This is a really difficult post to write.
Last Tuesday, December 1st, my sister called shortly after we got home from work. My Dad had died that morning. He was 95 years, 5 months and 16 days old. This is the last photo I took of Mom and Dad together, last August.
We worked that night, I spent it in floods of tears, honestly. Thankfully, we had the next 2 nights off. Work was really supportive, and gave us bereavement leave for the next 3 days after our weekend. Thursday we flew to Boise, to be with the rest of the family. Nathan and Kim with Justin L flew in that night (late!) while Serena and Justin T flew in Friday. My sister Annette was already there when we got there, her husband Steve arrived Saturday. Mom and my brother Bill live there.
We had a great time together, sometimes crying, sometimes laughing. It was a time to remember the man that had meant so much to us throughout our lives, as husband, father, father-in-law and grandpa. Justin L was a bit young to comment on his being great-grandpa.
It was fun to watch Mom meet Justin T. What a difference in height! grin
Saturday afternoon we held a family memorial service. Two cousins and their spouses were able to come, John and Josie from right in town and Renee and John who were in town for a missionary furlough from Russia. Howard conducted the service. Almost everyone there spoke and gave a memory. From Dad suggesting that Serena and Nathan pick up rocks to form a rock wall (with the suggestion that Dad chose that activity to wear them out - grin) to how much he loved his family.
Justin L was such a delight. Annette bought a pair of sunglasses for him, he had a great time with them. Here he is with Mommy (Kim.)
After the service we all went out for a dinner full of memories, laughter and some tears. This is a photo of all of us.
Bill, John Michno, Annette and Steve.
We flew back Sunday and arrived in miserable weather. Snow, wind, ice and low temps. :-( And the temperature continued to drop once we got home.
We had put a duvet cover lined with a plastic shower curtain in front of the sliding glass doors to the deck, to cut down on heat loss. It is frozen to the doors and has been since we arrived home.
I'll do another post with more pictures.
Serena and Justin T. Serena saw this coat at Cabelas. The clincher to buy it (and a matching one for Justin T) -- see that fur? It is raccoon. As she says, "Revenge is SWEET!" Remember the raccoon story?Annette was delighted with raccoon fur too, as she has had run-ins with raccoons in the house too. Not to mention that they found that the raccoons were almost in the house when Serena moved out. They figured a few more weeks and the animals would have made it down the chimney -- again!
The two Justins, and they are both smiling! They took to each other immediately.
Justin L with Grandma and Grandpa.
Here is Justin L with his new sweater from Grandma (me.) Daddy (Nathan) is behind Mommy ignoring us. I thought of waiting until Christmas to give it to him, but with weather becoming cold, I thought it would be better for him to have it now.
Nathan, Kim and Justin L left early for the airport. Serena and Justin T left within minutes of us so we went to the airport together. We asked someone else in the waiting area to take our picture together. Turns out he is a professional photographer.
