Austin Taylor Smith 
Born August 1,  1996 12:54 pm
Died October 1,2007 

Austin was my second child ,I lost his brother Bryan Cody on August 16,1995. I wanted no more children after my first loss but God blessed me with Austin the following year.
Austin was a great baby sleeping through the nights from a month old. He loved to play outside and loved people. Austin never knew a stranger he never looked at color of skin but a persons worth from there soul out.

Austin loved school and I remember on his first day of school him waiting on the bus, at the top of his grannys driveway, eager to go and me wanting him to just stay small a bit longer. I cryed when the bus showed up and he hopped right on saying it's time for me to go learn mom and Granny (Lynn). We got some photos and off he went. 
From that day forward Austin was a straight A-B honor roll student. He graduated kindergarten with flying colors and never looked back.  He was a sixth grader when God gave him his wings and through the years he changed schools and homes but always found the good in the situation he knew he'd make new friends the day he got in classes and he loved to learn so he was going back to his favorite place - school -. Austin never allowed bullying of anyone he was the first to step up and tell others it was wrong and hurtful. He'd find the child others picked on and befriend them. If he was your friend you knew it he loved you like his family and laughed and played with you without worry of what others would say. Austin dreamed of being a tattoo artist as he loved to draw and was exceptional at it but he wanted to do more then just that he had told his dad aka Todd and I he wanted to work his way through college tattooing and go to school to be a doctor to find a cure for cancer. 
He was the big brother to two brothers Caleb now 9, Seth almost 4, and his sister and absolute best friend Dakota 2. He loved his role as big brother and was never too busy to fill in the time with reading them books, helping Caleb with homework, getting on the floor and playing with them. He was not a selfish child but a generous and loving kid. He was teaching his sister how to read and swim when he left this world. He was helping Caleb become a stronger reader and assisting Seth with his colors and numbers preparing him for preschool next year. 

I have not ever met a child so willing to go without for others. Hed give his lunch up if a friend had forgotten his he'd come home starving but couldn't help give the shirt off his back for someone in need. When he had outgrown clothes and toys he'd go with me to the local womens shelter to hand his gentle used things over to other children less fortunate by the nastyness in this world.

Austin touched everyone in his life. If he loved you you knew you were loved. He was never shy from giving hugs and kisses to his family in front of anyone. HE wasnt the typical child who shys aways from family events to be with his friends. His family came first always. 

Austin loved cartoons some of his favorites were scooby doo,  dragon ball z,
Yugio, Transformers, Pokemon and Curious George. His favorite movies were Harry Potter, ( all of them ) Chronicles of Narnia, Spider Man , and most action movies. 
His favorite books were Harry Potter series, Chronicles of Narnia series, and when he wanted to laugh Sponge Bob Square Pants. He's the only child I have ever met who asked for books for christmas he always said books let him explore places from the comfort and safety of his own room.

Austin loved to swim and read and play with his siblings and his friends he loved cooking with his granny Lynn and Aunt Betsy, ( or Bee Wee as we all call her.) he loved sitting by campfires telling scary ghost storys and jokes. He loved pulling pranks on others not to harm or scare but to make them laugh. 

He took karate as a young boy and graduated to yellow belt before a move caused us to discontinue his studies he wanted to go back but to the form he had learned not another and we were going to look for a place after getting settled in Kissimmee for him to start again. 

When Austin laughed he laughed so hard everyone could feel it the things that made him laugh the most were good jokes and play time on the playstation with Todd if he could win a match of dragon ball z Todd wouldn't hear the end of the giggles for hours. If he chased his brothers and sister and got them to giggle it tickled him pink and he'd go on and on about how he got them to smile from making his funny faces or just being him. 

 When we left our old home and put everything in storage to go to a hotel for better schools till we could find a new home Austin said it was all okay he had a pool to teach Seth and Kota to swim in he had a roof over his head and he had met his brother he felt he'd be friends with the rest of his days Stephon. Stephon was one of the first friends he made and he had told me he knew God wanted us here so he could find Stephon his brother and best friend he'd ever had. They shared similar pasts and future dreams they both could laugh and play together and he felt he could learn a lot from Stephon. 

