Thank Goodness for Distractions

Distractions, busy hands and lots to do,can be a powerful medicine for grief I think. Thoughts and memories still invade my brain but I know it's a process and it takes time. My funny and full of life family have been so supportive and always there to make me laugh and smile.

Can you tell he has a passion for military and survival equipment?Makes it hard to blow out candles!

Like this weekend for example, boy was it a busy one. A few family members drove down to see our oldest grandson perform in another play,and to celebrate our middle grandson's 9th birthday. There's still lots to do in regards to my father's estate,but that can wait for a little while.We all just needed to be together and enjoy the day! It turned out to be a wonderful day full of laughter.....the best medicine!

Grandchildren,nieces and friends,oh my!

Then the big kids decided they'd better test the new Nerf weaponry!

 Another distraction that has helped me greatly has been Pinterest! Oh my I am so addicted. What a fun invention that is. During some of our long days at the hospital taking turns in ICU, Pinterest was a nice way to not think. Everyone had a phone or Ipad in hand surfing the web,playing games, or like me pinning some great finds to my boards. Wow have I found some clever craft ideas,some yummy recipes and some things I may have to save up for!

http://pinterest.com/pin/253046072782662571/    A balloon T-Rex!!!

http://pinterest.com/pin/253046072782664398/ Key lime cheesecake bars

I have been back to work for a week now,physically but not always mentally. Today I am back to work a little more focused and will be in full swing with my passion which is Hopewell Creek Designs. It's rather scary how the body can just go through the motions doing what has to be done, like driving from point A to point B.....and then realizing you have no memory of the trip.

I am a tad behind schedule on my orders but I'm working hard to catch up. I also have tons of emails to finish catching up on and blogs to stop by and visit. I think besides hugging my grand-kids the one thing I know will help me start to get back to normal is to design something new for my shop. My Dad loved to hear about what I was making and how things were selling. I hope to have a new Campfire up and ready very soon. This idea has been in my head for ages,now I simply have to make it a reality..........or I might actually explode!
So Hello again......... I've missed everybody!!!

His Painful Fight Is Over

      It's hard to remember what day it is today or where on earth I have left my cell phone.....just found it in the refrigerator to tell you the truth. But one date will stick with us forever, and that is December 28 2012. That's the day we put our father in the hospital for what we believed would be for a short time. It was the longest two weeks of our lives. After many ups and downs, and moments of good news followed by hours of devastating news, our Dad lost his battle on January 12th.

Many years ago at the country club for Christmas brunch.

Dad and my two brothers many years ago.

He had laid out his wishes and we did the best we could to honor and follow his instructions. In the end we hoped we had made him proud that we did all we could to save his life in such a way that he would have his life back. We knew he did not want to ever see the inside of a nursing home. We feared that would be the out come and were making plans for him so as to avoid that at all costs. But in the end God took him home and we were grateful that he was out of pain and with our Mother.

During his trips to Europe to over see and open the bank branches on many Army bases.

We worked feverishly to put together his funeral in a matter of two days. Dad was the most organized person I have ever known. So it was no surprise that he had written his own obituary and had a photo taken for the newspaper. We hope the funeral honored who he was and what all he had done during his life. The final military honor guard ceremony I believe would have made him very happy.

Here is a link to his obituary and a brief slide show of photos we put together at Flanner and Buchannan funeral home.
He was always so proud of his years in the Air Force during the Korean War. What he did was top secret and he took those secrets to his grave. He was a man of strong character and solid dedication in everything he did. He never said an unkind word and felt his opinion was his own and never forced it on anyone else.

My Mom and Dad are seated on the right of the photo.

Memorial weekend 2011 on my deck with my niece,brother and sister in law.

His presence in our lives will be forever missed...................but the spirit of who he was still remains.

My Heart Is Breaking

          I am sad to say I haven't had a moment to think about writing a post since December 28th. After all the great news about my Father's cancer,we began to notice he was growing weaker,and weaker. In the beginning we thought it was perhaps the side effects of the drug he had started taking. He became so ill that he was hospitalized on the 28th with nearly complete kidney failure. So each and every hour of each and every day has been the most horrendous roller coaster ride of serious health concerns for him,and emotions for us. Without going into detail we believe that he had simply let other health issues go. He kept them from his doctor as well as us. It wasn't his cancer,but another condition that is now threatening his life. His cancer tumors which have shrunk so small that they are no longer a strong concern,according to his oncologist.
So now we pray, and hope, and wait......and of course worry that he will not survive to be able to enjoy this good news.
Life can be so hard but preparing to say goodbye is truly the hardest part of all!