Life is short

It is true what they say...."Life is short," "It can change in a blink of an eye."  Even though I like to believe that we try to appreciate all of our blessings and never take life for granted, sometimes the routine of life takes over and God gives us a wake up call.  We were given that wake up call in July 2016.  Aaron's mom was enjoying a weekend at a cabin with Aaron's brother's, Corey, family.  We were enjoying a weekend at our cabin with our niece, Jessica, and friends, The Johnsons.  Aaron's sister (Taunya) and her husband were enjoying their new boat out on a lake with their friends.  I distinctly remember putting a puzzle together with Jessica that Sunday and catching up on life, when she received a phone call from her dad.  Life hasn't been the same since.  Taunya was enjoying a glass of wine on the lake with her friend and she got back into the boat and mentioned she had a terrible head ache.  This was followed by unconsciousness.  She was rushed to the hospital where she was diagnosed with an cerebral aneurysm.  My heart just sank for Jessica as she talked to her dad.  Aaron immediately drove with Jessica to Minneapolis.  I packed up the cabin and kids and followed.   Taunya was transferred to Hennepin County Medical Center.  We had picked up Aaron at the hospital and went to a hotel nearby.  Aaron's mom had called the next morning saying he needed to be at the hospital as the prognosis was looking extremely grim.  My mom came up to Minneapolis to pick up the kids and I said good bye to the kids for an indefinite time period.   I knew that Aaron was going to stay in Minneapolis for at least the next couple of weeks, but I would need to return to work.  I am so appreciative of my mom and sisters helping out with the kids and going to target to buy pull-ups, clothes, personal items, etc.   Since I didn't want to interfere with the time Aaron and his family were spending with Taunya, I went to the Basilica of St. Mary, where we got married.  If you have never sat in a Church completely by yourself (ok, minus the janitor), I would recommend it.  God spoke to me in a way I have never experienced before.  After I finished praying the rosary, I was on my knees in prayer and I looked up at the huge altar and felt such peace.  It felt like all of the Saints, Mary, and Jesus (there are a lot of statues on the Altar at the Basilica), reached down to me and enveloped me in an embrace.  I appreciated that all of the stuff we worry about on a daily basis, doesn't matter.   People (and us included) drive ourselves ragged worrying about work, what kind of a car/house/clothes we have, what people think of us, how thin/fat we are, what activities our kids are in and whether or not this will allow them to "excel" in life, what other people are doing (hello, social media), what club/organizations we are involved in....It. Doesn't. Matter.
         Taunya spent approximately 6 weeks in ICU and then 6 months at an inpatient Neuro rehab center.  She is able to live at home but requires 24/7 care as she has blindness in her left eye and limited movement in her left body.  But she is a fighter and each day (even 18 months later) she continues to make progress and inspires us all with her tenacity and strength.

 The kids loved visiting Taunya!  They were very entertained by her remote controlled bed!

         Last year at this time we started to realize that the frequent trips back to MN from our home in Green Bay would not be sustainable as our two children were involved in activities on the weekend.  Add that to the fact that I was no longer professionally or personally happy at my practice, we decided to look for a practice opportunity in MN where we could be closer to family.  I was fortunate to find a practice in northern MN that put us 2 hours away from Aaron's family (much better than 5 1/2 hours!).
       We put our house up for sale in May as we were told the average time frame for our home price point to sell was 6 months...well, it sold in two days.  We moved into a furnished apartment for the summer and Aaron and the kids moved into our home at the end of August so they could start school.  I had to stay at my practice until the end of September so I spent every weekend traveling back and forth to MN.  Aaron took excellent care of the kids and they have been adjusting very well.  We love their new school and the progress Chet has been making is mind blowing!  We do miss all of our friends from Green Bay and we look forward to frequent visits!