Evening Update...We're Back!!

Dad is back at home and resting. 

It has been a very tiring trip for Dad but he said he wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world. He loved seeing his mother, brother, and family.  It was touching to see how he interacted with his father.  Matt (Dad's nephew) was waiting for us at the airport in Salt Lake and it was great to see him!!

This morning Dad, Mom, Alicia, and I went to Tim’s church.  Tim has recently been called to be in the Bishopric and it was fun to see him up on the stand.  I was concerned though when Tim asked Alicia for the box of Crunch-n-Munch to eat on the stand during the meeting.  Tim bore his testimony about having faith when things happen in our life that we don’t understand.  Mom and Lisa (Dad’s niece) bore their testimonies of the importance of families in the plan of salvation.  It was a very nice meeting.

After church Tim took Mom, Dad, Grandma, Alicia, and I on a short scenic drive of the Kentucky country.  We stopped and looked at a beautiful harbor on Kentucky Lake and then went back to Tim’s house.  Barbara had spent hours baking an amazing feast for us.  The food was very, very good and we ate and laughed (all in Kirk’s honor of course!).  We then said our goodbyes and left.  Shawn and Lisa have a cute family and it was fun to visit and play games with them.  Tim and Barbara were so gracious and could not have been better hosts.  Thank you, thank you!

Cory, Chris, and Alicia drove to the airport to prep the plane and watch Cory take care of some business.  Mom, Dad, Tim, Grandma, and I went to see Grandpa again.  It is hard to know if he recognizes any of us but he is always so kind and appreciative of us coming.  I wanted to give Dad all the time he wanted to be with his Father.  It was hard for me as I heard Dad say, “Goodbye Dad, I love you.  I will be back as soon as I can.”  I watched as Dad silently stared into Grandpa’s eyes.  It was as if they were communicating volumes without moving their lips.  Here sat two noble men, weary from a long fight, not knowing what the future holds for either of them.  Grandpa thanked us over and over for coming - I sensed he knew this was more than an ordinary visit. We said our goodbyes and headed to the airport. 

During this trip there has been a lot of laughing and a lot of crying. It is hard to come to grips with the possibilities that lie ahead for our family.  Sadly, we are not the only family in this fight and we pray for everyone fighting this horrible disease.

We watched Dad on this trip try to put on a good front while he was secretly in tremendous pain. We watched as he tried to smile and joke and be strong for us.  In a previous post Kirk used the word “Pillar” to describe Dad.  This is the perfect word – Dad has always been the pillar of strength for our family.  It is so sad for us to see his pain, to see his frustration as his health declines, and yet continue to serve as the patriarch of our family.

Dad has always been my hero because he was strong and always did what was right.  However, I realized this weekend that in his frail and pained condition that I had more admiration for him and loved him even more.  He continues to put others before himself no matter what he is feeling.  It came to me that he has not been my hero because of any physical characteristics; rather, he was my hero because of his character, spiritual strength, and exhibiting true charity.  My heart breaks as I see the pain he is enduring and I wonder what lies ahead…

The flight home was beautiful!

It looked like you could walk on the clouds.

Mom, Grandma, Dad, and Tim before we left.

Dad saying goodbye to Grandpa

Mom, Grandma, and Dad

Emily, Mom, Lisa, and Lauren saying goodbye.

Playing Games at Tim's

Chris, Dad, Cory, TC, Emily, Lauren, and Alicia