  Kelli opened up our home to her friends for a safe place to go and a meal to fill their bellies.  Many times, Kelli told us thank you for being her parents, and thank you for giving her a good home because she knew that some of her friends didn't have it so good. We may not have been able to give Kelli a brand new car when she turned 16, but she had our love and Kelli understood the value of it.  So keeping all of that in mind, that is why we have chosen The Covenant House to help keep Kelli's memory alive.  Like we would talk about, all kids need a chance.  The Covenant House does just that.  We know Kelli would be proud of our decision. 




Kelli's family, friends, teammates and teachers will always miss her.  Kelli was a gift to us.  She was a true joy and a blessing. 
Thank you Kelli for being you.

  

I love you, a bushel and a peck
a bushel and a peck
and a hug around your neck
a hug around your neck 
and a barrel and a heap
a barrel and a heap
and I'm talking in my sleep
about you
about you
'cause I love you
you bet your sweet bippy I do....

- Mom -





































 










Are You There?
Written by Diane Robertson


Misty breeze wraps about my shoulders, thinly clad.
I shiver not, despite the coolness on my skin.
Comfort, I now feel.
Is it you my precious Angel?

Are you there?  I cannot hear your quiet voice,
But bird song fills the air
From high treetops to grassy marsh.
I wonder - is it you, Dear?  Are you there?

The roses in your garden bloom large,
And varied in hue from crimson deep, to barely pink.
I cup the velvet bud, its fragrance soothes a troubled mind.
This must be you, my little girl.  Are you there?

Are you the fiery autumn maples,
Or the star-like flakes of snow?
Are you the sparkle in the water of the lake that we both loved,
Or, perhaps, the warmth I feel in the sand beneath my toes?

Though your quiet voice I cannot hear,
Nor can I see again your sparkling eyes,
Or feel your dainty hand laid gently on my own,
You are here.

For memory's book will never close -
Each lovely sound, or sight, or scent,
Another page from special times that we have shared.
Oh, yes!  You are here child - everywhere!









 


We Remember Her
Written by an Unknown Auther


In the rising of the sun and in its going down,
we remember her.



In the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter,
we remember her.



In the opening of buds and in the rebirth of spring,
we remember her.



In the blueness of the sky and in the warmth of summer,
we remember her.



In the rustling of leaves and in the beauty of autumn,
we remember her.



In the beginning of the year and when it ends,
we remember her.



When we are weary and in need of strength,
we remember her.



When we are lost and sick at heart,
we remember her.



When we have joys we yearn to share,
we remember her.



So long as we live, she too shall live,
for she is now a part of us, as
we remember her.








                           

Tears and Cheers 
Written by an Unknown Author



We will never stop loving our children.  A thoughtful, gentle man named William Penn once wrote, "Those who love beyond the world cannot be separated by it.  Death cannot kill that which does not die."  We loved our children yesterday, we love them today, and we will love them tomorrow.  There is neither force nor foe that can ever remove the love we have for our children.  They live within us and beyond this world, now and forever.  This is not the way we wanted our lives or their lives to be because our children belong, not to the ages, but to us.  In the end, sadly, they are not ours to keep.  They will always be ours to remember, to honor, and to love.

We hurt so much because we love so much.  It is our curse to live with the reality of death's details.  It is our Blessing to be given a glimpse of the infinite possibilities of perpetual Love.  It is not a fair trade.  Neither is this a bargain we sought to make.  The Children that died too soon have broken our hearts while giving us the great gift of enlightenment.  Where do we exchange that unwanted present for one minute with them when no refund line exists.  We reach out to strangers, to family or friends to help us remember, to help us hope all is not lost.  It helps.  It is not a cure.  This pitiful plight is not a wound that time heals.

Death cannot kill that which does not die.  Our children would no more leave us than we would stop loving them.  Those that Love beyond the world cannot be separated by it.  No one, no thing, not now, not ever can take away our love for our children.  Our Love defies death and taunts time while embracing and displaying its eternal nature.  Sometimes Love travels an earthly path filled with tears and cheers inspired by the life of a child measured in moments or years.  Our children live forever in the glorious, unending infinite light of our Love, as we in theirs.  That is our blessing.  That is their gift and maybe they are waiting to see if we like it.  Perhaps a cheer joined to the tear is what they need to hear.




