In the end

Last Sunday we celebrated what would become my dad's final Father's day.  We had counted down the days to the occasion on the calendar hanging in his room, which my mom had marked with a square around the date.  When I had visited Dad the Friday before Father's day, he was excited about the special Father's Day luncheon that would be held on Sunday afternoon, and I was excited we'd all be there with him.

I got there in the morning, before anyone else had arrived, and he was sitting up in his wheel chair watching Daniel Boone.  He loved all of the old Westerns on TV and had seen many of them multiple times.  We talked about Fess Parker and how dad had met him in Vietnam.  We enjoyed our morning visit together until my mom arrived when we went down to the cafeteria for lunch.  Nicol, Tyler, and Fiona arrived while dad ate lunch, and we all chatted while he ate.  

When he was done, we went outside to sit in the sun for a bit, but we didn't stay long because he was feeling tired and wanted to rest for a bit.  So he went back inside and after he settled in, we all joined him to continue our visit. Fiona sat on his bed and she was tickling him and laughing.  Dad wasn't feeling up to joining the Father's day cookout, but the rest of us all got some food and sat with him a while longer.  Mason joined us for part of our visit, and it was nice to see him.   Slowly, we all began to leave, and I finally left when I could tell that dad just needed some rest.  It wasn't the best day for him, but I know he was happy that we had all been there to visit him.

Monday started my week of vacation, and I was happy to just stay home and work in the yard for a few days.  I worked in the garden, and finally got it all ready for the Summer, with the exception of putting up the fence that I normally use to keep the girls out of it.  Mina happily made herself at home next to the tomatoes.  She loves lying in the dirt.  

On Tuesday, I spent another productive day at home.  It felt great to work in the yard on a nice day.  After a good day at home, I got into the car and headed out for my Tuesday evening visit with my dad.  He had a CT scan scheduled for 8pm that night and an ambulance service was scheduled to pick him up to transport him to the hospital where my mom was planning to meet him for his appointment.  I was happy to stay with him and visit while we waited for the ambulance to arrive.  He wasn't very talkative, but we had a nice visit and I made sure he was safely in the ambulance and on his way to the hospital before I finally headed home for the night. 

On Wednesday, I had decided that we'd get out for a little morning fun before storms moved into the area.  So we headed out for a visit to Padgett Park Dog Park before a visit to the farm to pick up some fresh strawberries.  

On the way home from Dewitt, we stopped in Old Town for a walk around town, and the girls insisted that we also make a visit to Preuss Pets.  Mina's new favorite thing to do there is to go into the garden center and watch the Koi in the pond.  Peaches seemed to enjoy it too.

We started the drive home to beat the rain, when I looked at the radar and noticed that the forecasted rain was now expected later in the afternoon, so we made a quick detour over to campus for a nice walk.  It was humid, but we definitely enjoyed it.

Afterward, we finally headed home for lunch.  After eating, the girls settled in for a quiet afternoon and evening at home.  The storms finally arrived after 5:30, so I unfortunately had to cancel our shelter dog walk for Wednesday evening.  But it was nice to spend a quiet evening at home after a really good day.

 

For my Thursday visit with dad, I had decided I would make a morning visit.  He was always more alert in the morning, and I was excited to get outside with him for a bit and join him during therapy.  He was up when I arrived, but was obviously still a little tired.  I sat on the bed and talked with him for a while, then we decided to take a walk around the facility.  We sat in a common area and talked for awhile, and then we headed to the cafeteria for our visit.  My mom arrived right around lunch time, and Nicol and Fiona showed up shortly after mom.  We all sat with dad in the cafeteria visiting while he ate.  He wasn't very talkative, but we enjoyed a little conversation.  After lunch, Nicol, Fiona, and I took him to the common area to visit a bit more before he had therapy.  He really had been wanting a picture with Fiona, so I was happy to snap this one.  Little did I know at the time that it would be the last picture anyone took of him.  Before he headed into therapy, I gave him a hug and then we headed into the gym for his therapy time.  During a short break to catch his breath, I hugged him again and told him good bye.  We talked about the work trip I was about to take and I told him I'd see him in a week.  I told him I loved him and waved as I left the room and he continued his therapy.  I didn't think it would be the last time I talked to my dad...

On Friday morning, the girls and I loaded up the car to start our drive toward Minnesota.  I had to be in Minneapolis by Sunday morning for a work conference for the week, and I wanted to take our time and enjoy a little fun along the way.  The traffic in Chicago was terrible and really slowed us down, but we weren't in a hurry so that was okay.

We stopped at a Love's Truck Stop north of Chicago so the girls could stretch their legs and take a potty break.  It was so hot that we didn't stay long, but it was just what they needed.  Afterward, they settled in for a quiet ride. 

We drove through beautiful Northern Illinois and stopped for a few quick pictures along the way.  Then we finally arrived in Dubuque Iowa.

We checked out the view and visited a few of the highlights around town.  But it was a short visit because it was just too hot to do anything.  

I stopped in a couple of small towns along the drive north checking out some small sights and stretching my legs.

And I was excited to run into this little taco truck in one small town, just when I was ready to stop for a bite to eat.  I ordered a quesadilla and it was delicious!

We continued on through the farmlands of Iowa, enjoying the beauty along the way, and before leaving the state, I made sure to grab a picture of the girls to prove they'd been there.  After all, this was Mina's first time in Iowa.

We arrived at our hotel in southern Minnesota before sunset, unpacked the car, and settled in for the night.  It had been a long day on the road, but we had enjoyed the drive.  I was excited for a quiet  Friday night and the chance to sleep in a bit on Saturday morning before getting out to explore the area.  But that was not to be.

It was 4:24am CT when my phone rang with the call from my mom that I knew would come some day, but that I didn't expect that morning.  She had just received a call from the rehab that my dad had died.  I didn't react, I just listened and then told her I'd pack up and head home soon.  After I hung up the phone, Peaches crawled up onto the bed with me to give me a little extra love.  I sure do love that girl.

I immediately showered, packed the car, and then got the girls out for a little walk since it wasn't too hot yet.  We stopped at a small dog park next to the hotel for a potty break, and then headed back to the hotel to check out, grab a bagel, and then start our drive home. 

Other than a couple of stops to get gas and stretch my legs, we just kept driving toward home.  It was too hot for any activity, and I just wanted to get home.  I grabbed a late lunch and the drive went smoothly.  When we got back to Lansing, we picked up some ice cream and the girls and I celebrated my dad's life the best way we knew how in the moment-with an ice cream party.  I talked to my mom on a few occasions and she was with my brother and his family so she was okay.  I had a headache and needed some sleep, so I headed to bed early.  It had been a really long day.

Today, I spent the day with my mom, on my 55th birthday, planning my dad's funeral.  We saw an eagle in the field down from their house on the way back home.  It was another exhausting day and I need rest, but I didn't want to miss writing today.  I'll say more about my dad next week.