Avery and her Grandmother 2013

I've been thinking a lot about my friends in Vermont, Aubree, her husband Patrick and their little girl Avery. A week and half ago, Avery overslept. Aubree got a bad feeling about it, so she went to check on her, and Avery was breathing but non-responsive. I cannot even imagine the horror. Aubree reacted quickly and called for an ambulance. The rescue team was able to check her on the way over. Her blood sugar was low and they were able to bring her back to consciousness promptly, but the family had to stay at the hospital for several days over the holiday weekend while they tested her to see what was wrong. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending how you look at it, they weren't able to find anything wrong.

Avery back to her beautiful happy self

The three of them had just gotten home when Patrick's mother had to be admitted to the hospital and suddenly passed away. She had fought cancer around the same time my dad did, and for two wonderful years she was winning the battle. In those years she got to meet and love Avery and spend more time with all of her family. Patrick was very close to her and since they live fairly close to each other they saw each other frequently. His mother was an extremely positive and inspiring person, and every extra day with her was a gift. But losing someone that wonderful is all the more painful. I know the sad journey that Patrick is beginning now, and I wish there was something I could do to help. But I know his mother's love is there supporting him, and that her love is so strong that it will eventually guide him back to happiness.

Aubree, Patrick, Avery and Patrick's parents

Avery and her grandmother Ginny

I hope that Avery grows up to be the kind of inspiring woman her grandmother was, and I hope Avery has an angel looking down on her as she goes through her follow up appointments with the doctor.

Casey's Accident 2013

On Friday morning I woke up to terrifying news. Jon told me he'd heard Casey had been in a car accident. It's been a very scary few weeks for our friends and it felt like another horrible thing was crashing down on us. Kevin was still sleeping when I heard so I tried to get as much information and contact Casey's wife Victoria before I woke him up to tell him anything. Since we couldn't really get any information, I waited until Kevin got up. I started with the most important part first. Casey was stable in the hospital and we were expecting him to recover.

Later we found out that he had been hit by a cab while he was riding his bicycle to the T on Thursday night. When he woke up he was in the ER at Mass General. When we first heard he was at Mass General we worried that he was there because he'd been sent there for serious injuries because it's one of the best hospitals in the area. It turned out that the accident had taken place near Mass General so they were able to rush him there easily. His wife Victoria and his two kids live some distance outside of Boston so it took some time for Victoria to get there and see exactly what was happening.

 

Casey and his family near their home in Massachusetts

Casey is home recovering with his family. He still has a ways to go. I hope he knows how very loved he is by all of his friends and family.

There is this terrible feeling when you find out that you have suddenly lost someone you care about, or that you might lose someone you care about. Not just the pain and the horror, but also the regret. You wish you had seen them more, told them more how much you cared, loved them even better than you did. Over the years that follow, I will endeavor to do those things. If we're lucky we won't have to be reminded of loss for many years to come.

Update: The Boston Police report says that the head coach of the Boston Bruins Claude Julien witnessed the accident, called for help, and stayed with Casey until the ambulance arrived. How amazing! Thank you for saving our friend, coach!

Smoke and Gas Detectors 2013

For the love, TWO homes of people I love have been evacuated this week. Everyone please make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector in your home. Last Friday, Christina, Dan, and Hudson were evacuated from their home in the middle of the night on Friday. Their fire alarms never sounded here even though there was smoke, a carbon monoxide detector might have caught it.

And then last night my mother came home after work, and smelled gas. She checked the oven and the pilot light but didn't see anything. She went downstairs asked her neighbor, but he said he didn't smell anything. She went back up had dinner, opened all her windows, and went to bed. At 2:30 a.m., the Fire Department showed up at her door to evacuate her while they checked for a gas leak because they'd had a report of a high CO2 reading.

Please have and check your smoke and gas detectors. There are so many bad things in this world that we can't control! Please take the easy steps to take care of yourselves and your family. I love you!

Hudson and Christina

Pray for Owen 2013

I only blog about a small group of our close family and friends. As a shorthand, most them were the people we invited to our wedding. We love these people and their destinies are closely entwined with ours. Their happiness is our happiness, their sorrow is our sorrow, and I imagine that most of them feel the same way.

Two weeks ago, our friends Chrissy and Jason's little boy Owen was diagnosed with cancer. He'll be 3.5 this June, and the horror of our little friend having to deal with a serious disease, much less at this age is more than any of us know how to handle. We think of him constantly and literally hundreds of people are praying for him every day.

