It is conference time again

Sitting here watching conference made me desire to write in my Journal again.  I figured I would update my blog.  We have made it past six months since the tragedy.  We are as strong as we can be.

The girls are back in school and having a blast.  Of course this also means that I'm back on the School Board full time.  Anyway, on Scharae's first day of school there was an assembly.  During this assembly the principal announced teachers by what they did when they were younger and the kids had to guess who she was speaking of.  "This teacher," said the principal, "did cross country training when younger."  Scharae has an excited look upon her face and looks at her teacher saying, "I know who it is."  "You do!" responds her teacher.  "Yes it is the Lord.  He is the one that died on the cross."  Her teacher loves it when comments like that are said.

I'm well into my studying for MLC.  I'm really not that positive on doing well this exam.  We will see, but I may have to retake it next year.  In the words of The Maze Runner "Everything will be different."  The exam will change just a little next year so I will need to get new manuals.  I believe that I will go back to the ACTEX ones.  I think I work better with that publisher.

Two weeks of sorrow

After the loss of my son all I can think of is how thankful I am that I didn't lose my wife. Life goes on. My wife's health improves. I continue to try to be better; sure I mess up sometimes, but I try to do right and get back on track. I love my wife and love her life with me.

What pain can we endure

I believe that the most difficult part of this whole experience is just knowing that the girls will ask questions when mom comes home. Her being in septic shock was very scary. Especially after reading the statistics for mortality. However, when the girls start asking about the baby boy that will never come into our home that is when my wife will shed the most tears. She spoke to them on the phone today and already shed a lot. Well we have a couple more days to prepare, and then there will be a funeral.

Can they resist?

I was in an actuary meeting today. The topic of discussion was adaptu.com and how it was created. It was a lunch and discussion. During the speech someone started opening a bag of chips. I watched my neighbors out of the corner of my eyes and I found it amusing how every single one of them had to peek a glance at the person opening the chips. I resisted but the could not.

Grand Slam

I made my first Grand Slam at the Salem Bridge Club.  My partner opened 1♣.  I had 17 points.  I made my bid of 1♠.  She raised to 3♣.  I knew that she had more than an opener and at least 6♣s.  I had 2 so I knew we had a fit.  I went to 4NT.  We did simple blackwood, although I prefer RKC.  She bid 5♥.  We had all aces.  So I pushed on to 5NT.  She bid 6♥, so we were missing a king.  I counted from my hand four winning spades, at least one heart and one diamond (aces in my hand).  I knew that we had at least 8 clubs and she had two undisclosed kings.  So I went for it all at 7NT.  A heart was played that led straight to my A, Q…but she had the K so no concern there.  I then noticed that she had a whopping 18 points and 7 clubs, headed by the A, K, Q.  Clubs broke 3 -1 and it was a lay down.  It was top board (everyone else stopped at 6 NT) and awesome.

North (dealer)

♣AKQxxxx

♦Qxxx

♥K

♠A

South

♣xx

♦AJxx

♥AQx

♠KQJx

It's the vines

I keep having this reacurring dream. My wife and I are at crescent lake and we have to scale a cliff to get down. We the search for something onthe beach and pull ourselves up via some vines. It is a struggle but we finally make it up.

If father love mother

My five year old got a monkey stuffed animal from us for Valentine's Day. She wanted to know if she was going to see me tonight in order to thank me for the gift. She then asked "what did he get you, because father is suppose to get mother something, if he loves her. Doesn't he love you?"