By Jim Langham

Last Christmas, our family started making plans for a special trip to New Jersey during the second week of June. We were going to celebrate my father-in-law’s 90th birthday and the wedding anniversary of he and his wife, Mary Ann. We made reservations in a nice inexpensive condo in Seaside Heights, a half block from the boardwalk and just a few miles from their home in Bayville.

Jason and Cindi, children Bailee and baby Kirsten, and Julie and Sandi had all arranged vacation time to join Joyce and I in what we had hoped would be a celebration with Dad and Mary Ann, family members and friends.

In spite of Dad’s 90 years, it never crossed our minds that those plans could be interrupted.