Family

Other things may change us, but we start and end with FAMILY. -- Anthony Brandt

AUNT CAROL---we LOVE and MISS YOU!

2 weeks ago, i got the dreaded call from my dad---the one you never want to answer.  Aunt Carol had suddenly passed away.  She was my dads only sister.  1 girl and 5 boys.  So without hesitation, i jumped on a plane bound for North Dakota, my home state.  I was lucky enough to get a flight fast and cheap. 

my family is big and after all of these years we have all remained close.  I cherish that.  My cousins and i talk about how lucky we have been to have such a large family and not have deaths, tragedies, illness, and sadness.  This was such a hard time for us, but we all came together.  We laughed and cried at the same time. 

My grandparents passed away a long time ago, but they lived long happy fulfilled lives. 

Although my Aunt Carol was in her early 70s, she was still full of lots of life and didnt act a day over 50.  It was a shock, and still is today. 

my cousin,  HEIDI,  who most of you know from our blogs and FNSI, drove in early saturday morning, so we got to spend some much needed time together that weekend.  Heidi's dad and my dad are the 2 youngest, and really close in age.  Carol was smack dab in the middle of those boys.  But she could handle every single one of them.  i LOVED that about her. 

This was the last time i saw her.  That day I was able to spend a few hours sitting with her and getting family stories from her.  She always had the GOOD ones too! 

Carol....we will miss you each and every day of our lives.  We love you!