Hello! My name is Kass or Kathryn Tomany. My family and I recently moved to Henderson, Nevada, but we spent most of our life in Utah before this & I grew up in Boise, Idaho. I have 5 children-Abby, Cade, Brigg, Bree, & Cal, & a husband who keeps me laughing & smiling. I'm grateful he is sharing this adventure of life by my side. I love running, reading, boating, skiing, sports, See's chocolates, Salt & Vinegar Chips, eating out, traveling, & people. Things are usually crazy & always busy, but I've learned that life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful!
Back in the day, Nora and I taught elementary school together and became instant friends. We started a fun, little TSG (Teacher's Support Group) with a few other teachers at our school that bonded all of us forever. I also have a special connection with Nora as we were pregnant with our first babies at the same time. We had a blast being first time pregos together, held and attended showers for our highly anticipated, sweet baby girls, & then were devastated when the Lord had a different plan in store for Nora's angel, little Charlotte. I think of her always watching my Abby grow up & have loved her advice & support through the years.
My January goal was to print & hang some favorite family pictures. It has been over 8 years & 2 more kids since I've changed out or updated pictures even though we have taken bazillions of pictures every year. In 2005, my third child, Brigham, was diagnosed with a devastating terminal disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA Type 1) when he was 6 weeks old. He passed away when he was 6 months old. We experienced countless tender mercies through it all, and still do, but changing the pictures of our family from when he was here was a really hard thing for me. It stinks taking family pictures with someone always missing. It feels really incomplete. So...this goal was more than just physically doing something-a lot of emotion was attached to it.
Once I made a plan and got going, it went great. I decided on the pictures of Briggers that I wanted to include, & then just kept the other pictures in the frames behind the new ones. I went through & edited the most recent family pictures my sister had taken over Thanksgiving, then printed them (with the auto correction set to off) at Costco. I also went through the years and picked some of my favorite shots & important ones like baptism pictures & printed them too. It has been fun listening to the kids comments & is an awesome feeling having everyone in the family represented around the house.
Here is a sample of some of the finished product. (Wow! Taking pictures of pictures is tricky...I tried a million different lighting options & angles & this is the best I could come up with!)
Having pictures of the people I love everywhere I go in my house makes me happy!
I look forward to getting to know each of you better!
Thanks again, Nora! Project Coordinator of The Year.
I look forward to getting to know each of you better!
Thanks again, Nora! Project Coordinator of The Year.
17 comments:
Wow! I love the arranging of the photos in the first picture. So clever! I've always had trouble arranging cluster photos like that. That is so sweet, those photos of you're little boy. He looks like such an angel! Great way to always remember him!
I've loved watching your Abby grow up too. This is a talent being able to display family photos--and you have it! It's two parts hard--getting on the computer and ordering the prints and then when they come finding frames and a hammer and nails to follow through. I can relate with how hard it is to do family pictures when some one is missing too. http://mairmania.blogspot.com/2011/03/march-3rd-2001.html
Thanks for the nice things you said and long live TSG! It was such a boost those years!
Your pictures look awesome! I love your arrangements!
Beautiful job!
Hi Kass, I'm in love with your picture arranging and I'm totally going to copy the first arrangement with the shelf. I have a shelf just like it in my basement and my decor looks really haphazard and dorky! Thank you for sharing. Your family is adorable-- LOVE the pictures, and I want to love somewhere warm.... Darling pictures of your angel, Brigham.
Very beautiful photos, and I love the pops of turquoise. That is so meaningful to have the silver frame pictures on display, of Brigham with his siblings.
I love your displays. What a beautiful family you have. I also love how you have mixed pictures of your sweet little boy with your current family pictures. What a wonderful way to have his presence around you all, I'm so sorry for your loss. We lost a little boy when I went into labor at 20 weeks. I still struggle to know how to include him in our displays, so I just have his little tiny footprints framed right now because that is all I really have. But it makes my mama heart happy to see them.
We used to live out in Summerlin and just moved back to Utah 2 years ago. I'm missing the Vegas winter right now for sure, so enjoy it! I still have tokens for the carousel at The District in my purse just in case we need them sometime ;).
Your pictures look great!
Wow Kass, beautiful pictures! That door/picture frame is awesome! I feel the same way about family pictures. It felt strange after we lost our 8th child and feels even stranger with our oldest on his mission. I guess if you taught with Nora you know our awesome friend Becky Smith too?
Can't imagine when they head on missions, etc. let alone get married! Yes! I know Becky (Rebecca?) Smith from the teaching days. She was in on the teacher support group and is so great!
They all look so great. My absolute favorite is that vintage window with the photos and blue paper in the windows. A-Dor-able! Nicely done.
Your picture display turned out beautiful!
I also decorate my home with pictures of my family. There is no better decor in my opinion. Great job and beautiful family!
I don't ever replace pictures, I just keep adding more and more so I can remember each staqe of their lives. It is so right to be able to have your little one there always and not have to replace. He is part of your forever family.
Love that display of all your family pics. I've always admired all the beautiful pictures you have of Brigg. I'm like you in keeping my photos in the frame...always a fun chronology!
I'm in love with that door!
Love this post!
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