Expressing Gratitude: A Thank You to Our Supporters and Remembrance for Krysta & Kira

Hey K2 Fam!

Beth here! I feel the need to express my overwheming gratitude, but I'm going to ask you to bear with me as I do so. I'm emotionally raw at the moment just due to all this month of May holds for us (graduation, awards ceremonies, end of year celebrations my girls won't get to attend, etc.), not to mention all the beautiful, touching ways they've been remembered and cherished over the past 4 months. This post would be 4 miles long if I listed everything, but to give you an idea:

Last night the new name & logo for Skipstone Academy's Fine Arts Program was revealed at their last production of the year ("Bad Auditions By Bad Actors") and they have renamed it the Kira Dean Fine Arts Program. <insert teary heart-shaped eyes here>

Also, a cherry blossom tree was planted at Skipstone in memory of Kira. We look forward to getting by there from time to time to see how it's blooming.

Last month, MHS put on a phenomenal musical called "Show Biz" with an amazing tribute to Krysta (they call her by her nickname, Kai). They wore special red bracelets for her during the whole production. They dedicated the song "This Is Me" from the movie, The Greatest Showman to her because if she was anything at all, it was unapologetically authentic. During that number they wore green pins which were likely a nod to her ever-changing hair colors, the most memorable of which was probably her green and black style that gave all the Billie Eilish vibes.

My in-laws worked together to make a beautiful cross which they left at the site of the accident on Hwy 190. I've only seen it in pictures, but they did a great job and I'm so grateful to them. I wouldn't have been able to go out there again to leave anything. I still haven't been back & I'm not sure I plan to.

Krysta's best friend Kaylee has been a constant source of encouragement & support. She has so much drive to get things done & I know she's going to be successful in whatever she does after graduation. I love that girl so much. Krysta's old manager at her last job, Britney Gonzalez, did a whole power point presentation on K2 Coffee for one of her college classes (which Kaylee helped with). She gave me a copy that I'd love to share at some point. Nikki Michelle with Sweet Dreams Creation has made our family so much stuff it's impossible to name it all. Tumblers, glasses, dog tags, vinyl decals, a flag, pillow covers, a sash for Krysta's would-be graduation - all these things with pictures of our girls on them or with their names on them. I would link her page, but oddly I can't find it or her on my socials right now. We've also received a beautiful gift from Homeland 85; it's an acrylic LED light with a the design I have tattooed on my hand. The link goes straight a picture they shared, but give their page a like while you're there. They do really great work.

My clients at Mahara have been the best. They've donated their knowledge, time and resources. So many of them have become genuine friends.

Speaking of friends: one friend in particular, Suzy Hardaway & her husband, are to be thanked for letting us know about David & Suzanne Pengelly selling their fully functional coffee trailer. Without her we probably wouldn't have known about it. She's also made me and my family some of the cutest K2 bracelets that we like to share and wear. <3

Suzanne & David have been so kind to us. They have let us know repeatedly that they're here to support, help us learn, encourage etc. and I don't feel like we have adequately expressed how grateful we are for that. They're incredibly knowledgeable about coffee and the coffee business in general, and so gracious about sharing that knowledge. I know we could definitely benefit from their expertise more than we already have, but we've been so emotionally drained that I don't feel like we've even scratched the surface on this valuable relationship. I hope they'll be a fixture in our lives because even though we haven't known them long I can sense that they're genuinely good, caring, compassionate people, & if I could just get out of this deep funk I would probably love just hanging out with them. :) As it is, right now I'm not feeling exceptionally "peopley" and I can't express how grateful I am that they seem to sense and understand that. If you get a chance, it's worth it to make a visit to Coffee By David in Manchester on a Saturday (they're open 8am - 12pm) and get some of their amazing coffee. It is freshly roasted & smells fabulous! Even if you don't drink coffee it's worth it just to go hang out there and enjoy the atmosphere. That has really become my favorite thing about coffee shops; they just have such good vibes.

My mom, Stella, has been insanely encouraging and valuable on this journey. She attended the Barista & Coffee Shop Ownership classes with me & I truly could not have done it by myself. BaristaSource was and is incredible. If you're thinking about getting into the coffee business, they're definitely worth the time and money. She has practiced with me, dreamed with me, talked things out with me, reined me in a time or two, made me laugh & kept me going. I'm so grateful she's my mama.

My sister, Michele, has been great at tasting coffee, helping me come up with ideas, helping me with all the mugs I've been making, & literally anything else I ask of her. She's always there when I need her no matter how big or small the need is. My sister Gina is the same. She can clean like nobody's business, y'all & is always good for a laugh, a testimony, or both at the same time! My sis-in-law Jamie gave us a great review when she tried our sugar free vanilla Trailer Trash Latte. I could spend a full 7 days just listing family, friends, and community members who have encouraged, shared, commented, & supported...so if you're one of them, please know you are so appreciated. Even just a follow on socials or a share or a comment is appreciated.

We aren't even open yet & people have come from everywhere offering to help in any way possible. You've purchased mugs, donated supplies, shared our posts, talked with your friends about us, & so many other helpful things. We can't overstate how thankful we are. I have the best feeling about this endeavor. If you haven't seen the makeover the trailer got, you can see it here on our facebook page or on TikTok. Thank you. THANK YOU, thankyouthankyou! <3 We know our girls have their hands all over this & having your support as well means the world to us. I'm nowhere near done thanking people, but I'ma be honest - ya girl is tired of writing, lol.

Now...the next post I make is going to have information about our opening day so keep following along for updates. Join the site, subscribe to the newsletter, follow our social media, keep sharing our posts - we're going to bring you the best coffee this town has ever had (& that is because our beans are sourced from Coffee By David & our recipes are filled with so much love)! If you got to the bottom of this, thanks for your dedication.

Love you guys! See you soon!