life is a roller coaster....

life is full of ups and downs.

Today (actually the past few days) have been a little down for our family. Last week we found out that a dear friend of ours was dying. She passed away yesterday. Of course, I am deeply sorrowed by her loss but I am even more sorrowed by the after blow it is leaving on her family. She was way to young to have passed. She left behind a 6 yr old son and her husband of 20 + years. Mother, daughter, wife, friend and animal lover Mary Smith.

She was diagnosed with leukemia over spring of 2008. She fought it off fast and went into remission quickly. She was even back to work, this past fall, teaching. Over the holidays she caught double pneumonia. At which point, they discovered the leukemia was back (with a vengeance). She was unable to fight the leukemia or pneumonia as she had NO white blood cells. She was at MD Anderson (the past 6 wks) with the finest of doctors and most advance technologies. She passed early yesterday morning. Mary was a good friend to us for over 10 years. We met Mary through Mike, her husband - one of our flyball friends. Mike and Mary have the biggest hearts and purest, most genuine of intentions. Mary's was a show horse woman and Mike is a sports-dog man! Together they made a great team.

The hardest part of this loss is trying to imagine Billy (her 6 yr old son) without her. Mary and I were pregnant together with our "first borns". I can't fathom to imagine life for my children without me (their biggest cheerleader). It breaks my heart to think of the pain our friend Mike must be dealing with. Single father of a young child. We so desperately want to be there to console him and help but the price of airflight keeps us from that :(

If you have a minute, please say a prayer (or thought) for our sweet innocent Billy to find protection, comfort and guidance in trying years that lie ahead of him.