What a rough year

It's been a while since I've blogged on my site, but 2007 has been a rough and heartbreaking year. It started in January with the death of our beloved dog, then many friends that we knew passed away including an old boss of mine, Rich Lamsargis. Rich was a great guy who was quick with a joke and a die-hard Cardinals fan who never failed to tell me how bad my Chicago Cubs were. But Rich was kind of a mentor who instilled work ethics in me and pushed me harder because He knew I could do it. Rich is missed by many, including his wife and daughter. Then on April 18th, my Mother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer and was given 8-10 months to live. You know, when they give you a time frame, you really hope and pray that they're wrong and that the odds can be beaten. But 6 months to the date, on October 18th, My Mother-in-law lost her bout with cancer. JoAnn was a brave woman and taught me much in that time. She relied on her faith and when things were starting to go bad, She questioned God, but she never blamed him or stopped loving him. In June, I thought my wife was having a heart attack! When we took her to the ER they found she had fluid built up around her heart. They operated and drained the fluid. She's doing fine now, but just dealing with the loss of her Mother. I swear, my wife has been through more crap than Job. But like her Mother, she refuses to blame God. I've never seen anyone as devoted as my wife. When I get discouraged, she's there to put me straight.
I know the holidays will be tough this year, but I know we'll get through it together. My wife's sister is having a baby next year, so there is hope that 2008 will be filled with wonderful promises.