Maelee's Cousins.

We know Maelee would have been a beautiful little red-headed girl. We know this because it's in the genes. Her cousins are downright adorable and she would have LOVED each one of them. Things we will miss for her: looking up to all her big cousins, going on planes to visit them, photo shoots, playing house with Lilliana, making fun stuff out of play dough with Ali, running around the house with blanket-capes on with Isaiah and Marian, hugging John, obeying Ali as she bosses her around, eating cereal with the China crew, wearing Lilliana's hand-me-downs, hearing all the cousins laughing and playing together. We ache that our nieces and nephews will never know our Maelee.

Here are her cousins (click image to see bigger) - so you can see and agree with us that Maelee would have been a CUTIE!
Ali (Alison Linn Lippert) is my sister's daughter and will be 4 in July. She lives in Minnesota and looks a lot like I did when I was little (sort of chunky but oh-so-cute). Her parents gave her a stuffed bear around the time Maelee died and a few nights ago she said to my sister "Here Mom, you can sleep with the bear that reminds me of Maelee."

Lilli (Lilliana Winter Kasowski) is Greg's brother Chris' daughter. She'll be 3 in September and lives in Utah. She has the personality of her Uncle Greg and looks like a cuter, female version of Greg when he was a kid. You couldn't get a sweeter little girl and since she loves babies, Lilliana would have loved on Maelee nonstop.

Marian Lynn Kasowski is Greg's brother Matt and his wife Jill's daughter. She'll be 3 in August and is named after the wonderful and amazing Grandma Marian Kasowski. She is a hilarious girl, always on the go and all Greg has to do to laugh is think of her, diaper only, strutting around with Lilliana's stroller at Christmas.

John Timothy Kasowski is Matt and Jill's son. He'll be one in June. Everyone that meets Johners is amazed at his sweet, content personality. He's such a good boy, rarely cries, and smiles often. He's a solid, big little guy. And he would have been less than a year older than Maelee, so we know they would have been close.

Isaiah Dale Kasowski is Matt and Jill's first son. He turned 4 in March. He loves his Uncle Greg's crazy made up stories of Darth Vader eating turkey for breakfast. He loves to battle with swords and talk about Star Wars or Batman or Buzz Lightyear... he would have been a wealth of knowledge for Maelee.


When we are in Buffalo, there is a tree being planted at Grandma and Grandpa Kasowski's house in Maelee's honor from all of her cousins. We'll be sure to take a photo of the tree (and Ali and Lilli representing for all the cousins).

Thanks, family, for sending us these images... we will treasure them always.

We love you Lilliana, Marian, John, Isaiah, Ali and baby Lippert-to-come!

-Auntie Heather and Uncle Greg