Dad update

Back. I've been back in my hometown since Wednesday... Stayed the night with Dad at the hospital, and kept telling him to hold on 'til midnight when it would be his birthday. (He'd been wanting to hit 80 for the last ten years!) I started at six o'clock saying "Ok, Dad, you've got six more hours. Six! You hear that? You hold on!"

Dad did hang on.

He hung on through the night, and the next morning, they released him to go home. The whole family came home to have a big birthday bash for him. I mean Big. There are seven of us kids you know. ;o) And grandchildren comin' out your ears. :o)

We sang "Happy Birthday" to him, gave him balloons, etc. And we were able to talk to him. While he couldn't speak back to us, we do know he was listening and understanding everything. For example, I was sitting next to his bed and said, "Don't worry Dad, I'll take care of that John for ya." (John my brother, who has been Dad's right-hand-man for the past several years). Dad grunted. :o) And seeing that he was "in there," I added, "Do ya think there'll be coyotes in heaven Dad?" (He's been hoping to get a shot at one for several years now.) He grunted again. :o) After that, I had the chance to really say goodbye to him, tell him I loved him, thank him for being such a great dad to me, etc. What a blessing. I never got that with Mom. I think we all got that opportunity.

Dad made it until shortly after midnight. God let him enjoy every second of his 80th birthday. :o) As he took his final breaths, he kept saying, "I'm free... I'm free.. I'm free... I'm free..." And then he died. What a comfort to us all to know he knew the Lord Jesus as his Savior, and trusted him alone for his salvation... There is no doubt where he is right now.

Sunday the family gathered to start cleaning out Dad's house. Which was also Mom's house, so it was a double-grief of sorts, as we had to say good-bye to her all over again too. That was by far the worst day ever. Seven kids have seven personalities, and well, uh. Yeah. ;o)

Today (Monday) was the funeral. He had military honors, (Dad had been in the Navy as a young man), and the flowers matched the flag. It was gorgeous.

After the meal, John and I drove back into the cemetery for a last goodbye, and I saw that one of my siblings had beat me there... They had written "I love you, Dad" in the dirt on his grave...

Thank you so much, everyone, for the condolences... it means a lot.