Carol Byars Brinson, Rest in Peace

Last Saturday, the Bojo's lost a dear family friend to cancer. Carol and my mother met in junior high, and were best friends for 38 years - through high school, college, grad school, teaching the same high school subjects, church, my sister being born on Carol's birthday, living in the same neighborhood, giving wedding and baby showers for Jenny and my sister, the works. Carol lost her nearly one year battle with cancer this past Saturday around 8:00pm at the age of 50. Aunt Carol leaves behind her husband of 24 years, Chester - a great man of God who needs our prayers desperately in this time. At the graveside, Chester's brother Allen told me that he planned to get Chester out on their hogs for a week-long bike trip. I hope that gives him some good time to reflect and pray. The whole thing seems surreal...like the next time Jenny and I go to church with my parents at Fellowship Baptist Church, we will grab lunch afterwards with Carol & Chester at Gondolier's just like always. But alas, 'tis nevermore to be. Life sucks sometimes.

On a positive note, MK got to meet some of her family she hadn't met before and see some she already knew. Here's MK with her cousin Owen from Arizona:



Click here for more crazy stories about the antics of Owen and the rest of the Starr family.

Here she is with my maternal grandmother, Charlotte Britt:



And my maternal grandfather, John Britt. This rounds out the great-grandparent tour: MK has now met all six out of her six living g-gparents.



And, she met her Aunt Jennifer for the first time. See more of Jennifer's life, kids, and creativy here.



Next, my Uncle Tom:



My cousin Ann Marie also came over, but refused to hold MK. "I'm dirty from basketball practice" she said. I gave her hell for it, since that's what Bojo cousins do to each other.



MK got to spend lots of time with her Pops, who this time wasn't so scared of breaking her:



And her Nana, too. MK and Owen both lit up her life after losing such a great friend:



Here's a shot of me, Jenny & Owen. This picture is proof that the deer-in-headlights look runs in the Bojo family:



Here is one of those pic's we will hang onto forever: Owen, Grandma Bojo (Pops' mother), MK, and my cousin Rebekah:



One last shot of Aunt Jennifer, MK, & Owen: