just processing through things

My Dad had been readmitted to Virginia Mason on Monday. He had been sick with cryptoccol meningitis since early December.

Aaron was over in Seattle for a three-day teaching conference that Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Instead of going and hanging out with his fellow teachers, Aaron went and hung out in the hospital with my Mom and Dad, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

After he was done with work on Friday, we loaded up the kids and headed over the mountains. Nephew Caleb was getting baptized on Saturday. We thought it would be a good idea to go and visit my Dad with the kids, since we were headed that way.

One of his doctors was in his room talking to him about how much better he was looking. He looked 100% better than he did the day before, and he looked 100% better than he did the day before that. So things were improving. My Dad asked what he had to do to get home. The doctor said that if he was able to eat more regularly himself and get up and walk around without too much difficulty, he'd be able to go home soon and continue the IV medication there.

The doctor said something about Lily's super cute boots, and excused himself. We chatted in the room for a bit. Told my Dad that I would record Caleb's baptism so he could see it. He said, "No, don't do that." Then the kids were getting a little crazy, so my Dad suggested we all walk down the hall to the lobby.

Grandma treated the grandkids to the vending machine and we sat and chatted there for a bit longer. Then we snapped some pictures with the kids and their Grandma and Grandpa and said it was time to go, it was just about 8 o'clock and we needed to get the kids to bed.

Aaron had the camera and motioned for me to go over and get a picture with my Dad. I shook my head, but he was persistent. As I was leaning in for the photo I told my Dad, "Aaron wants me to get a picture with you, in case you die or something."

Nice. Real nice.

My Dad did a small chuckle and Aaron snapped the picture. I herded the kids over to the elevator, walked back over to my Dad and said, "Love you.", and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

The phone call from the hospital came at about 11:44 that night. My Mom yelled at me to get in her room. I heard her side of the conversation. There had been an emergency with my Dad, he wasn't responding and they were trying to revive him. Then I was yelling at Aaron to get up and get dressed, he was taking my Mom to the hospital.

The usually 40 minute drive was driven in just over 20 that night.

Phone calls to brothers and sisters were made. The praying started.

I called Aaron to see what was going on, I didn't think they were there yet.

He told me that my Dad had passed away.

So many raw emotions....Lael had to take the phone away from me to finish the conversation.

Phone calls made again to brothers and sisters and some family members and friends.

The praying never stopped.

My Mom had called her neighbor and asked her to come and be with Lael and me. Her husband also came over. In his suit and tie. Their Bishop came over. My mom-in-law and sister-in-law showed up.

My brother and his wife stopped by to pick Lael and I up to go to the hospital.

My Dad was in his hospital bed. I had just been with him hours before and he was alive.

There is a God. There is a plan for us. We are not alone. Families are Forever.

We just need to do our part to make it all happen.

We stayed in his room for about an hour. Lots of laughs and tears. I'm pretty sure there were more laughs. My Dad was a funny guy.

Returned to my parents house and tried to sleep. Caleb was getting baptized that day.

The stupid ironic thing was that my Dad had made it to all of his other grandkids' baptisms but this was the first one to happen in Washington. I guess I didn't need to worry about recording it for him either. He made it there anyways.

My two sisters from Utah made it up there that Saturday night. I'm pretty sure they broke the land speed record with their driving. And by Tuesday evening all seven of us kids were at my Mom's.

It was a wonderful thing to be altogether. Letting off energy at the Bouncy Place, sharing meals that were brought by the Relief Society. Enough each night to feed all 34 of us. Amazing, amazing people.

We were only missing one person. He had some missionary work to do or something.

His funeral was on Friday. Beautiful. Beautiful people. Beautiful service. Beautiful spirit was felt.

And like mentioned in the last post, it's our turn to carry on. Just because my Dad is gone doesn't mean I stop being a daughter, sister, wife, mom, friend, runner.... It means I have to live. Live my life in such a way that I will be able to see him again when it's my turn to return home to my Heavenly Father.

That last week in the hospital my Dad was telling everybody that he was going home on Friday. He told the nurses, other hospital staff, even his Stake President. He was going home on Friday. And because my Dad was always right, he did go home.
















Man, I love that man.