sad times

As I mentioned before, August brought along some changes around here.  It also had its fair share of sadness.  During the last three weeks of the month, I lost my mentor at work, one of Seth's preschool teacher's-turned-friend lost her husband (both in their early 50s), and we found out our flowergirl, now 18, passed away after moving on campus, before classes even started.  On September 1st, my FB status went something like this:  "hoping for a September with less headaches and heartaches.  August had more than it's share."  It was just not to be.  When I opened Seth's backpack that afternoon, I found out his teacher had unexpected surgery and will be out until Thanksgiving.  The sub is okay, but it's just not the same.  On September 2nd, my grandma was hospitalized and a few days later transferred to the regional medical center.  Her heart had stopped working properly, so the focus turned to comfort care.  She was transferred back "home", and spent her last days with her daughters, resting, playing cards, and being visited by lots of friends.  She passed away on the 21st, and I made a whirlwind trip "up north" last week to attend her funeral.  But even in the midst of all this sadness, the kids are doing amazing things, Nathan's happier than he's been in ages, friends are having babies, Zoe has been completed intensive treatment, and Georgia is on the move.  Life is good.