Not much time to blog as we have 35 people coming for dinner tonight! It is the Kohler Thanksgiving...which will not be the same without Dad...plus we have some "business" to discuss, which is never easy.

The Thanksgiving worship service and sale at church was great...it is always fun to see people who come home for the holiday and sale...plus it is fun to have the chance to bid on things such as Larry Mast's angel food cake...yum...the only down side was that Carli and Jeremy are in Michigan, but they are coming back to Ohio today.

Carli hasn't been feeling well, and I am praying that it is just a virus...she tells me not to worry, but I think that worry is my job! If I got paid when I worried, I would be rich! Not very scriptural, I know.

Off to stuff the turkey...and set the tables...and peel potatoes...can't wait for the great food that we will have tonight :)

I just got finished blubbering again. The weirdest things will set me off! Susan has been at Dad's organizing his things and had dropped off some things at our house. I am so thankful for her.... Just seeing some of Dad's stuff still makes me cry.
I was thinking yesterday that the greatest things that I learned from Dad were to be content and thankful, no matter what. Then I read a devotional given to me by Chris, a friend from church. The title was "in the Land that is Plentiful". It talked about the Israelites wandering in the desert after being slaves in Egypt. They were on the brink of entering the promised land, after eating manna for forty years. Now they were in Canaan, and God no longer needed to provide manna. They didn't need to rely on Him for food-it was already there. Now they needed change their focus from surviving to overcoming. They needed to overcome their enemies to posses the land, and God would give them the strenth that they needed.

This really hit me...I need to start relying on God to overcome, not just survive. The Israelites wilderness days were behind them, but their reliance days were still with them. "Fortunately, God's name is one we can all rely upon, no matter what circumstance we're facing". (P. 72, Blessed Be Your Name Devotional). I need to keep that in mind when things feel overwhelming.

Carli was just named a "Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities". Only a few get nominated from GCC, so that was exciting! She said that it should make us feel like we didn't waste four years of paying for tuition! She also said that they either like her, or it is to make up for the hassles that she's faced in the past year!!

Tara is liking her job at the James, but is having trouble adjusting to night (graveyard) shift. She usually works 12 hour shifts, and said she feels like she is going to die from about 2-5 am. I remember those days....

Kelsie and Carli will be home next week. It will be so nice to have them here.

Planning a funeral is difficult...my dad made it easier by having a list of his favorite songs and by listing some of the things that he would like. But, we could have used a week to prepare and have time to sit and think. After it was over I came up with more ideas...but the service was beautiful and a real reflection of the guy that my dad was.

I still don't think that it has sunk in as I keep thinking of things that I should be doing for him...and then realize that he doesn't need anything any more! He is with Jesus...that is a comfort.

His graveside service was amazing...21 gun salute, taps played by a bugler, flag service (which was presented to my brother, also an Army vet...very touching)...my dad was proud of his service to our country and it was an honor to see him honored...very touching for all of us. Darrell also had very kind words of comfort and it was so nice to know how well he knew our dad. Going to a small church definitely has it's advantages. We are thankful that Darrell's health permitted him to help us this week.

Debbie Fitzwater joined us for "I'll Fly Away" during the funeral. So much fun to sing with her again. God brings people into your life that will remain close even when the busyness keeps us from getting together very often.

There are so many things that God had worked out for us...my brother Gary had not left for Turkey yet, Tara had a few days off as is transitioning to working night shift, Dad's last nurse's name was "Kathryn" (differnt spelling, but dad's special women were both Catherine's), Carli and Kelsie were in-between exams, my sister-in-law Sally just had surgery but was able to make it home...Darrell could be with us...I'm sure there were many other things that I am forgetting, but it was amazing that we could all be together...what a legacy that my dad left...from my mom and dad I think that there are 44 of us, counting spouses...whew!!

Now the hard part begins...getting his affairs in order. We have to get his home cleaned out by the end of the month, and it is hard to think of everything that needs to be done. But, it will all work out...we have had fun looking at old photos and laughing and crying at the same time. The hard part for me is to see how he was declining...his handwriting and organization of his finances, etc. He was trying so hard to stay independent...

He will be missed...we loved him so...

Little did I know when I wrote this this morning that I would only see my Dad again for a few short moments. He went home to be with Jesus while on the way to the nursing home. He was talking about the Browns football game with the paramedic, turned his head, and that was it. He really didn't want to be a "burden" and probably knew that he would never leave the nursing home. So, he went the way he would have wanted...quick, and without us there to fuss over him.

We loved him so much, this hurts so badly. I never really got to say goodbye...but take comfort in the fact that he is no longer in pain and is in heaven with my mom and Katie...we found some beautiful letters that he wrote us...we never knew that he could be so eloquent...he really loved us, loved our mom and step-mom, and now he is in heaven.

We will miss him....

HE will carry me....

Ended up having to take Dad to the hospital Thursday night...long night...he fell again Thursday at noon, and was in pain and couldn't stand up or put weight on his legs...needsless to say, I couldn't have gotten him to bed, etc.

They can't find any medical reason for his weakness, so today we will transfer him to Glendora nursing home. This is SOOOO hard. I never imagined my Dad being this weak-your dad was always the strong one. He has been through so much and handles life so gracefully, that it is hard to make him do this when I know he doesn't want to. He told our pastor that he would "go wherever the girls want to put me". We don't want to PUT him anywhere but in his own home.

Haven't heard anything recently from Tara or Lisa.

I did, however, get to spend some time yesterday with Kelsie and Carli and saw their college rooms and met some of their friends. Very fun. I really needed something fun right now, as everything for the past couple of months has been very HEAVY.

On the way home, I was listening to a CD that a friend from church made me when we were going through Carli's chemo. The song by Mark Schultz really gets to me every time I hear it. Part of the chorus is as follows:

Even though I'm walking through the valley of the shadow
I will hold on to the hand of HIM whose love will comfort me,
When all hope is gone and I've been wounded in the battle
His love is all the strength I'll ever need....
He will carry me....He will carry me...

Prayer Request

Tara just called and said that her best friend Lisa Christy found out that she has Thyroid Cancer. She lives in Texas, her husband is in Iraq, and her parents live in the Cleveland area. Dan is out in the field in Iraq, so he doesn't even know yet. She has a "good kind" of thyroid cancer...(there really is no such thing as far as I'm concerned)...please pray for wisdom for the doctors, peace of mind for Lisa and her parents, and that she will be able to be in contact with Dan real soon!

Dad is being evaluated by a palliative care doctor tomorrow and then sees his PCP. Then hopefully we will be able to discern which road to take...

Please also pray for a friend from church, Chris, who is undergoing tests...

So many needs...sometimes I have to remind myself that God really is in control...and I need to remember to give thanks in ALL things...not FOR all things, but IN all things. His plan is perfect...