Evening Update

Dad has been talking all week about the two things he wants to do…Go to Brittany’s swim meet and go to Zak’s Eagle Court of Honor.  One down and One to go!!!

Brittani (Alicia’s daughter) has been ranked number one in the state and today was to swim in the state tournament.  After a rough morning we were not thinking Dad could go, but he would have none of that…Dad was going and nobody was going to get in his way!

Cory, Chris, Kirk, and Mom got him ready and loaded him (and his IV) up and took off for BYU.  If you know our family, you know that the ONLY way some of us would step foot on that campus is for a family member.  So we donned our Uof U clothing, and off we went to the school down South.

Our Brittani did not disappoint! They were able to get Dad a pass so he could go right on the deck of the pool – he had the best seat in the house.  It was packed with a lot of screaming fans and Dad was right there in the middle of the action.  We learned tonight that he especially enjoyed the back stroke.

Brittani started off neck and neck with the other swimmers.  On the second lap she pulled ahead, but by the third lap one girl caught up and they only had one lap to go.  We were all cheering for her but were very nervous.   Britt later told us that she was tired on the final lap but the thought came to her, “My Grandpa did not come here to see me lose.”  All of a sudden she started pulling away fast!  She ended up winning by a pretty good margin.  She is amazing!

We all gathered for pictures after she swam.  It was a beautiful day and everyone enjoyed the sun and warm temps.  As we were taking pictures, Dad suddenly said, “I want to walk.”  We were shocked, but Kirk and I grabbed an arm and we walked around for a bit.  Dad is an unbelievable trooper!

Tonight the kids and spouses gathered at Mom and Dad’s house for a family meeting.  A huge thanks to Caitlin, Nathan, Zak, and Braydan for tending so we could have a good meeting. We had a great dinner (thanks Kirk and Brandi!) and talked about some hard things.  We have accepted the inevitable but are grateful for the precious time we have left with the most amazing man ever!  We laughed and cried and laughed some more. 

The main feeling everyone left with was that through these very sad and difficult few weeks we have come together and are closer than we thought we could be.  We also know that we have seen many miracles and tender mercies that we will always remember.

The whole group inside BYU after Brittani took State!

Aiden, Cassie, Mom, Dad, Chris, Mason, and Kade

Dad surprised Kirk and me when all of a sudden he wanted to walk around

Chris, Teague, Dad, Kirk, Cory, and some crazy lady who jumped in the picture at the last minute

At the Family Meeting

(standing) Kirk, Brandi, Cory, Spring, Rick, and Jen

(bottom) Mom, Dad, Alicia, Chris, Cassie, and Teague