What Summer Vacation?

Every year we try to make it to the beach, Emerald Isle, NC.  Originally we had anticipated going in September and please correct me if I'm wrong, but the 23 years I've been going to EI, September is by FAR the best month to go to the Outer Banks.  The air and water are still warm, no one is there because all the kiddos are back in school, some restaurants and stores are still open, and most importantly, it's relaxing.  Any beach can be relaxing, but the fact that no one is there but retirees makes it that much more relaxing.  We don't need a boardwalk, parties, or bars anymore (that's what happens when you turn 30).  All we need is the beach, the ocean front view, shrimp lady, a kite, a seagull posse, and our bucket-o-margarita (which is stronger then it sounds).

We had to change the date from September to the last week in August because Jason's work's fall conference is the week we were planning to go in September.  No problem, all I had to do was call the office and change the week.  Done.

Wait....undo...again.

In fact...cancel all together.

Jason's uncle was put on a double lung transplant list in the beginning of July.  Three days later, he got a call saying they had a donor and a helicopter would be there to pick him up to transfer him from Albuquerque to Phoenix.  X amount of hours later, he had a new set of lungs. Wow!  Just wow!  It's amazing that they can just pop open the human sternum like a car hood and replace the lungs.  I had no idea they have to replace both lungs, not just one.  I'm truly amazed and grateful for the people that have learned how to do this type of surgery successfully.  It truly saved his life.  Thank you.

After spending a month in the hospital, which I think is waaaay too short after a major transplant but apparently that's all he needed, he was released to outpatient care.  Another thing I (and Jason's family I'm sure) is grateful for is that there is a gentleman who had a lung transplant a few years back and rents out his condo in Phoenix to patients who have lung transplants.  Jason's uncle has to have therapy twice a week for 2 months and has to stay in Phoenix...in August...heat...gross.

Jason spent the first week his uncle was out of the hospital in Phoenix to help him transition to outpatient care.  The following week, I worked some and babysat Jason's cousins so his aunt could go to Phoenix for a week to help out.  Jason then spent the next week in Dallas for work.  Dallas in August...heat...gross. We were apart on our anniversary but that's OK, we have plans to make up for it.  Goodbye beach vacation 2010.  BUT we're OK with that.  Helping family in time of need is MUCH more important than a week at the beach.

Jason's uncle is healing VERY well and right on schedule!  We're so proud of his uncle for being so strong through this whole process.

We'll have a beach vacation through the previous trips to EI: