Even through the storms -- life is good...it really is...

This is my favorite recent photo of Chloe -- she looked like she was actually posing in her new pajamas and smiling...she is our little sweetheart. It also makes me smile and brings me to the purpose of this post -- Life is good, it really is so good. We've been doing well lately and staying busy just like everyone else it seems. Last week was a great week - we enjoyed the ward dance (I will post photos of that later on...they are great!), I enjoyed a Saturday with Addison shopping for a Boston Terrier puppy for her boyfriend (found one and Wesley has named him "Dudley" and he's precious!), had some on-call time off from work due to low census at work which was actually kinda nice, had a breakfast date with Spencer one morning before taking him to preschool and it was so neat, and had some very nice evenings with my dear husband including a night out with the missionaries and Derek & Haley Swails (missed you, Michelle!) to San Jose' which was fun. It was a wonderful week and I'm getting more and more excited about the grandbaby which is due in 55 days!!!! There is so much good in our lives we have to be thankful for. Well, at the end of the week we received terrible news on Friday morning that a dear friend, a well-loved member of our community, Ronnie Humphries, had been killed in a hit-and-run collision on I-20 Thursday night just a mile from the exit he'd take to get home. What a tragedy. Ronnie was one of the kindest and sweetest people you could ever meet. He was a friend to everyone and never met a stranger. When you saw him it was as though you were the only person around -- he was never in a hurry and you walked away with a smile. He will be missed so very much. His family has had really tough time as Ronnie just lost another brother and his brother-in-law suffers from an inoperable brain tumor. As we were at the funeral home last night I was so humbled at the people there and those who are affected by this tragedy. There is a plan - I have faith in that and there is a reason for everything - I do not doubt this - but my heart ached for my dear friends there and seeing their pain. As we left and drove back home I could not take my eyes off my dear husband. I love him so much and don't know how I could make it through if one day he did not make it home...Life is so precious and I don't want to waste a single second of it. I want to laugh and love and spend time with those who are so dear to my heart and leave a legacy when it's my turn. I know that Ronnie is in a much better place and I am grateful for the impression he left with Joey and me. He and Joey have had so many fun times together and we've enjoyed remembering the fun times. Today Joey and I are taking the boat out and going fishing, something he and Ronnie used to do together when they worked together and something we enjoy so much together. Just like Joey said last night before we fell asleep, "You have to go through the rain to have a rainbow." So true, Joseph... I hope everyone has a wonderful day today and a wonderful week. Yes, life is good.