I'm sad.

Easter weekend is always fun: the kids' excitement about getting their baskets filled, coloring eggs, we've already watched "The Easter Dream", and this year had the added bonus of having General Conference of the LDS church to watch on TV. All these fun memories have been overshadowed by sadness, for me at least, as I received word today that my beloved uncle, who lives on the other side of the country with the rest of my family, has had a massive stroke. He is alive, though I will not say thankfully, since he is in critical condition and his prognosis does not look good. My extended family is relatively small, and when I was little, my uncle Kevin always treated me and my brother like we were his own, as he and his wife had no children of their own. It's always heartbreaking to me when it seems like certain individuals get dealt more than their share of difficulties in life. He lost his wife about 15 years ago, and just a year ago he also lost his dad (my grandfather), who was basically his best friend through the years. He is a good man, with a generous and kind heart, and right now my thoughts and prayers are with him, with hopes that his suffering will be minimized and mercy will be on his side.

I was 5 years old in this photo, and it's always been one of my favorites.

Here he is in uniform. He spent his entire grown life in service as a law enforcement officer, working his way up in the ranks.

This photo was taken in June of 2008, when our family made a trip to Michigan, the first for our kids.