Hi family, Soph here. This time of year seems to make me self reflect the most and the one photograph that I always seem to look at the most- is this one. After the boys passed away I struggled with frustration because of all the times I was at the Dingmans house and all the times we were all together I had not a single photo of Blake and I. It made me regret not being the “documentar” that I always seem to be. About two months after Lorrie texted me this photo and said “look what I found”. When I say that I ugly cried, that’s an understatement! It felt good to see something familiar, even though I honestly do not recall stepping into this photo! What I came to realize was that yes, I neglected being the crazy friend that always takes photos but that was for a reason. I remembered what it felt like to be in Blakes presence. He made you be PRESENT and made you want to forget about all the craziness on your phone and just live in that moment with some of your favorite people. I miss having that kind of person around. I ADORE you all and miss you guys so much more than you know. Stay peaceful and always remember, love wins️
1 Comment
On July 15, 1997, Blake came stubbornly into this world after 22 hours of labor and was born at Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks. He entered this world with the same amount of passion that he would go on to live his life with. Blake was an intuitive person and was a quick study at most anything that he set his mind to learn. During Blake’s life, his incredible sense of balance and agility allowed him to excel at nearly any sport he tried. As a youth, Blake played both soccer and Pony baseball and his father managed several of those teams. Blake’s incredible speed made him an asset on both the soccer and baseball fields. He had a fearless nature and one heck of an arm which allowed him to make some spectacular plays at both centerfield and catcher. Also in his youth, Blake enjoyed skateboarding, BMX bike riding and was particularly good at doing tricks on a scooter, winning some local competitions. His mechanical ability and love of taking things apart led him to making some YouTube videos, showing other kids how to fix or upgrade their scooter. As Blake grew older, his toys got bigger and intentionally louder. Blake’s first vehicle was a white Ford Ranger that he affectionately name “Becky”. Becky underwent many transformations through the years as Blake worked on his goal of turning her into a “pre-runner” used for off-roading. “Becky” and Blake went on many adventures together… Mudding at Hoontown, climbing mountain trails with friends and gathering for night rides on the Miller Jeep Trail in Gorman. One of the greatest things about the sport of off-roading is that it was something that he and his brother, Aidan loved to do together. Those are times Aidan will cherish forever. Blake’s other love was his motorcycle which he thoroughly enjoyed taking to the dessert with friends. The fact that Blake did not grow up riding a motorcycle did not stop him from buying one. As with other sports, Blake was a natural and quickly gained the skills to ride well with his buddies who had much more experience. Every chance he got, he and his friends would plan a trip to Pismo or the dessert and would camp, ride and have a great time making memories together. Of course it seemed every trip, something came home broken, or needed towing… but that was just part of the adventure…
|