Four (well, two) Weddings and a Funeral

It's been a very full month. A few weeks ago, we spent a weekend in Wyoming for my cousin's wedding. Mom and I drove up with my cousin Dani and Lindsay and Nathan. We had a great time- the drive was uneventful, the accommodations were wonderful (we were in Jackson Hole) and it was so fun to see some of my Dad's side of the family. The wedding was small, and very "cowboy." Lindsay loved it. :) On the drive home we saw the most hilarious thing. I wish we had stopped by the side of the road for a photo opp, but we were laughing and stunned and didn't think of it until miles down the road. We were zipping down a stretch of highway on a steep hill and as we came around a bend we saw legs. Cow legs. Upside down cow legs, like a beetle that had been overturned. The cow was obviously dead, and rigor had set in awhile back. But the cow was flat on her back, legs (literally) straight in the air. We felt bad laughing at the poor thing, but we did anyway...for about 20 miles.
The second wedding we have attended recently was that of a boy, no man, that I used to babysit. So hard to believe he is 24- holy cow, how old does that make me? It was fun to see him and his family and to catch up on all that has happened in their lives. The family had five sons, one of whom was killed at age 11 by a truck with faulty breaks as he was crossing in a crosswalk. You wonder how a family survives a tragedy like that. I was so pleased to see them all doing so well. It all goes back to hope...
Unfortunately, along with the joys of recent matrimony, we also attended a funeral for a son of a family friend who was killed by police in a standoff situation. Even as I type that it seems surreal, like something you only see on tv. When hope is lost, desperation takes its place. Please pray for this family, I can't imagine what they are going through. I don't feel comfortable posting too many details, but God knows those details. Pray especially for his young son and wife who are dealing with so many issues right now.
Sorry to leave you with that, but I need to get off the computer and grade some papers. Our friends, the Torlas, are coming to visit for a week and I need to get ahead of my game so I can spend some time with them. I conducted my first parent-teacher conferences last night and they all went very well. PTL!