One of my favorite photos- Jason, Chrissy, and Owen at our home

Chrissy and Jason have been amazing parents since Owen was in the womb. Many of you know that in the last few years I've commented that I am impressed at what a good and patient mother Chrissy has grown up to be, and she knows I've been impressed because I've constantly asked her for advice since James was born. Once they learned Owen is sick, they began treatment immediately at one of the best children's hospitals in the country and Jason shaved his head in solidarity with his little boy. They are amazing, and Owen has the most incredible support. He's been improving steadily and I have all the hope in the world that the whole family will get through this well. But even so, it's so deeply unfair for anyone to have to go through this at all.

Meeting Owen at 3 months, March 2010

I want you guys to pray like crazy for Owen. To help you with that I want to tell you about how much I love him. Owen was the youngest person at my wedding because Chrissy was about 3 months pregnant with him then. I met him for the first time 3 months after he was born in March of 2010. You can see from the picture above that he is one gorgeous baby. I fell in love with those pouty Shiloh Pitt lips that he is still currently rocking. And I immediately started telling him inappropriate stories about his mother as a crazy 20-something. That's how we bonded.

The next time I saw Owen that July, Chrissy and I were both at the hospital because her mom and my dad were fighting cancer. He was the little light in all the darkness we were suffering. I talked to Chrissy about how I'd been hoping to get pregnant soon, but with my dad sick, I felt lost. I still remember Chrissy saying, "Thank God for Owen, I love babies." I was pregnant with James by the end of the month.

 

Gwen, Matthew, Chrissy, and Owen, December 2010

When I saw Owen again that Christmas, Chrissy's mom and my dad were gone, and the only thing that made that first Christmas even a little bearable was our other loved ones. Owen was just starting to try to pull up on furniture and kept trying to crawl away into trouble. I was pregnant with James, and Chrissy gleefully poked my tummy.

Although Chrissy and Jason came to meet James as soon as he was born, Owen and James met for the first time the following December. Owen was exactly two years old then, and full of energy. He ran up and down our halls with one of James's walking push-toys. James was just 8 months but he was inspired by Owen. After the visit, James started trying to walk.

Christmas 2011

When we went to visit Chrissy, Jason, and Owen last May in Cincinnati, Hailey was still cooking, so the boys got to spend more time together. Here's the two them poking each other during the photo like brothers. They  ate pizza together, played with Owen's toys, and watched a little How to Train Your Dragon together. Owen was starting to talk a lot more and I could tell he's super smart.

In Cincy together in 2012

Playing at Owen's water table

Look at Owen's smile! Owen, Jason, and James playing cars, May 2012

I most recently saw Owen in Ramsey in October. Technically I was there to meet Hailey, but James got lots of time with his buddy.

James, Kevin, Owen, and Jason playing ball

Look at these cute baby boys watching a video together

Owen is my little buddy. James totally looks up to him. We love him, and we are so looking forward to our next visit with him. So please pray that he is 100% healthy again fast fast fast.

Chris Sheldon 2013

My friend Chris passed away last weekend from cardiac arrest. He was only 35 years old. I know many of you reading this were also his friend. I last chatted with him online in February after he sent my son James In the Night Garden, a strange British children's book. Technically, Chris was my ex-boyfriend from 9 years ago, but what was important was that he was still, all these years later, my real friend.

He told me his wife Kerrie was beautiful and wonderful. He said she was good to him, better even than he thought he deserved, and that she took great care of him. She gave him everything that made his life good: her love, a home, and three beautiful sons. Because of that, he had grown up. He was serious about his career, and he was serious about providing for his family.

With his wife Kerrie around the time of their 6th wedding anniversary, 2013

He loved his boys like crazy. He would never have left his family by choice; he would have done anything to take care of them. He loved his parents in a completely pure way because he felt they had given him a great childhood, and he was so excited to do the same for his boys. 

With his oldest son, Aaron in 2009

With his second son Finley, 2009

His youngest son, Cole, 2012

With his stepfather and his mum in 2002


Chris and his dad at Stonehenge in 2002

His loss is felt deeply by his family and his friends. We will all miss him dearly and forever. He believed in chasing happiness; that life was for being happy. He definitely found his bliss with Kerrie and his boys. As impossible as it is for his family right now, he would want them to heal and be really happy. He would also want everyone to refer to him as handsome as often as possible. Though he'd probably use the expression "sexy beast."

Boston Marathon Bombing 2013

The Boston bombing was truly horrific. It's so sad for all of our country. I'm so glad that the amazing first responders, doctors, and nurses saved a 100 wounded people. That's truly amazing.

Please take a look at the videos if you haven't already and see if you can identify the FBI's suspects: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/national/boston-marathon-explosions-map/index.html

And if you can, give blood! We're planning our next appointment soon.