It's been two weeks

Wow, how time flies when your dealing with an amazing amount of adversity and emotional stress. Since my last post, my Grandfather Forrest was released from the hospital. He is having a rough time dealing with the recovery from his fall and head injury. Now it seems there is a mass in his lung that needs immediate attention. He'll be going to the Dr. again next week to get it examined more closely. On top of that, my other Grandfather Walt, who lives in East Texas was taken to Houston in very bad shape this past Friday and the prognosis was very bleak. He was on life support and the Dr.'s didn't think he'd survive without it. We were told he signed the DNR paper and they were going to "pull the plug". My cousin Ron, mother and Aunt Marsha all flew down to meet with my Uncle Rick (from Dallas) at his bedside. I took this very hard, I thought for sure that was it, he was gone. But amazingly once everyone showed up to see him he came around and when they took him off the tubes and other support he was able to stabalize. My wife was so supportive of me as I had a few rough moments contemplating his fate.

Papa Walt, as I call him, is a really neat man. He has overcome alcholism, but not smoking. He will no longer be able to support himself as a bass fishing guide on Toledo Bend in Texas, and won't be able to play golf with us either. As now he'll be on oxygen and very weak. He is a very smart man - an ace at math and crossword puzzles and very up to date on current sports. He loves watching football, baseball and basketball and is very knowledeable. The last time I spoke to him before tonight was when Peyton Manning broke the NFL passing TD record. I have been in the habit of calling him several times a month to chat sports, and I'll miss that when he's gone. Let's hope that's a long time from now.

And, on top of all that, my only Grandmother went to the eye Dr. to get a new pair of glasses and was told she is was close to going blind! GB, as the grandkids call her, is also a very neat person. We grew up watching her drive a Firebird, and she's always in the hippest clothes and has always made some of the best lunches and dinners in the family. This afternoon I met my cousin Jessica and my Sister at her emergency eye surgery where they used a laser to fix the problem in one eye, the other eye will be next week. She's also had heart problems and last summer spent a few days in the hospital while the Dr.'s put a stint in her heart. All three of my Grandparents really mean the world to all of us. Their Children, grand children and now great grand children are all very close to them.

As I push towards 30 years old and my parents are in their 50's that means my grandparents are in or near their 70's and that's when things written above starting hitting us more often than I every imagined. In my lifetime I've really only lost a few very close family members. My Great Grandmother Della, who helped raise me died when I was 12 and that was very tough. I still remember the news, My parents knew how sad I'd be so my Aunt Marsha stepped up and told me about it on the back porch swing of my house while I was sorting through a 1987 Topps baseball card set. After that I lost my Grandmother Hazel, to whom I wasn't very close because we didn't spend much time with her for some reason, my Great Grandparents Newt and LaRue lived well into their 80's or maybe 90's before they passed on, but again we only saw them a few times a year. We just aren't nearly as close to my Father's side of the family. His Sister Patty also passed very quickly from a brain tumor. And most shocking and tragic of all, 2 years ago I lost my Uncle Ron to an unexpected and tragic heart attack, he was only 48. Our family misses him very much. It was very hard to see my grandparents lose a child, in the case of Patty and Ron. No parent should every have to deal with that. I understand that more since I have Kenden, Alexa and Billy.

Sorry for all this sad speak. It's what's been on my mind this week and it's just pouring out of my fingertips.

On the other hand, we've had some very good news recently at my house. My wife, Wendy, was offered and accepted a new job at Lexis-Nexis as a Financial Analyst. We're excited for several reasons: 1) More pay 2) It's less than 1 mile from our house 3) Maybe she won't work so many hours 4) It's a very prestigous company which treats employee's very well, although they do lay off people in bunches at times 5) She'll be doing more and learning more.

We got our tax refund back and paid off a lot of debt. Nearly everything we owe besides school loans, the mortgage and our 2004 Chevy Venture. There are still a few debts floating around, but nothing like before. We still had enough left over to buy a Dyson Vacuum cleaner and save some back for a Vacation to Disney World in October. I got my annual review and for the third straight year I was rated as "exceeds" my job expectations, thus I got the maximum raise possible. It's only 5.5%, but that's three years in a row and that adds up pretty quick.

The rest of my family is doing well, my niece Alyssa has lost her first two teeth. My Aunt Marsha is now a Relator with a major firm to kick off her new career. My Mom is getting close to earing her BIS degree. My Dad's business is growing almost too fast. His fishing could use some work though, in his recent FLW tour event in Orlando he didn't catch a fish - which severly hampers his year long points battle to make the Championship event. As a co-angler on tour he's at the mercy of the guy driving the boat so catching nothing doesn't mean he didn't know what he was doing, more than likely the other guys didn't. We'll get a better guage later this year when he drive the boat in the Everstart Northern series. My Sister is keeping extremly busy managing a thriving physician's office and My cousin Jessica is planning what appears to be a well organized and fun wedding for September 24. Everyone else seems to be doing well also, so despite our trials and emotional roller-coaster's of the last three weeks, I think we'll be okay. MJ.