Crazy few weeks and horrible news

It has been a crazy few weeks since I posted last. We took a vacation out to Jackson and Yellowstone and met Dad and Cheryl there. We stopped in Casper for lunch on our way out to see my grandparents (to my disappointment my grandfather is not going to get a rainbow colored glass eye to replace the one he had removed - just kidding Grandpa!). We stayed in the Old Faithful Lodge and mammoth Hot Springs (with no cell phone or internet service - what a lovely break!), listened to a ukelele serenade courtesy of Dad, Bryn became a Junior Ranger and a Young Scientist and we had a wonderful time exploring the mountains and looking for wildlife. We saw all of the animals on our wish list - big horn sheep, black and grizzly bears, wolves and moose. We did learn that a Yellowstone vacation may not be ideal for a 2 year old who would rather be running amok than staying on the boardwalks to avoid the geothermal features, but we still had a great time.

Bryn is in Boise until Wednesday and we will leave for Lake of the Ozarks to vacation with Mom and John for a few days on Thursday. In a few short weeks we will be taking her to "Animal Camp" where she will spend a whole week away. I am definitely feeling a little more nervous about it than she is - she can't wait to spend an entire week swimming, taking care of her animal for the week and doing "camp" stuff. Our girl is definitely growing up.

I am working on getting my online classes ready to go for the summer and catching up on laundry, my DVR'd TV shows, the to-do list and housecleaning. While on vacation, my track ball on my Blackberry crapped out and it seemed as good an excuse as any for Aaron and I to head to AT&T and trade in for a couple of new iPhones.

As all of this is going on, I got some devastating news about a high-school friend's husband. I have been alternately crying, attempting to ignore (not very adult, I know) and trying to figure out how to process the news. While browsing Facebook yesterday, I noticed a status update from Krista's sister that her brother-in-law had suffered a massive stroke. A call to Krista's parents' house confirmed that it was indeed Krista's husband who, at 36 years old, is fighting for his life. Despite the fact that Krista and I do not talk regularly I feel as if my heart is being ripped out. I cannot imagine this dear friend that I shared so many wonderful and crazy times with possibly losing her healthy, funny, caring husband. He has since suffered two additional strokes but is somehow currently defying the odds and fighting to stay with his wife and four children. It seems so trite and cliche to say that "life can change in an instant" or "live each day as if it is your last because you never know what is going to happen", but that is just about all that it seems there is to think at a time like this. There are lots of people praying very hard for this family and I just hope and pray that the miracle that Lynn needs to pull through this comes. Fortunately the family has a fabulous support system and tons of loving people around (imagine a family who has people who are working/have worked in law enforcement, the airline industry, the fire department and an extensive church family). But all of the love in the world doesn't change the awful reality that something devastating has happened. I think I'll go peek in on my baby and hug my sleeping husband while I have the gift of being able to do so.