It was a HELL of a weekend.

So sorry to have to report the death of my cousin Katina Samples in a car accident on Thursday, November 8th.

I got the call from my Mom on Thursday just before lunch. My mom told me she would be driving down to be with Corrina (her sister and the mother of Tina). Its a 3 hour drive and I didn't want her driving by herself when she was so upset, so I got out of work early, went home to pack and after a 3 hour drive, we arrived in Woodland, IL. The family was very torn up to begin with as it appeared that she was thrown from the car as it rolled and that her boyfriend had left her lying on the side of the road. His coat and wallet were found in the car. It was later determined that they had a fight and she left the bar alone. She was upset, crying and had been drinking. The police believe she was speeding on a dirt road and lost control of the car. She slid off the road and was thrown from the vehicle as it rolled over 4 1/2 times. The worst part of this is knowing that she left the bar between midnight and 1 am, but the accident site wasn't discovered until between 5 and 6 am. So she laid there on the side of the road all night long. The coroner assured us that she did not feel any pain, but we can't be sure if she died instantly. We just thank God that she did not have her sons, Hunter-9 and Levi-7 with her and that no one else was injured as a result.

My heart and my prayers go out to the rest of the family today as they have the funeral. Unfortunately, I had to be back to work today, so my Mom and I couldn't be there with them. Although to be perfectly honest and heartfelt after going through her house this weekend trying to get together photos for the funeral, both my Mom and I decided we would rather remember her as she was in the photos and in our memories than to have our last memory be of her lying in her casket.