In Loving Memory

Hey Everyone!

I apologize that we haven't blogged for the past two weeks. It's not for lack of good material, I have great pictures to share from the events that have happened this month. But there is a post that I feel has to come first and I've struggled with exactly what to say and being able to say it. But, I think it's time so here goes:




Two weeks ago, on Wednesday October 6th, I received a text message from my mother-in-law saying that Cary's stepdad was in the hospital in critical condition. Never in a million years would I have guessed how severe the situation really was. I guess that with all the news and television dramas, critical condition simply doesn't have the sting it should. Or maybe my brain was simply in denial. Maybe my mother-in-law didn't want to admit the severity of the situation when she said we could come by the hospital sometime later that evening instead of coming right away. Heaven knows that placed in the same situation I would be in denial too. But unfortunately, no matter how hard you try to deny the truth, it's still the truth. And the truth is this. By 3am Thursday, October 7th, Cary's stepfather, Lynn Couch, had left this world forever.

When someone is gone, you quickly realized all the things you loved about them and how important they were in the fabric of your daily life, even if you didn't realize it while they were alive. Lynn was a tough guy, a guy who wasn't raised in the current climate of political correctness, a guy who said and did exactly what he thought. I have to admit, sometimes I found his bluntness and politically incorrect jokes embarrassing. Now, I wish I had let those little idiosyncrasies go and appreciated the larger picture. Because under that tough guy facade was a very loving, funny, caring man.

With Lynn gone, I've quickly come to realize how much he did and how much he meant to this family. A family that wasn't biologically his, but one which he loved fiercely no less. Lynn took care of everything Cary's grandmother needed, whether it was fixing the car or running errands. He cared and provided for Cary's mom. And he was a cornerstone of our family. With his ever present toothpick, his knack for remembering embarrassing stories about Cary and Toby and his call it as you see it approach to the world, it's hard to believe that he's really gone. He was just one of those people you figured was much to tough to every really die. And he's one of those people who I wish I had one more moment to appreciate, one more moment to thank for all he did so quietly while never asking or expecting anything in return. He will truly be missed.