Why is the week of April 14 always so wack?

In the past, this week of time has always been so wild, and heart-rending.



Between college and the marine corps, the Oklahoma City bombing took place.

April 19, 1995

When I was in Oahu with my college friends, the Columbine shootings happened

April 20, 1999

Then, right as I was finishing up my 2 year of teaching at Mary Baldwin, the shootings at Virginia Tech took place.

April 17, 2007

It is just wild.  I don't get it.  So, when I got text messages from two friends Monday afternoon, I got very anxious. "Hey what do you think about what happened in Boston?"  "Holy crap! Did you see what is going on in Boston?"

I was anxious enough that I stopped the meeting I was in, and asked the person whose office I was in, to check the news.

So awful.

This is the image that hurts me the most.

As we know, little Martin died.  In that frame is one of the brothers, the bomb in its backpack, and little Martin, there to just cheer on his daddy.  What a horrible, horrible crime.


Then, the explosion in West, Texas that is being treated as a crime scene:

I am exhausted with allergies and staying up way too late watching CNN, but I am good.  I am praying for so many people whose lives were so wrecked this past week.  I heard on the news there was a man from Texas who was at the Boston Marathon when the bombs went off, then he went home and was driving through West, Texas when the explosion there happened.  It is just too wild for my taste.  Then, an earthquake my brother felt in Afghanistan that killed people in Iraq, and now one in China too.  Crazy times, people.


As for us, things are goodish here.


Asher raised $100 for Cancer research and treatment with St Jude's.  Then he rode his trike for a couple hours in honor of that fundraising.

He also went to the dentist and was a champ.  He just needs one little filling replaced.  This is a great improvement from the last visit at another dr that led to $9000 in surgery for teeth.  I am still bitter about that.  The bill was much, much higher than what we were told it would be.  His teeth cost more than my c-section.

He is ACTUALLY featured on the Ken Copeland Family Dentistry Facebook Page.

Valerie has a 100% in two of her classes and finished up the coursework for another.  She is doing great.  She had therapy in Staunton Tuesday, so we made good use of the blossoming pear trees.  She loves Regal and she is spending a lot of time with her friends here.

And.  Spring is here, in all it's glory.  We have had some really lovely days.  Like... so, so lovely.

Valerie and Candra got the first sunburns of 2013 last weekend (actually, we all did, they were just much worse than the rest of us).  The pollen is making the cars green and leaving green trails on the sidewalks and streets.  It is absolutely gorgeous, but man does it make me miserable with allergies.  No worries though, I would rather have leaves on trees any day to the dreary naked trees around when it is winter.

With all the craziness, I have been very aware that I need to be kind, loving, attentive to my little family.  We have had extra tickle-time, snugglies, and yes, Asher even slept in my bed once this week.  I have played with Valerie's hair, scratched down her arms (which she loves).  I have had long conversations with her about what matters and what doesn't.  I have put everything down every time someone comes into my office to talk (which is a LOT of putting things down).  I told a person I work with how much I like her and that we need to be kinder to each other as a people.  She agreed.  We do.  We need to be kinder to each other.  Let's do so now.