the shaynes: March 2009

I usually try to limit each blog post to one item at a time but the past month has just been a whirlwind of events. This last month has really been a wake up call. An old friend of mine, Mike Murray passed away a few weeks ago. He was a pretty special guy, the type of guy no one had anything bad to say about. He was really funny, as nice as anyone could be, handsome, and so very well liked. I have so many fond memories of Mike but my favorites include going ice blocking at the Sunset Hills Country Club and running away from Security or going to our rival Agoura High School and painting the "A" Orange and Blue (Westlake's Colors).

I spent the entire day back home, seeing old friends and sharing these happy memories. The 90 minute drive back to OC began my reflection over the last 15 years and it made me realize, life is just too short. I saw a lot of old friends that brought me back to a time of innocence. Life was pretty easy back then. And even though it is harder now, it can be so much more rewarding. It is so much easier said than done, but in a time of uncertainty, and as screwed up as the world is right now, we just have to be thankful for our family and friends. I realized that my drive ended with picking up my sweet Zachy. I just hugged and kissed him and tears came to my eyes. And my day ended with my husband coming home and I just hugged him and cried. My friend Kendall said it perfectly, "The next time I get a phone call telling me that someone has passed away, I don't want to be sitting there, trying to remember when the last time I saw him was. I want to know, right then and there, that I haven't been missing out on a friend's life, and that he hasn't been missing out on mine."

Mike, you will be missed by so many people, so very much.

Not that I haven't enjoyed each and every moment with my family up until this point, but now more than ever, I look at them in a new light, with a renewed appreciation. We have been very busy and taking lots of pictures over the last month of all Zach's new tricks. Over the last two days, both Ms. Maria and Ms. Shani have told me how well Zach has been doing lately. They have been taken aback by all his new words and emotions. Quite frankly, I am too. It is amazing to see his transformation and to be able to understand one another.

We recently gave Auntie Melissa Zach's rocking chair. She is due with Grady any day now and we are all anxiously awaiting. Zach wasn't much of a rocker - he preferred to sleep on our shoulder most of the time. You can see that he wasn't too sad to part with it.

Later in the month, we enjoyed some nice weather and BBQ'ed in our very much in need of landscaping patio.

Zach and his girlfriend Abby fell even more in love! In fact, we really can not go more than a day without letting them see eachother. Otherwise, we are in for a major breakdown.