Ce la vie

Life happens.
Even when you've made other plans.
To celebrate our 15 year anniversary, Steve and I had planned to visit DC this week.
Steve thought it would be interesting to watch them spend our money.
I was not so sure. I was told to watch my purse because rumors had it that congress was going to need a lot of money.
Something about a bailout.
But then we got the news about
Jim Anderson.
Jim and I married into the same family.
I don't care how much we love our in-laws, we all have moments when we think that they must be Martians.
Or we are.
Those, "my in-laws are from Mars, I am from Manila" moments.
At family gatherings, Jim helped me through those times.
We have a special bond.
When we heard about Jim's stroke, we promptly drove to upstate New York instead of DC.
When we got there, we were so relieved to see that Jim had received
the proper care for a stroke just in the nick of time--and he was not going suffer permanent damage.

(more pictures here)
After we visited Jim and his family, we went to see my folks.
The day we arrived, we learned that
my mother had an ugly colon polyp. Very ugly.
I was so glad I was there.
Between prayers and modern medicine, we left her place optimistic that she'll do well.

We arrived home to water dripping throughout the house due to a malfunctioning toilet on the top floor of our house.
(Thanks to the caped crusader, a new toilet has been installed)
The next day we all went to
a Penn State Football game.
It was a different way to spend an anniversary.
But it was also a reminder that after fifteen years a marriage is never just about the two of you.
Still, it might have been fun to watch the sergeant at arms in the Senate count out $700 billion in $20's.