Day 358 - Friday, December 24, 2010

Day 358 - Friday, December 24, 2010 – Because my dad’s wakefulness has gotten less and less each day, we decided to have a Christmas Eve brunch together, which is during his most alert time of the day. What a blessing it is to have my dad still with us and to surround my parents with love and goofiness on this memorable Christmas Eve.

Day 321 - Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Day 321 - Wednesday, November 17, 2010 – Visiting Poppa always includes lots of hugs and kisses. If love could heal, dad would be cured by now.

Day 279 - Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Day 279 - Wednesday, October 6, 2010 – Gramma and Poppa came to our house for a spaghetti dinner tonight. We all can't get enough of loving on Poppa.

Day 269 - Sunday, September 26, 2010

Day 269 - Sunday, September 26, 2010 – Today we enjoyed a wonderful celebration of life in honor of my dad. We were surrounded by tremendous love and support.

Day 258 - Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Day 258 - Wednesday, September 15, 2010 – Shawn holds my dad's hand during pre-op. It serves a couple of purposes, one- to comfort my dad and let him know that we're here for him and two- to keep him from picking at the sticky dots all over his head, which will be used as coordinates during the surgery.

Day 257 - Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Day 257 - Tuesday, September 14, 2010 – My dad is scheduled for a very risky procedure tomorrow to take a biopsy of the tumor on his brain (which doubled in size in two weeks' time). So, we had a big dinner at my parents' house to wish him well.

Day 247 - Saturday, September 4, 2010

Day 247 - Saturday, September 4, 2010 – We had dinner at my parents' house tonight. We brought over a delicious lasagna that a co-worker of mine generously made for us. I'm just amazed at the acts of kindness that have been poured over our family in this last week.

Day 243 - Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Day 243 - Tuesday, August 31, 2010 – We gave dad a crossword puzzle to pass the time while waiting for his shunt surgery (to drain the fluid on his brain). After 15 minutes or so, I noticed he hadn't filled in any of the words, so I offered to read it to him and fill it in. One of the clues was "Mr. Fix It". Wouldn't you know it, there were just enough boxes for me to fill it in with "Bennie R. Shellnut". I don't care what the answer key says, I wrote in the correct response.

Day 240 - Saturday, August 28, 2010

Day 240 - Saturday, August 28, 2010 – What a difference a day makes. Late last night, my mom brought my dad into Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital. For the last couple of weeks, his physical and cognitive abilities were declining. I guessed that maybe he had suffered a minor stroke, and my mom had planned to take him to a neurologist in a couple of days. But, last night, he fell, and then he couldn't add. Turns out he has hydrocephalus, or water on the brain, due to a suspicious mass blocking the draining of the cerebral spinal fluid from his ventricles. My mom keeps him company by playing cards and showering him with kisses.

Day 234 - Sunday, August 22, 2010

Day 234 - Sunday, August 22, 2010 – We stopped by my parents' house for breakfast on the way to Liam's football game in Birmingham. I was amazed by how enamored my dad was with Ashton today. He held him and held him, and just gave him so much good loving. He's the bestest Poppa in the world.

Day 117 - Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Day 117 - Tuesday, April 27, 2010 – My dad has been coming out a couple days a week to help around the house...with Ashton, with dinners, with taking the older boys to baseball practices or getting them ready for school, with taking out the trash and sweeping the floor. I'm so lucky to have him for a dad.

Day 6 - Wednesday, January 6, 2010 -

Day 6 - Wednesday, January 6, 2010 - My parents will be heading back to Florida in a couple of days. We've enjoyed having them home for the holidays. Tonight they brought dinner, some other items for the fridge and pantry, and checked out the nursery. Next time we see them, there will be another Hillary grandkid clinging to their necks.

Day 2 - Saturday, January 2, 2010

Day 2 - Saturday, January 2, 2010 - Today we celebrated my parents' 45th wedding anniversary at their house surrounded by my dad's side of the family. Still so much in love.