I arrived on Tuesday night and Martha picked me up from the airport. Daddy was asleep on the couch when I got home. He was so surprised to see me, his reaction was of that of a child's....genuine excitement. Wednesday was spent getting ready for our Thanksgiving meal and catching up with my sisters. Wednesday night I witnessed several incidents that confirmed his decline for me. We just smiled and enjoyed each other.
Thanksgiving day was spent relaxing, cooking, watching the Thanksgiving parade (which I haven't just watched it in years), laughing, watching old family videos (which daddy cried during some of them saying, "those were the best days."), and visiting. To keep everything simple, we girls had decided to not have husbands or children around. It was a beautiful day. Daddy knew that it was special and tried to talk about his disease several times. This is not something he has done since being diagnosed. He was not successful in completing any of his thoughts, but we all knew what he was trying to get across. I was in charge of cooking. Everyone volunteered to help, but I declined. It was good therapy for me to enjoy cooking the feast of the year without little ones demanding attention. As I was getting the potatoes ready, I found the perfect potato. It was in the shape of a heart. God is good in so many ways. That meal was made out of a lot of love and was enjoyed by so much more love. It was the best Thanksgiving meal I have ever cooked!!! Everything was cooked perfectly.
Friday morning I went in and sat at the bottom of my parents bed, which is something I have done for as long as I can remember. Mom and I decided homemade pancakes would be a good breakfast to start this hard day. Pancakes was always daddy's specialty. I haven't mastered them yet, but have discovered a secret ingredient that makes them pretty comparable. I still can't get them to be as fluffy as daddy's. Sara was able to join us and we had a family breakfast. To keep daddy on his regular schedule, mom went ahead and took him to the Hearth. Seeing them pull out of the driveway was by far the saddest moment for us. Mom refused to let any of us go with her. She is an amazingly strong woman. When she returned, we sat for a bit and then started to pull down the Christmas decorations. We spent the day listening to Christmas music and decorating. Mom seemed to be holding it together, but this is going to be a very hard adjustment for her.
I had to head back to Florida on Saturday. I missed my family terribly and was ready to be surrounded by their hugs and kisses. My heart had a hard time leaving though. I am anxious to head back up in a few weeks, but have so many good things happening until then. I am so blessed.
