Take the good with the bad.

http://www.noemptychairsblog.com/2011/10/wyatts-4th-birthday.html

This is the link to another blog that I follow from time to time.  It helps keep things in perspective every time I read it.  It is written by the mother of  4 children.  Her youngest son, Wyatt, died unexpectedly when he was about 6 months old.  The blog chronicles her family's coping and living day to day in the aftermath.  This blog entry was about Wyatt's 4th birthday.  They ate breakfast and watched the sun rise at his grave site, released balloons with messages to him and had cupcakes and sang Happy Birthday to him.  She writes very optimistically, and often talks about "the day when they will all be together again.."   I don't know how she does as well as she seems to be.

This upcoming weekend is going to be a tough one.  I have to pack up my dogs and bring them to John's house to live permanently with him.   My mother is not a dog person.  She never has been.   My dogs are currently banished to the front hallway all day everyday except when I take them outside.  It's no life for them.  As much as it is breaking my heart to think about letting them go after 7 years, it's what's best for them..  It's going to be very difficult for me, and for the boys too.

Sunday is the Light The Night walk for Leukemia awareness that we will be walking in with all of John's family, in honor of my sister inlaw Noreen, who we lost on May 27 this year.  I imagine it is going to be a very emotionally tough evening for everyone..  and I'm a little bit nervous about it.

The weekend is going to be peppered with some good times too.  Tomorrow night, I am going out to dinner with an old friend who is in from Switzerland.  We haven't seen each other in about 10 years and I couldn't be more excited to catch up.  Eat good food, drink some wine and relax.

Saturday, I am getting together with a bunch of girlfriends from highschool at a local bar.  It should be a good turn out.   My friend Melissa is good about organizing these mini reunions a couple of times a year, and they're always  a lot of fun.

It's actually very reminiscent of the weekend that Noreen passed away.  J's 4th birthday was on Thursday, Noreen passed on Friday. Saturday was the boys' birthday party.  Sunday was R's 2nd birthday.  Monday was the funeral.   Too many ups and downs to keep my head straight.

Sooo, as always, I'll take the good and the bad, have some laughs and cries, and try to keep it all in perspective.