When I met Katrina for the first time, she told me I was her hero. ME? I think she got it wrong. Now, after her passing, I know she got it backwards! She is my HERO!
On Monday May 6, 2013 she sacrificed her life for her 6th child, baby Jett.  After delivering the baby, they were performing surgery on Katrina.  Although they ran into complications, the doctors were confident that it was all going to be okay.
Her heart stopped during surgery and as hard as they tried to revive her, God had other plans. This beautiful, vibrant woman only 36 years old went on to heaven.  She was the type of person that you are just better having known her. 

From the day I met her I knew I wanted to be her! She was so welcoming, sweet and kind.  I was so blown away by her creativity. Every project and kit she created had her heart stamped all over it.  It was so clear, her life was about her family.  She had such a heart for sharing her life and she left a piece of herself in everything she did.
In July 2005 I showed up to convention Leadership day and didn’t really know anyone.  I introduced myself to someone and he said, Sarita? “You are Katrina’s hero” I was like what?? You mean the VP of Product and Design? He said yeah, Katrina can’t stop talking about you and how you are doing all of this while your husband is deployed to Iraq.   I didn’t even know Katrina. 
 Then I met her and she hugged me like I was her long lost friend.  She was the most genuine person I had ever met. So beautiful. She wasn’t about status or title.
She was also just so smart and creative!  As I watched her instruct it was so evident that she loved what she did and poured herself into every project and product.

She was such a great teacher. She always had a story to tell, and was so easy going and patient. Always smiling and light hearted! REALLY easy going as you can tell. Here she in bare feet introducing new product.

As I attended Leaving Prints events throughout the next year, there was no question that scrapbooking was her heart. She believed that it was pictures and words together that captured the essence of scrapbooking.  It was about leaving a legacy.
I don’t remember when she told us this, but I will never forget when she was standing at the front of the room with a scrapbook. She told us a story about a young lady who had been in an accident and died. We were all in tears, but we weren’t prepared for that young lady to be a family member of Katrina’s. Katrina hadn’t known her all that well, but as she was on her My Space page she was so touched by all of the stories everyone was sharing.  She really got to know her and was inspired to make a scrapbook using the stories and pictures from her My Space page. 
That was what she was all about, capturing life.  She didn’t want any child to lose their Mom, (God forbid) and not know how their mom felt about them.
I will also NEVER forget when she told us she had been at a funeral of a young mom and all she could think about was making a scrapbook for the children. She couldn’t even imagine if something happened to her and her kids not knowing how she felt about them. 
When she was telling us the story tears were welling up in her eyes.  She really felt that pain.  She was so passionate about us sharing our stories and leaving a legacy. That is what Leaving Prints was about.  Leaving your fingerprints on this world.
She did everything with that purpose in mind.  I loved this kit, What I Love About You. It was simple, yet gave you a chance to create a special book that was artistic and allowed you to tell your story.

As I got to know Katrina over the next couple years I found out we had an even bigger bond.  She was raising a child on the Autism Spectrum.
She was also extremely intuitive.  We were talking on the phone one day and I mentioned something about Sofie having special needs. She said, I thought there was something going on so when I saw that layout you did of her on the swing. 

 She then shared with me her oldest son, Kai had Autism and that’s how she knew. Keep in mind, Sofie did not have a diagnosis yet and I was in the midst of the fight of my life.  Katrina gave me the fuel to keep going. She assured me that I was on the right track. We shared the heartaches and it was just nice to know I was talking to another Mom who “Got it”. Especially since my husband was in Iraq and I felt so alone.
She also was the first person who ever recognized my work. She definitely believed in me before I EVER believed in myself.  I will NEVER forget when my phone rang and she was on the other line, telling me my card entry got picked for the new Card Idea Book, Leaving Prints was publishing.
                                            

Then later on, I was chosen to be a member of the design team. It was such a honor and I got to know her even better.
She was always so complimentary and saw people in a positive light.  I didn’t have an upline as she left the company and I was kind of on my own. So, Katrina and her brother Rex, who was in charge of IT took me under their wing.  We were always messaging and they were cheering me on.
 I fell in love with this girl and when we knew they were going to be in Philadelphia for a training, we had to go.  The more you were around her, the more you wanted to be around her. This picture was at our leader’s dinner.  Do you notice her hands and the Pope’s hands?  She was so funny and just loved to have a good time!

She also gave me my first training opportunity at Convention in the fall of 2006. 
Here is the card that she sent me after.  I have held on to this card because it meant so much that she would take the time to write me.
   

In December 2006 we were invited to come out and visit with Bobby Lawrence, the owner of the company and her Father in Law.   Brenda, my best friend and downline was invited too. It was a tumultuous time as it looked like LP couldn’t be saved and they were closing their doors.
You would have thought Katrina would have been depressed or at least upset.  Nope, she was at peace with it and was in great spirits.
It was such a great trip. We got to spend time with Katrina at the corporate office and in her home.  She was the same no matter where she was or who she was with.
She was also an amazing mother!! I will never forget when she was leaving at noon and said she had to go have lunch with Kai, so he wouldn’t eat alone.  She did that just about every day.  No matter what the circumstance, her little boy with Asperger’s came first.

 

We felt so comfortable in her home. Here she is wearing her Pajamas, bare feet and a baby rolling around on the floor.  That was “the Katrina way”
She fed us an amazing Filipino rice dish that her mom had made. It had a very poignant smell, so she had it cooking out on the deck. She was so funny about it.  I Like to eat it, but the smell, that’s a different story.
She packed so much into those few days. She insisted that she takes us to “Taipan” which was an incredible housewares store. I was admiring her decorations on her tree. so she said we have to go there. So, on the way to the airport we made a pit stop.

 We were in a time crunch, but she was on a mission.  It was a short time that we shopped, but it was scary, how much we had in common. Before you knew it, we were speeding away to the airport laughing and talking the whole way there. 
She always had a smile on her face and joy in her heart. It showed and it was contagious! We had kept in touch through Facebook and most recently Instagram. I was following her beautiful story.  I was rooting for her and her children and most of all the baby she was going to deliver. She had sleepovers at the hospital, wheel chair rides and facetime with her family. I was so excited the day that I knew she going in. I knew the next picture was going to be her with the baby. The next picture I saw was of baby Jett, but his momma had gone on to heaven.
Katrina showed me how capture life through the eyes of a scrapbooker.  I am so grateful for her. I know I will see her again someday, but until then I will be carrying on her legacy with my scrapbook pages. Whether it is cool or trendy or takes too much time and no one does it, I will be sure to keep scrapbooking. I want to leave my legacy. I want my time on earth to mean as much as Katrina’s did.