Justice served...

...well, sort of.

Today was the day. The sentencing hearing proceeded as scheduled, and the man who killed my grandfather was FINALLY taken to jail. It took about 3 1/2 years, but we can finally close the door on this part of our lives.

What amazes me, though, is the amount of time he will serve. The man was convicted of 1st degree involuntary manslaughter, and 2nd degree assault. With the laws on the books, this would allow him to be sentenced up to 7 years per count. With the sentences running concurrently, he will serve a total of 7 years in prison. (That is, if he doesn't win an appeal or is denied parole.) I applaud the judge for giving him the maximum sentence, but it just blows my mind that it will only be 7 years.

This man killed my grandfather! We were given a life sentence because this man made such poor decisions. I know that nothing will bring him back, but only serving 7 years seems a bit light to me.

I wasn't able to attend, but was able to talk with my aunt about how things went. She told me that, even when given a chance to make a statement, the defendant still wouldn't admit ANY wrong-doing. He is still blaming other people for HIS choices. He is refusing to see that his actions led to the death of a good man. Bottom line...he made the decision to drink the night before. He made the decision to drink so much, that he was still over the legal limit at lunch time the next day. He made the decision to go in to work, even though he was still "buzzed." He made the decision to continue on the road, even after he noticed that he wasn't feeling well. He made a decision that changed the lives of my entire family, as well as his.

I wish I could tell this man what has been on my mind. I wish I could open his eyes to the truth of the matter. All of this tragedy was avoidable. If only he had stepped up and been responsible.

It's just another story that shows just how far out decisions can reach. It's usually further than we would ever expect.

Judgement Day

So tomorrow is the day. Or, at least, it's scheduled to be the day. It's been 3 1/2 years in the making. A very slow process for sure.

Three years, six months, and two days ago...

It still brings tears to my eyes.

My grandfather was traveling home from Springfield, MO with his wife Joyce. She had just been released from the hospital after neck surgery. He pulled to the side of the interstate, looking for prescriptions or something, and was hit by a semi at full driving speed. His car was thrown across two lanes of traffic and back again before it came to a rest. He nice, long Cadillac was now a compact.

They say that my grandpa was gone instantly, and I pray that they are correct. His wife's life was spared, but she was critically injured, and air lifted back to the hospital. Her injuries were serious enough to spend a while in the ICU, even missing Grandpa's funeral.

The case seemed pretty simple. The driver was legally intoxicated at the time of the crash. He killed a good man, and left his wife in agony.

The trial...not so simple, thanks to the defense attorney. I know that he was doing his job, but it was torture sitting there, listening to him twist the series of events. His tactics were meant to confuse. Thank God, the jury saw through.

The driver was convicted of 1st degree manslaughter and 2nd degree assault. Now...we are awaiting the sentencing. This man made decisions that directly caused the death of my grandpa, and yet, he has been living with his family for the past 3 years, 6 months, and 2 days. We have been living...but without a key member of our family.

I am ready for this to be finished.

I am ready for this man to learn what his bad decisions will cost him.

We already know what they cost us.

Back to School!

It's hard to believe it. My little boy...my baby...started the 1st grade this year.

It seems that time is flying by! Wasn't it just yesterday that I was holding him in my arms, humming a song and rocking him to sleep? All of my life, I have heard people talking about how fast kids grow up, but i never really believe them...until now. Kristopher is over half my height, full of energy, loves to read and tell stories, and makes me smile every day. I am so blessed!

Summer Update

As I was navigating the Internet today, I realized that it has been quite some time since my last blog post. I've told you all before, and I will tell you again...I'm just not that good at keeping up with my blog. It isn't because I don't want to. I just get distracted easily. But, I digress...

It has been a very full summer for us, as I am sure it is for many of you. With baseball, VBS, vacation, and now preparing for "Back to School," it seems that there just isn't enough time in the day to accomplish all that I want to. But, it's been a lot of fun. There have been hundreds of pictures taken, thousands of laughs laughed and several tears cried. All in all, it's been a great summer.

The hard part of summer has been the waiting, and unfortunately, I will be waiting for some time to come. Soon after my miscarriage, Darrin and I decided that we were going to try again, as soon as the doc gave us the go ahead. We are thankful that I have been given the all clear, and we can begin trying for a baby again. There is always the chance of another miscarriage, and that scares me. But, here we are...at that place again, praying for God's blessing. We're being a little more specific this time, though. Before we prayed for a baby. This time, we are praying for a healthy baby, carried to term, that will continue to bless our family for the years to come. :o) haha!!!

I think God can read the fun-loving sarcasm in that request, and I thank Him for bringing me to this place. A few weeks ago, I couldn't be that relaxed about it all. It's truly the grace of God that has brought me through. I can't wait to be able to tell all of you that God has blessed us with a child. I know that it will happen, and I pray that it is soon.