And just like that life changes. From everything being OK to having to scramble for time....
Some of you may know already but my brother-in-law, Clint, has been battling Leukemia for the past year. Yesterday, we got some bad news. His bone marrow transplant worked but a little too late. The Leukemia has spread to his soft tissues and they found it in his stomach. There is nothing else that the doctors can do and he was sent home from the hospital yesterday afternoon.
This amazing man and his family have gone through so many trials and hardships and we were so confident that he would make it through. That he would beat the odds and be able to live out the rest of his life to an old age and see his little girls grow up into wonderful and beautiful women and have families of their own. But things don't always turn out like we think. Our Heavenly Father must have other plans than what we thought.
The plan was to take his young family to Disneyland in October when he would be cleared for travel but now that is being moved up so that his girls can have one more happy trip with their dad. This weekend will be a trip to Disneyland with the whole family. Clint's parents, his brothers and their families, his best friend and his family, Becky and Ryan and their family, and Matt and me. I will try to be the best reporter ever and make sure that everything possible is caught on camera.
I still have this nagging feeling that something good will happen. That some miracle will happen this weekend while we are at "the happiest place in earth" and that he will pull through. Is it blind hope? I don't know. We have turned everything over to Heavenly Father and know that He loves each of us and knows how we each feel right now. That He knows what He is doing and it will all be ok.
We are all grateful that he has a few weeks to spend with his family here on this earth. We are all grateful for the time that we have had with him and will enjoy every minute that we have left. Just think about that the next time you see your parents, husband, wife, children and other family members and those who are close to you. Don't forget to say goodbye and tell them how you feel about them. Don't leave anything un-said.
So here is to you Clint. We love you and always will. We will pray until the very end.
(Floating down the Truckee River in Tahoe, CA Summer 2008)
(Matt and Clint during a bike ride in Tahoe)
(Clint and the love of his life, Kelly)
(Kelly, Clint and Callie in Tahoe, 2008. I don't have an updated family photo so this is before Tessa Lee came along a few months later)