   


    
                
        
                             
     
I Believe
Written by Diamond Rio

Every now and then soft as breath upon my skin
I feel you come back again
And it’s like you haven’t been gone a moment from my side
Like the tears were never cried
Like the hands of time are holding you and me
And with all my heart I’m sure we’re closer than we ever were
I don’t have to hear or see, I’ve got all the proof I need
There are more than angels watching over me

I believe.

That when you die your life goes on
It doesn’t end here when you’re gone
Every soul is filled with light
It never ends and if I’m right
Our love can even reach across eternity

I believe.

Forever, you’re a part of me
Forever, in the heart of me
And I’ll hold you even longer if I can
The people who don’t see the most
Say that I believe in ghosts
And if that makes me crazy, then I am

’cause I believe

There are more than angels watching over me

I believe. 










                                       

I Still Feel Your Love
Written by an Unknown Author


I know you’re gone from this earth
You left me way too soon
But I feel your love every time
I gaze up at the moon.
Sometimes I think I hear
A whisper in the wind
It sounds as if you’ve called my name
As your love to me you send.
Sometimes I do a silly thing
And your laughter fills my ears
I know you’re right here with me
But I can’t see you through my tears.
I felt your hand upon my shoulder
And I quickly turned to see
Visible... you were not
But I know you’re here with me.
In the night you sometime come
To visit in my dreams
My hands go out to touch you
But you’re just out of reach it seems.
For just a flash you appear
Standing close to me
Is it just my imagination
Or is it really you I see.
Even though you’re gone from me
And you watch me from above
I long for you everyday…
And I still feel your love.










   

Graphics by:  www.jsmagic.net
 http://www.janimations.net
http://www.divinemercy333.net/
http://www.angelfamiliesonline.com


For extra-special graphics,  many thanks to :

                         Tina, Mom of Angel Michael Grayson, xxxx,                            

Sharon, Mom of Angel Siobhan Bryant-Millar, xxxx,
Delia, Mom of Angel Allan Tomlin, of www.preciousmemorials.com,
 Nancy, Mom of Angel Dustin "Dusty" Davis, of www.dldgraphixbynancy.piczo.com ,
Judie, Mom of Angel Craig Smart, of www.angelfamiliesonline.com ,

        Teri, Mom of Angel Jaime Drebit,
Cindy, Mom of Angel Kaydence Delaney Granger, 
Lisa, Mom of Angel Holly Proffitt, 
Sandy, Aunt of Angel Holly Proffitt, 
Lisa, Sister of Angel Edward Copeland,
Angela, Sister of Angel Chris Bishop.
Rosemary, Sister of Angel Alvin Cremeans,
Valerie, Wife of Angel Ian Haslett,
Debbie, Mom of Angel Kevin Wengert,
Melissa, Daughter of Irwin and Renee Eiler,
Jenny, Mom of Angel Ross Tavendale,
Diane, Daughter of Angel Norma Starkey,
Denise, Mom of Angel Nathaniel Pannell,
Janet, Mom of Angel Nicholas Piccolo, 
Carol, Mom of Angel Debbie Pizzi,
Denise, Mom of Angel James Kneale, 
Summer Parvin, Granddaughter of Angel Sharley Elaine Ayers,
Jenny, Mom of Angel Ross Tavendale,
Margaret, Daughter of Angel Nellie Buonpane,

Irena Hill, Nanny to Angel Kayleigh Erceg, 

Judy, Mom of Angel Jamie-Lee Britt  

***  Kelli's #7 HS softball jersey has been retired in her honor by Coach Edgar  ***       

~ Thank you Coach Edgar ~

  #7

 




 

 

 

 

 

 

Ascension

written by an unknown author

And if I go

While you're still here...

Know that I live on

Vibrating to a different measure

Behind a veil you cannot see through.

You will not see me,

so you must have faith.

I wait for the time when we can

soar together again

both aware of each other.

Until then, live life to its fullest!

When you need me, just whisper

my name in your heart...

I will be there.

She is...

Love Never Dies.

                

~ God Bless ~