Days that followed

As soon as I pulled in the driveway from Abby's soccer game, somewhere in there, I informed Tina (mother of the family staying at our home) what happened. I handed her my phone to call my sister, Debra. Once Debra heard, she started making calls to our family and came right over. I had quickly called Travis' mother in North Carolina and his brother, Chuck in Bellingham as we walked from Abby's soccer field to the car.
Soon there were people flooding up our driveway, in as much shock as we were. They were coming for two main reasons 1)To see if the news they heard was surely right and 2)To comfort us with love. For the next few days, that is how our home looked. People all over with tears, hugs, flowers, food (LOTS of yummy lasagna!) and caring thoughts. One doesn't realize how many people they know in their life until something like this happens. I remember three years ago when our dear friend and the boys' mechanic, Jamie, passed away after a dirtbike incident at our home. It happened right before Travis' birthday, so on his day, I decided it would be good to gather Travis' friends for a dinner. It wasn't a huge deal, but enough. 35 people at one long table at the Mexican restaurant! I remember Travis' words to me, "You need this many seats? I don't have THAT many friends." He was wrong. SO wrong!
The second worse day of my life was the day I had to go visit a funeral home and schedule my 41 year old husband's funeral! Buy a casket??!! Plan a service?!??! What day is best? NO day is best! I don't want to do this! A funeral means someone is gone! Then to go to the cemetery and pick out where I want him to be buried???!?! The girls and I walk this cemetery all the time! I would never have thought I'd be doing this! Not now!

Travis' and my song has always been Randy Travis' "Forever and Ever, Amen". I remember being pregnant with Cole and listening to Randy Travis all the time. I know when Cole was born, he recognized that voice! A time or two when he was crying, I played that cd and Cole would stop crying to listen to Randy Travis!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTvbKVcxWEg (you have to copy and paste this to hear/view it)

Two years ago at the Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden, Randy Travis came to sing. It was a pretty emotional time for us as Travis' alcoholism finally came out and took its toll on our family. It was amazing that we actually were at the fair together, yet alone listening to our singer sing our song! That night, Randy Travis introduced his new song, "Dig Two Graves" As we listened to it, we both got emotional, and I said it then became our new song. It just so happened ...that day at the cemetery . . I purchased two graves side by side, and we will share one headstone. The song says, "Dig two graves. Just carve one stone." Again . . . sitting there at the fair that night, who would have known the meaning that song would hold in our lives! (I still need to get the headstone finished.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPhlPumBzv0&feature=PlayList&p=070A27D4E009685A&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=38 (You have to copy and paste this too)