When the incident happened that took his life Stephon was by his side on the road holding his hand even though he was gone and protecting him till his mom and  Todd arrived moments later. The cops told him to go but he told us later he couldn't leave his friend alone. He heald out hope that Austin would pull through but new God had called him home. 
Austins fellow classmates of three weeks, all had cards done for our family they greive his loss with our family and they carry him with them in there thoughts and prayers. Austin will forever be carried with us and cherished always we will miss him always and try our best to change the safety at bus stops to honor him and to do what he would have wanted for every child to be safe to go to school. We plead with the county and officials who can make changes to provide crosswalks and signs at every bus stop to allow Austin's Voice to forever be heard. Get  good eduaction love those around you and never judge anyone buy there wealth or lack there of or there color but by there soul. 

Sweet never ending dreams my dear precious son I carry you with me forever in my heart as well as your brothers sister and Todd aka dad.  

In Kindergarten Austin participated in the annual science fair he didnt win but he really gave it his all and each child was recognized for there efforts. This is his award for his trying.

Austin was on his way home from his bus stop just 3 short blocks from home. The bus dropped off early that day, 22 minutes early, Todd was on his way to get him and bring him home and was on the scene minutes after Austin was struck by an SUV his body thrown 69 feet. Todd sat with Austin while the emergency crew intibated him and prepared him for transport he was then transported to Celebration Hospital were Dr. Scott Overcash and his team dilligently worked on him. He was pronounced deceased later that day. His Mother Stacy and Dad Todd were with him while the staff worked on his listless broken body. We prayed with him and for him but despite our desires and the staffs efforts nothing could be done. 
This photo was taken of Austin that day in class it was to be his yearbook photo to document his year instead it has become the last photo ever taken of our dear sweet child. We love you Austin we miss you despirately. We carry you in our hearts and souls always and forever.

We have just survived our first two Holidays without our Austin. First being Halloween. 

Austin loved Halloween. Todd and he would decorate our home for weeks leading up to the big day and talk about the neat new decorations in the stores always searching for new ones that were creapy to hang outside or on windows. Trick-or-treating was always so much fun as we would all discuss the neat decorations and cool designs on peoples homes and pumpkins. This year we went trick-or-treating with his siblings but it seemed empty still as everytime I saw a really neat house or heard great spooky music I'd want to ask Austin what he thought and he wasn't there.
T
hanksgiving was tuff. We try and do the "normal" family things coooking and relaxing with friends but the moms inside me were fighting all day. The mom of Caleb, Seth and Kota forced me out of bed as it does most days and got dressed. We went to a friends home hoping to get wrapped up in their company and family as well. The mom who has lost Austin was wanting to crawl into a dark whole and cry and scream about how unfair life can be how much this sucks that life still moves forward even when those we love no longer walk with us. I feel Austin's presence with me always but it jsut doesn't seem to be enough. I miss him so very much. I miss his hugs and his laughter I miss his goofy little jokes and his voice ringing through the house. I miss getting shocked while the babies are napping catching him reading his books escaping into his own world full of words and surprise. I miss him in the kitchen with me trying to watch everything I do so carefully and making the ooooooo nasty when the turkey gets cleaned out and the stuffing gets mixed by hand. I miss him saying what he's thankful for each thanksgiving before we eat. I just miss him. HIs siblings miss him his dad Todd misses him. We all hurt inside and try our best to just go forward not knowing how long the numbness will last. 
SO for now the moms inside me continue to fight about what I must do and I know Austin sides with the mom who still has kiddos to take care of as he loved his siblings and wouldn't want me crying for him but celebrating who he is and who he will always be to us. Our sweet precious child who loved everyone and could turn a bad day around by laughing.
Sweet never ending dreams my precious Austin I carry you with me always. Love MOM

Another Mothers Day has passed the second since you've been gone. Its surreal still knowing you're not here you're not coming home you're not just on vacation somewhere. There are still nights I see you in my dreams so vividly that I think I will find you in your bed  sleeping, but morning comes and with it the reality that you're gone and not coming home.

Holidays are always hard but this year Mother's Day has been harder then last years maybe because I'm not so numb anymore. Maybe because you're name has become the elephant in the house no one knows weather saying AUSTIN will cause more pain or lessen it so we all seem to tiptoe around it.

 I sit in my van some days and just scream it at the top of my voice people must think I'm nuts or singing really loud but some days I just have to say AUSTIN so you know you're not forgotten you're missed very much you're loved even more and I so wish you were here with us still watching your siblings grow. I miss your laughter I miss the way your hair smells after you've been playing hard outside. I miss your hugs and reading stories with you. I miss the look you got bringing report cards home so proud of what you were learning and accomplishing I miss how are family was when you were here I miss the normal we will never know again. I STILL JUST MISS YOU.

I love you my precious Austin sweet never ending dreams my boy. Keep watch until we can all be together again.